Some forms of giving back are obvious. Volunteering at the clinic or charity that either helped you or appeals to you is a great way to share. The important thing is giving of yourself, not your bank account. Supporting these causes financially is clearly valuable for the good it does, but by itself, it doesn’t make you better! That comes from sharing what’s inside you.
So how should we best board the giving train? I put that question to Louix Dor Dempriey, a spiritual master who has spent decades teaching people to become happier through his seminars, workshops, and eponymous retreats. Louix says the first thing you need to do is to “surround yourself and associate with those who share and support your beliefs, dreams, and visions.” This will help you feel sourced, inspired, and will create a sense of belonging. With that as your base, here are six suggestions for giving back:
- Practice Gratitude– Start and end each day by expressing gratefulness for everything in your life- including and especially for your “have not’s,” your pain and suffering, and even for your adversaries, for these are our greatest gifts and greatest teachers. “Gratefulness is the highest form of prayer.”
- Practice Forgiveness– This is one of the most overlooked, underutilized, and yet most powerful tools that exist for creating happiness in life. Equally as important as forgiving others is the need to forgive oneself.
- Surrender Control– The fear-based need to control others, control one’s own life, and control one’s circumstances always and only brings unhappiness, in addition to being completely futile in the first place. You cannot push a river.
- Become More Tolerant and Accepting- Like snowflakes, no two humans are alike– not even identical twins. Yet we were all created equal, and we all have certain rights and freedoms. As you allow others to express themselves as you would want that same freedom granted to you, you will find happiness growing inside yourself.
- Become More Honest and Accountable– When people stop deceiving themselves and others, when they stop living in denial and avoidance and take ownership of their words, feelings and choices, a freedom that breeds happiness results.
- Bless Everyone and Everything All the Time– Believe it or not, the simple act of blessing everyone and truly being happy for their wins and success brings untold blessings and happiness into your own life.