Today is Mother’s Day. The day that we agree to honor mothers and grandmothers. Why do we celebrate Mothers? Because of all they give.
But mothers also receive something from all of the giving that they do – happiness. Being a mother is one of the things that brings the most joy to my life. Giving of yourself and helping others is one of the easiest ways to increase your own happiness. Mothers give of themselves and in so doing create more happiness. Happiness often comes as a byproduct of generosity, but you don’t have to be a mother to benefit from generosity.
When you are actively involved with helping others, you will indirectly create more happiness for your life. Doing things for others – your children, your parents, your friends and even your pets -- makes you happier than spending time and energy on yourself. There is a strong link between kindness, generosity, and happiness.
With increased giving comes increased happiness.
A study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies asked one group of participants to recall the last time they spent money on themselves, and another group to recall the last time they spent money on someone else. With each question they completed a scale that measured how happy they felt with the spending. The participants were then given a small sum of money and two choices. They could spend it on themselves or on someone else. They were told to choose whatever would make them happiest. Their choice was kept anonymous, so they did not feel pressure to give to others. The research found that people feel overall happier when they were asked to remember a time when they gave. The happier they felt when being generous, the more likely they were to want to spend on others again. Generosity creates a positive feedback loop. Giving encourages more giving.
If you do one kind act that makes you feel happy, you will be more likely to spend time doing more acts of kindness in order to feel more happiness.
So, whether you are a mother, grandmother, child, or friend, give yourself the gift of giving. Be generous to others and your life will be better for it. Create a culture of kindness and give to help yourself feel happier.
And don’t forget to honor your mother today.
Dr. Julie Cappel
“Being happy and being kind are two things we often strive to be in life. ... Doing good deeds can bring untold amounts of happiness; both for the recipient and the benefactor. Nobody loses when it comes to kindness.” – Corey Harnish
“When you look at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know.” —Mitch Albom
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