The beauty of the Pursuit of Happiness is that no matter who you are, where you live, what you know, when you were born, or who you love, you can be happy. True happiness is above the five W’s and so are you. Learn how to find happiness in the good and bad times of life. Believe it. Read it. Be happy.
Joe Douglas
– Jr. Copy Editor –
During the winter at my old job with Washington University, I would step out of McMillan Hospital, shivering in the freezing weather. Every day, I saw an African American man playing his saxophone as pedestrians walked right by, occasionally dropping a few cents into his semi-transparent ice-cream bucket.
That day I had some extra cash in my pocket. I walked by his bucket and dropped in a $10 bill, hoping he wouldn’t notice and continue playing his saxophone. Instead, he ran after me and, with enthusiasm and gratefulness, thanked me like I’d never been thanked before.
It was extremely embarrassing, but it made me feel really good inside. To me, it was just $10! To him, it was something much, much more.
In a March 20, 2008 issue of The Telegraph, the University of British Columbia discovered a relationship between giving and feeling good. In the study, 630 Americans were given either $5 or $20; half of the group was instructed to spend money on others, whereas the other half were to spend money on themselves, both by 5 p.m.
“Regardless of how much income each person made, those who spent money on others reported greater happiness, while those who spent more on themselves did not,” said Elizabeth Dunn, Ph.D., in the article.
This is the idea behind a “helper’s high,” which is a euphoria obtained by helping someone in some way.
People often ask, “But what if I give someone money and they spend it on drugs? I don’t want them to do that.” Thankfully, it’s not necessary to give away money to make you and someone else happy.
As a matter of fact, giving a compliment can be more valuable than the value of any dollar bill.
According to Jack Canfield, self-esteem expert, the average child hears 432 negative statements per day to every 32 positive statements. As most people can attest, a compliment can really make someone’s day. How about volunteering? Allen Luks, author of “The Healing Power of Doing Good,” studied more than 3,000 volunteers across the United States, looking for the benefits of doing good deeds. He discovered that 90 percent of the group reported volunteering relieved the effects of stress, chronic pain and insomnia.
Not only does the organization benefit, and those the organization supports, but dedicating time to other people’s causes improves mental, spiritual and physical health, and even turns all of your experiences into strong resume material.
The Dalai Lama once said, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
Interested in discovering your own helper’s high? Have a few extra dollars? Donate it or buy someone a small gift. If not, do someone a favor or volunteer with church or school. Even if you don’t have much money or time, complimenting someone is a great way to lighten up everyone’s day.
You have the right to pursue happiness. Give it. Live it. Be happy.
