5 Ways From Altruism To Happiness

Altruism is part of life. Sharing our energy with other people and showing compassion towards humans and animals can lead to happiness. It’s like a straightforward bridge from altruism to happiness.

Being happy and using ways to increase happiness is quite difficult if we don’t share what we have. Far away from money, we have bigger and brighter things to share, such as helping hand.

Sharing things in all forms – kindness, generosity, compassion, volunteering and donating money – can be favorable for the benefactor and the recipient.

Altruism in the form of kindness and compassion are the key factors to socializing and vital to our happiness. Researchers claim that helping people and doing a good deed out of the ordinary can elevate levels of happiness.

1. Generosity

Being generous defines one person as BIG. Well, not big as Jerry Springer’s 700+ pounds guy, but big as a soul and as a giver. Not everyone is able to have generous souls and share an act of kindness with people or animals.

Being generous makes us perceive others more compassionately. We look on the bright side of people when we are kind to someone. It also makes us feel grateful for our own good fortune.

Once I spoke with my friend’s father, he gave me an epic advice on generosity. He told me when his friend passed away there were 2 thousand people on his funeral because he was the god of generosity. He helped everyone and he was never busy if someone needed help. My friend’s father told me: “that’s what life is all about, how many people appreciate you being alive and how many faces you craft a smile.

2. Kindness

Friendly people and people who are described as warm and gentle, are the group of kind people.

Being kind is difficult task. Sometimes being warm and gentle is mission impossible for people who do not appreciate it, but that’s not the point.

Being kind promotes a sense of connection and community with others, which is one vigorous factor in increasing happiness. It can also start a zigzag reaction of positivity. Being kind to others will inspire them to be grateful and generous to others, who in turn are grateful and kind to others. The chain reaction will lead as far as it can go. This commercial is good example of kindness.

3. Compassion

Compassion attracts happiness as long as it’s not sacrificial. In that case it reduces well-being.

Kindness and compassion fosters happiness and health longevity. Compassion has a warning: if people get overextended and overwhelmed by helping tasks, as it can happen with people who are caregivers to family members, sponsoring overall life, can rapidly decline the overall health of the giver.

Being generous from an abundance of time, money, and energy can promote well-being, but being sacrificial and time-stealing, will decrease our well-being.

If life of one person depends on burdening himself to help more people, rather than looking for himself, the compassion is toxic rather than mood elevating.

4. Volunteering

With so much going on to everyone, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. The benefits of volunteering are enormous to us, to our family, and to our community. If we hit the right spot, we can find friends, learn new skills, and even advance in our career.

Volunteering also helps us to protect our mental and physical health.

One of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen relationships is to commit a shared activity together. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, especially if we are new in particular area. It also broadens our support network, exposing us to people with common interest, neighborhood resources, and fun-fulfilling activities.

If we happen to be shy and clustered in opening up to other people, volunteering gives us the opportunity to practice and develop social skills, since we are meeting with large groups of people with common interests.

One friend told me that it is better to work for nothing, than to sit for nothing, which is quite reasonable argument.

5. Philanthropy

One national study found that donations to good causes increase happiness in the donors, no matter how small the donation is. Another study proved that the positive emotions result even if the gift or donation is small as 5$.

We don’t have to be wealthy to be generous. Philanthropists such as Bill and Melinda, Paul Allen, Warren Buffet, and Oprah are able to give large donations, but that’s not a general rule.

Facts about donating:

1. Women are more generous than men

2. Older people give more than younger donors with equal incomes

3. The working poor are America’s most generous group

4. Recent immigrants are also likely to be generous