To be happy requires we step outside ourselves and turn our attention to others.When we give, we empower lives and spread joy.
“Instead of seeking nourishment, be the one to give it.” – Eva from The Muse
When we give, we empower others, enrich lives, and spread joy. In turn we help ourselves to be happy. Giving takes on many forms. A gift of donating money to a worthy cause can be just as powerful as sharing a smile with someone who is having a bad day. The positive effect ripples and grows exponentially, spreading its roots deeper in areas that crave life, energy and the hope of a better day.
The spirit of giving
If we all gave a little something each day, the world, in its most basic sense, would be a better place. The spirit of giving is contagious. It magnifies a power that attracts more giving, thus completing a powerful circle. In giving, we open up to all sorts of positive vibes that have the power to touch countless people in ways we can’t even begin to describe. The gift of a smile can spread to thousands. The gift of sitting with an elderly patient can brighten spirits. The gift of blankets and kibble at an animal shelter can save countless of precious lives. The gift of a hug offers soulful nourishment. It doesn’t require grand acts to be happy.
A question to ponder
If you could do something that could help someone be happy and make even a small difference, what would it be?
I tossed this question out to the masses yesterday and got several wonderful responses:
- A hug
- The gift of being honest
- Donate to a homeless person
- Tutor a child
- Write great letters to bosses of people who just have great attitudes
- Purchase a coffee for someone
- Smile
- Give a hand full of quarters to someone at the carwash or laundromat
- Make sure all kids are felt loved, safe, fed and know they matter
- Be a kind, humane being every day
- Pay for round the clock care for my friend’s mother with Alzheimer’s
- Give out cookies on Christmas Day to the homeless
- Plant fruit trees for the homeless so they have food all the time
- Helping someone to find necessary resources
- Rescue animals
- Say hello to a stranger
- Hold the door for someone
- Give up a seat on a bus for an elderly person
- Take a friend grocery shopping and pay for her groceries
- Win the lottery and buy people what they want/need
- Return shopping carts for people
- Engage in a brief chat with someone who looks lonely or sad
Be happy by giving
When we give, we help others feel the beauty of peace, gratitude, and hope. Giving renews spirits, ours included. That, in and of itself, is a gift to the world. If we’re living in our best light, those around us benefit, too.
The bountiful effects that giving extends to us are essential to our well-being because they can free us from our problems, our selfish desires, and from being lonely. The best effects from giving usually come from those random acts of kindness when the generosity is offered without any expectation of its return. The reason this is the most powerful form of giving is because it’s rooted in the unconditional love of connection to something greater than ourselves.
Many may feel they don’t have a lot to offer, but it doesn’t take grand gestures to make a difference to someone who could use a pick-me-up. A cup of tea, a handful of coins, helping an elderly woman place her groceries in her car, volunteering to help at a soup kitchen, or even picking up trash in your neighborhood as you take a stroll can all have incredible effects. Your act of kindness may go unseen, and that’s okay because it will still give you lift and make you feel happy. And one happy person can change the day of many others.
The benefits
The benefits of giving are numerous. Some include increased self-esteem, personal empowerment, and better health. The reason is because when we do something nice for someone, we are gifted with a sweet release of endorphins which, of course, is fantastic for our immune system and state of mind!
One way to give back is through volunteering. When we volunteer, we put ourselves in the grace of all sorts of warm and fuzzy feelings. Volunteering can especially be beneficial for those who are lonely or live in an areas far away from family and friends. It allows people to build a social life, which can boost emotional and physical well-being.
A natural spirit of happiness forms from the energy of goodness. It cannot be destroyed, for its light continually shines its innate positivity, driving its momentum and feeding its evolution. Within the waves of its great stride, from a point of thoughtful origin to the unknown, goodness casts a glow that radiates and spreads in all directions. Undeterred by the obstacles of shadows, it seeks out the nourishment it craves to sustain its growth and contagious hunger to move beyond the despair of hopelessness and to the point of an all-encompassing place that reminds us all that beyond what seems out of reach, is only an act of kindness away. Kindness connects all life with it universal appeal to bring joy and life to all who seek out its warm, loving ripples.
