Daily Reading - Allen James' Daily Guide to Success series - "A Counselor's Daily Guide to Success"

Calendar Books by Allen James' reading for April 30th is a quote by the late Ben Sweetland who was a syndicated columnist, psychologist, and author of "I Will", "I Can", and "Grow Rich While You Sleep"; "We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own".

When we share our positivity and successes to help others as they work for the same, we build ourselves up as well. "If you lug your elderly neighbor's groceries up her steps, clearly it's good for her. But did you know that it's likely good for you too" (liveyourlifewell.org)?

Research indicates that those who consistently help other people experience less depression, greater calm, fewer pains and better health. They may even live longer.

Consider some recent research:

Students who performed five acts of kindness a day increased their happiness
Providing emotional support to others significantly decreased the harmful health effects of certain kinds of stress among older people
People who donated money to charity got a boost in a feel-good part of the brain, as revealed in brain imaging research

Doing good can make you feel good. It might

remind you that you're relatively lucky
make you feel connected to others
help you feel needed and effective
take your mind off your own worries for a while
make you feel generous
add a sense of purpose and meaning to your life

Hints on Helping

Consider these tips for helping others—and yourself:

Don't feel like you have to make grand gestures or huge time commitments. Sure, helping can mean serving meals at a homeless shelter every week. But it also can mean:

Calling a friend to see how she's doing
Serving your spouse breakfast in bed
Letting a car in front of you on the highway
Smiling at a stranger in the street
Holding the elevator door for your co-worker

Vary your acts of generosity to prevent the experience from becoming ho-hum, advises happiness researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, who also found that doing several kindnesses in one day gives the best boost.
Beware of taking on too much, or you'll risk feeling resentful. When asked a favor, think it over before saying yes (liveyourlifewell.org).

Remember: You and your actions are what determine your satisfaction with yourself.

Keep looking up. : ) AJ