Just when you think you don’t have any more to give…..ahhh…but if you only knew the return on investment from giving! I learned that even a slightly positive social signal, such as touch, releases oxytocin in our system (this is that pleasurable chemical release) AND it raises our chances of having positive behavior reciprocated. We cannot induce our brain to release oxytocin – we must give love, or at the very least, be pleasantly sociable, to others in order to activate it (Paul Zak Love Molecule)
My neighbor recently had her 85th birthday, and being a 50+ year resident in our neighborhood, she has given selflessly in so many ways to our community. A group of us gave her a gift: a promise to string and light a pine tree in her front yard for the Christmas holidays, something she’s wanted for a long time, but not able to do physically, only because the tree is so tall. She is one of the most vital and happy people I’ve ever met, truly alive in every way. She has given selflessly for years, and her vitality and joy radiate her return on her investment. But the thing is – I’m sure she didn’t think about her return on investment. That’s the thing about being selfless; you just follow your heart and let it overflow to others. There is always more to give as you allow it to flow through you, not from you.
When we give selflessly to someone without expectations of anything in return, we experience immense joy. Happiness comes from being in service of another’s greatest good. When we uplift another’s life … our soul is connected to our purpose.
The story of “me” is an endless road to suffering. And the funny thing is that so many of our fears and chatter in our mind is about the same ten things that are repeated day in and day out for months or even years on end. This is truly a recipe for unhappiness.
Happiness is that feeling of immense sense of purpose when something we did, or said helped someone on their journey. It is the gift that is given back to us when we let go of expectations and do something purely from a state of being other-centered and wanting to help someone.
Think about those beautiful souls that said something or did some random act of kindness towards you when you needed it most.
We are here to support each other; just like nature we are interdependent. We are here to be a source of love and inspiration to all those in need of our bright light. Choose kindness and other-centeredness and joy will be the byproduct –Suzanne Byrant, Wellness Expert http://suzannebryant.com/
I can’t say it any better……..let JOY be the byproduct of selflessness
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