It’s About Giving
What does it mean to give?
“It turns out that the old saying “It’s better to give than receive” is actually true. Being generous makes us happier across ages, incomes and cultures even when we don’t think it will or when it comes at a personal cost.”
“It’s pretty innate and pretty hardwired. … In most situations, and for most people, we feel good when we help others.” …Lara Aknin, professor at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, who studies generosity and happiness.
(Test results) … “suggesting not only that giving is more rewarding than receiving but that giving might be especially rewarding when it involves a sense of personal sacrifice.” … Lara Aknin.
The above appeared in “A path to Well-Being: Boost Happiness with Generosity” by Sandy Cohen, in Shondaland, November, 2023
“As psychology professor Dr. Barbara Fredrickson aptly points out, when we create “chains of events that carry positive meaning for others, it…trigger(s) upward spirals that transform communities.”
The above appeared in the American Journal of Managed Care, November 2023
“So here’s my challenge this month: Don’t just give occasionally, or when it’s easy, or when you’re in a good mood. Give more than you have to, more often than you have to. The world needs our generosity more than ever.”
The above appeared in “The healing Power of Generosity; why helping each other can bring us back together” by Tasha Eurich, Ph.D., an organizational psychologist, researcher, and author, in Psychology Today, October 2018.
“Research suggests that the act of giving can help us feel a sense of purpose, reduce our stress and depression levels and can even help us improve our self esteem.” explains Lynne Gallagher, LCSW, clinical psychiatry specialist at Geisinger. “These emotional benefits then lead to positive impacts to our physical health.”
The above appeared in “3 Ways Generosity Can Improve Your Health”, in Balance by Geisinger, October, 2021
"For now, a safe takeaway is simply that along with all of the obvious reasons to act generously, it seems likely that our brains are also affected in ways consistent with better mental health, which is yet another good reason to keep on doing good.”
The above appeared in “Generosity Boosts Well-Being by Tuning Down The Brain’s Anxiety Center, Research Suggests”, by David DiSalvo, Forbes 2018.