Finding happiness through helping others

Over the summer my husband and I listened to Tony Robbins Money: Master the Game. (The provided link is an Amazon Affiliate link).Though much of the information related to specific websites and organizations is out of date, the book was full of valuable information. My husband and I are pretty late to the game of investing outside of our retirement accounts. We are just starting to dip our toes in these scary waters and do not want to lose more than we can afford. This book was incredibly helpful in starting us on a path to do this.

The final section of the book is not about how to make money, but instead focuses on making a contribution and how putting energy and resources into the good of others is the most sure way to find happiness. The evening in which we listened to this section of the book, we happened to make a late night run to the grocery store and I picked up a fancy bakery cupcake for our teenage son. When we got to the check out, I made a comment wondering if my son would even appreciate the cupcake, as sometimes he is hard to please. There was a young man working the register and he commented that the cupcake looked good and he would certainly be pleased with it, so I gave it to him. I did not do this because of the book, there was no forethought in the act. He was very sweet about it, and as we were leaving the store my husband made a comment to me about how this small act was proof of what we had heard in Robbins' book. Indeed, we were both ridiculously happy with this small act of kindness. Honestly it probably did more to improve our day than it did the cashier, and it really reinforced the idea that taking care of others is the best way to find lasting happiness.

I would like to suggest to anyone who reads this post to try it out. Help someone, treat someone, make a donation to a charity you believe in. It can turn a frustrating day around and give you a chance to reset your mood, while improving the life of someone else.

Obviously small random acts like this are not going to guarantee a lifetime of joy, but I think it is an important part of the happiness puzzle.