Happiness Rebounds on the Giver

Having interests beyond oneself also has great value when things go wrong in our lives. There are times when things become difficult and are beyond our control. If at such times we are able to be interested in someone or something beyond our immediate affairs then it can be of great help. It can keep us occupied and that will help us forget our worries for some time. It will also give us the satisfaction of being of help to others.

The same applies to sorrow as well. The death of someone we love deeply is an irreparable loss; it has the power to soak us in grief. We know that no good is ever achieved by immersing ourselves in grief but some grief is unavoidable and has to be accepted. However we can try to minimize it as much as possible. Getting busy with work that is outside our immediate interest can be the best way to do this. It will give meaning to our life and help us to deal with our sorrow better.
The act of spreading happiness has the power to lift us out of our frustrations and depressions better. A friend of mine was having difficulty in coping with her life after the death of her husband. She felt lonely and depressed. Her children had grown up and left home. She had been a stay-at-home wife and now she did not know what to do with her time and her life. She lost all interest in life and was miserable. Then one day as she was returning home, she saw a blind boy who was trying to cross a busy road. He looked poor and in need have help. She went over to help him. She asked him where he lived and how he coped with his life. He told her about the blind school for the underprivileged he was in and how they were in desperate need of help. She went to visit the school the next day and when she saw the poor condition of the school, she decided to join in to help. And now, after one year of looking after the problems of the school she has forgotten the difficulties of her own life. She is no longer depressed. In fact she has become one of the most enthusiastic teachers of the school and is liked by all. She has found a purpose in her life by being of help to others and is happy.

ALFRED ADLER, the pioneer in human psychology has said, ‘It is the individual who is not interested in his fellow men who has the greatest difficulties in life and provides the greatest injury to others. It is among such individuals that all human failures spring.’
The inability to be interested in others not only makes a person unhappy, it also comes in his way of success and happiness. It makes him self-seeking and demanding which leads to frustration and resentment. And unless you are able to overcome these emotions you cannot be happy and when you are not happy you cannot achieve your best.

The best way to make a start is to think beyond yourself, be interested in the welfare of others, develop compassion for them, and spread as much happiness as you can. For, when you spread happiness, some of it sticks to you too.

Goodness is the only investment that never fails. — HENRY DAVID THOREAU

Always remember:
1. when you spread happiness you are the one who will know it and feel it the most.
2. To be able to spread happiness, you have to be at peace with yourself first. Do not indulge in unnecessary self-denial; you have the right to be happy. Do what makes you happy as long as it does not harm the interests of others. But never use it as an excuse to be demanding and self seeking, which will only make you miserable and nothing else.
3. Try to do whatever you can to make people happy. Spreading happiness is reward in itself.
4. Develop compassion for others, do not be judgmental, and try to understand them instead. Never be focused on the faults of others.
5. When trying to be good focus on little things that matter, and try to do at least one good deeds a day.
6. Always remember, happiness rebounds on the giver.