When I was younger, I loved Christmas for a different reason than I love it now. Back then it was all about the presents. I couldn’t wait for Christmas morning to find out what was under the tree that year. I’d spend time looking through toy catalogs and making big long wish lists. It was all about things, material things.
Thankfully now that I’m older Christmas has changed and taken on a new meaning. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy receiving gifts…who doesn’t? 😉 But now the fun is in finding and giving the perfect gift to someone else. I love to watch their eyes light up when they open their gift and see what they got.
The point I’m trying to make here is a very important lesson I learned – giving makes us happier. But I’m not talking only about physical gifts either. Anytime we can give something, be it our time, a kind word, sound advice, or a hug, it makes us feel good to give back. Giving increases our own happiness.
In other words, focusing on giving back more will help us lead happier and more fulfilling lives.
So now it’s time to start thinking about the different things you can do to give back more. One of the easiest and most popular way to do this is by volunteering. It’s a great place to start and there are so many different opportunities out there where volunteers are needed. Homeless shelters and soup kitchens are always grateful for an extra pair of hands! If you’re good with animals, help your local humane society to walk dogs and socialize kittens. Reading to patients at the hospital or in a nursing home is another great volunteer opportunity.
What if you aren’t able to leave the house much? It’s ok! Don’t think that you can’t volunteer. You can! There are still lots of opportunities available. For example, if you know how to knit or crochet you can do different crafty things like knitting preemie caps for your local hospital. Or sew some blankets for a local no-kill animal shelter. Maybe you’re great at English, writing, or even math, so why not put those skills to use too and offer to tutor kids online.
Start volunteering and giving back and notice how good it makes you feel. It instills a sense of pride and purpose in you and that in turn will help increase your overall happiness. Giving back to your community and family is a wonderful feeling that I hope you get to experience more.
Would you be interested in an exciting, unique, and fun way to experience happiness? If so be sure to check out Experience.Happy – our newest coloring adventure, a 5 senses immersive coloring adventure! Each month, we’ll present to you a different topic on something that will make you happy.