There is a Chinese saying that goes:
“If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.
If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”
Happiness is found in helping others. Helping others is a fundamental part of humanity.
Today we live in what I would call such a selfish world, it’s easy to lose the desire of the effect of helping other people achieve their goals. If I were asked I would say that it is better to give than it is to receive, but many of you have this question “how is that possible”? Aren’t we often accustomed to finding joy in the things that come our way, more so than what we give away?
Well, there are numerous reasons why this is true. So here are some reasons why helping others tends to make us happy.
Having Strong Purpose
When we volunteer ourselves, there’s a sense of purpose that comes along with it. There’s a feeling that we are now working towards something greater than ourselves. At that moment when you actually realize the power you possess in the lives of others, you feel invested, even needed. When helping the people around you makes you feel needed, you tend to experience more happiness.
If you actually dive deep into your thoughts, you will notice that when you’re committed to helping others, you have no time to be distracted by your own ways. And when you have your focus on others, you find yourself well surrounded. Along with that a decreased feeling of loneliness.
Nowadays with all the social media consuming our time on a daily basis, it’s just a driving force towards destroying these connections. The more we spend time virtually connecting, the less we create time for the physical. Starting from there, the more we focus on helping others outside of the virtual orbit, the more valuable relationships we build.
Helping Others Brings Great Happiness For Ourselves
Every time I’ve ever helped someone, a client, a friend, or a colleague I feel a sense of accomplishment and I believe everyone has experienced that amazing feeling. When you think about it, the more we accomplish, the more successful we feel. The accomplishment we feel when we give ourselves only to see results feels rewarding.
An Attitude of Gratitude
The more grateful we are, the healthier and happier we’ll be. Helping others is the greatest unspoken need that life gives us. That’s because by helping others you put your life into perspective. That attitude of gratitude gives you the light to appreciate the small things we tend to overlook in our lives. Living such a life keeps us further away from depression. I love the saying that giving is living because I believe in my heart that it is true.
As I love to say, life is a beautiful place to live if you know how to. That’s because life is far greater than just our individual desires. Life is about how we fit in a world that benefits all. And the only way we create such a world, and place to live is by helping others that lack gain.
This happens when we work not only on ourselves but on creating something we all can be proud of. When we can be proud of how our contributions shift the world, purpose lives. That my friend is true living.
We all have dreams of what we want our lives to be like. And while it’s essential to pursue our own goals, it’s just as important to help others achieve theirs. Because when we do, we create opportunities not just for them but also for ourselves. So let’s all strive to be givers not just takers and see what amazing things we can accomplish together!
Zig Ziglar, a motivational speaker said, “If you help enough people get what they want, you will get what you want.”
Remember that it is important to be kind to others, but it’s also just as important to be kind to yourself.
