Contribution - at any level - is critical to achieving total happiness. Whether it's time, money, love, friendship, or thoughtfulness, our ability to contribute to others provides a source of fulfillment and joy like nothing else.
In the "Happiness Formula" I created to help assess, quantify, and improve our level of happiness, contribution is an essential component of the equation. That formula is:
H = G + (DH + C/3) + 3R
The "C" in the equation stands for "contribution". To find out more about this "Happiness Formula", click on the "BeHappy! Blog" link in the NavBar to the left and you'll see a blog post about it.
There are many ways to contribute. I'll be adding some ideas to this page, so check back to get some guidance. In the meantime, be creative.
For example, one of the ways my wife contributes to others in need is by taking our golden retriever to a children's hospital ward for very sick children. These sick (and many times dying) kids "light up" playing with him. They laugh - even when they feel terrible. They seem to forget they are sick for a few minutes. And, part of the point is that it makes my wife feel great, too.
So think of ways like this to contribute to others, and...
For example, one of the ways my wife contributes to others in need is by taking our golden retriever to a children's hospital ward for very sick children. These sick (and many times dying) kids "light up" playing with him. They laugh - even when they feel terrible. They seem to forget they are sick for a few minutes. And, part of the point is that it makes my wife feel great, too.