Surprise Benefits of Giving (Part 4 of 5)
As we continue our journey exploring the 5 benefits of giving, this one offers some added surprises.
As I am creating my own holiday traditions and moving away from the commercial and even some family of origin traditions that don’t work for my value system, I am finding greater enjoyment.
I hope you are too.
This holiday exercise is meant to help you see you can rise above circumstances and raise your own quality of life and impact with deliberate planning and execution.
Different thoughts lead to different feelings leading to different behavior leading to different outcomes.
YOU are stronger than you think.
So let us continue with our own experiment of proving the 5 benefits of giving for YOU and the added surprises that accompany…
The first benefit we discussed was:
- Giving makes US (the giver) feel happy – As mentioned, many of us are doing the 5 acts of kindness/week challenge through the holidays to test this principle and see for ourselves if this doesn’t help our own happiness level. Thank you to all those who have joined.(MY FIND: Seeing the gentler spirit and greater appreciation of my husband when he feels given to in unexpected ways. Makes for a lot better romance too. 😊)
The second benefit:
- Giving is good for YOUR health – Elderly people who volunteered for 2 or more organizations were shown to be 44% less likely to die over the 5-year period they volunteered. (even after controlling health indicators such as eating, exercise etc.) Giving was shown to reduce stress thought to be a major contributor to health complications.(MY FIND: less body aches, better sleep, more energy)
- Giving promotes cooperation & social connection – John Cuciopp, author of Loneliness: Human Nature & the Need for Social Connection, shared how “the more extensive reciprocal altruism from social connection, the greater the advance toward health, wealth and happiness.”(MY FIND: unexpected acts of kindness are not only making me feel closer to my daughter, it is spilling over to her being kinder to her sister even when they disagree. And since we have a very politically divided household with my girls. So seeing their kindness to one another is reestablishing a bond that took a few hits recently.)
When we give to others, not only do they feel closer to us, but we also feel closer to them. Being kind and generous leads you to perceive others more positively.
- Giving evokes gratitude – either way on the giving or receiving end, the gift or act of kindness elicits feelings of gratitude which is integral to happiness, health, and social bonds.The research project on gratitude and thankfulness with college students teaching them to count their blessings cultivating gratitude caused marked and surprising positive changes…
🔹 They exercised more.
🔹 They had more general optimism.
🔹 They felt better about their lives overall – a greater feeling of abundance.
So as we get closer to the actual holiday, let our unexpected acts of kindness and giving fuel our gratitude and who knows… maybe we too will exercise a little more, feel happier and realize HOW much we actually have in spite of what the media says or family brings up.
And when I think of you reading this…THAT is something I am super grateful for! I will pray for you today in gratitude that we are sharing this journey together.
PS: I hope you have found this series to be helpful to you. I have heard from so many of you and it warms my heart to know we are together making efforts to use what we have been given to make the world better. I am praying for you to be filled this holiday season and know a better year is ahead.
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