Volunteering your time, giving your money generously, or offering your energy and talents to help others doesn’t just make the world better—it puts you in the flow of receiving more of what you give out back to yourself.
I know…your thinking …”That’s pretty selfish!” It’s a proven fact that the act of giving boosts your happiness, health, and sense of well-being. And when you give generously, the law of reciprocity bring you more!
When we give or serve, we set spiritual forces in motion and we’ll experience the results. Usually we receive in ways more amazing than our limited thinking and beliefs may allow. Holding back limits the results. Develop a trust for this law, work with it in your life. Be generous, and life blesses you with more in every part of life. Then you can express even more.
Here are seven scientific benefits of giving generously:
- HELPING OTHERS CAN HELP YOU LIVE LONGER.
Give to people and places that encourages self-empowerment. Volunteering improves your ability to manage stress and avoid disease as well as reduce depression and increase your “joie de vivre”—when performed on a regular basis. Volunteering reduces loneliness and enhances your social life—and these improvements significantly affect your long-term health.
- PHILANTHROPY IS CONTAGIOUS.
When you perform a good deed, it causes a chain reaction of other altruistic acts. People are more likely to be generous after observing you do the same. This effect ripples throughout the community, inspiring others to make a difference too.
- HELPING OTHERS MAKES YOU HAPPY.
Did you know that people who described themselves as “very happy” volunteered at least 5.8 hours per month? This sense of well-being is a great reward. Giving back can give you a mental boost too.
- HELPING OTHERS HELPS WITH CHRONIC PAIN.
In one study, people who suffered from chronic pain worked as volunteers. As a result, they experienced a reduction in their own symptoms.
- HELPING OTHERS LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE.
If you’re at risk for heart problems, your doctor has probably told you to change your diet or reduce the hours at a stressful job. However, consider adding: a regular volunteer schedule to your routine. Research shows that older individuals who volunteered for at least 200 hours a year decreased hypertension by an amazing 40 percent.
- HELPING OTHERS PROMOTES POSITIVE BEHAVIORS IN TEENS.
According to sociologists, teenagers who volunteer have better grades and self-image. An empowered positive self-image is the cornerstone of a great life! Giving of their time talents and resources also builds tremendous life skills.
- HELPING OTHERS GIVES YOU A SENSE OF PURPOSE AND SATISFACTION.
Looking for more meaning in your day-to-day existence? Studies show that giving of your time, talent and resources enhances your overall sense of purpose and identity—particularly if you are in “retirement or experiencing “the empty nest syndrome.” Giving to places and situations that encourage self-empowerment can help your life and definitely help our community too.
Give generously because you deserve the best life can offer. It must begin with you. It is an inside job…and all else will flood into your life in overflowing ways!
Rev Anne Ahokangas
