Pursuit of happiness is probably the thing most people look for more than anything else. Now, I know many people will disagree with this statement. They’ll argue that most people they know are searching for more money… or for true love… or a myriad of other things. But in reality, it’s happiness that they they want more than anything else!
Why do people want money? Because they think they’ll be happier if they have more money, of course!
And true love? Doesn’t that bring about more happiness too? Of course it does!
So, back to the main point of this article. What really brings about true happiness?
Does so called retail therapy do it for you? Do you feel happy after a mammoth shopping spree? Or does it just bring about superficial joy? In truth, retail therapy works for most people… but the joy is often short-lived! And worse than that, it’s often followed by much stronger feelings of guilt or worry about spending too much money.
What about spending time with friends or loved ones? Well, this is probably one of the best things you can do… but not the best. Spending time with friends and family will bring about a real rise in your level of happiness, so do it as often as you can… and take some pictures so you can remember the good times, (and increase your happiness levels!), when you’re feeling a little down.
OK, so I said there’s something better you can do… but what is that? Well, research has shown that the thing that brings about more happiness than anything else is… to help others! Now that may sound contradictory, but stay with me… and I’ll explain further!
Helping others brings about very strong feelings that create activity in your brain that in turn leads to great feelings of satisfaction and happiness. Now, I could go into lots of scientific explanation here, but I’m not a great believer in listening to what things do or don’t do! I’d rather try them out and find out for myself! So, here’s a little test for you… so you can see if it really works for you too!
Now, many people will say they can’t afford to help others… they’ll argue that they don’t have enough money to give to others! And maybe they’re right! The good thing is, you don’t need money to help others. There are so many other things you can do instead, and here are just a few suggestions…
- Give blood
- Help a friend to decorate or clean up their house
- Help a family member in their garden
- Write a thank you letter
- Visit someone you haven’t visited for ages
- Help a neighbour in any way you like
Get the idea? I’m sure you can think of a few things yourself too. Be creative. Oh, and one more thing. Don’t just do one thing… do a few. Make a weekend of it! Research has shown, that doing several good deeds for others together, rather than spreading them over a period of time, makes you even happier. Now, don’t get me wrong here! Please don’t use lack of time as an excuse to not try this… your happiness is at stake… so make some time. Remember… this will benefit others as well as yourself. So get to it. Your happiness is at stake!
Make today a great day!
Keith L Jones
Life Coach and Internet Entrepreneur