Message #50 Find True Happiness…Help Others

The only way to find true happiness is to help others.

Today’s post is especially dedicated to my team captains, Jen Aquaro and Renee Francisco.

We live in a society that is looking for true happiness, but many of us are focused on the wrong things. We are so busy that we are looking for a quick fix, instead of looking for LASTING happiness. If your serve is terrible, but you only like practicing your forehand, guess what, your serve isn’t getting any better. Money, status, winning, materialistic things, a cute tennis outfit and popularity will not bring you true happiness. That is only temporary happiness. Look at all the miserable successful businessmen/women. Look at all the pressure on students. Look at the divorse rate. How about the addictions…drug/alcohol/smoking problems? Everyone is trying to have pleasure and avoid pain, but not too many trying to make a difference or do something lasting. This is the hedonistic approach. Are you in life, or are you INTO life? The thing that will help us attain true happiness, in my opinion, is helping others. We need to find someone that is worse off than us, help them and we will reap the benefits. The reason why this works is because we are making a difference; because when we help someone else, something magical happens, OUR troubles go away and as a result, WE become HAPPY. If you appreciate all that you have, and you help others, no one can take that away. Research has shown that when teenagers volunteer, they reap the health benefits (happiness) for as long as 50-60 years. The list below are some of my favorite ways to make a difference…

Open a door for someone.
Be nice to everyone, even if they’re not so nice to you.
Before you go into a store, ask a homeless person if they want anything.
Read to the blind.
Let someone cut in front of you during rush hour traffic.
Give a tip to or encourage the least skilled player on your team.
Call your parents.
Be nice to the freshmen in your school.
Visit a retirement center.
Leave a “thank you” note for the cleaning staff at work.
Recommend a good book to someone.
Dance with someone who hasn’t been asked.
Figure out someone’s half-birthday by adding 182 days and surprise them with a cake.
Ask someone about their children.
Join Tuesday’s Children and mentor a child that lost a parent in 9/11…tell them Ed Tseng sent you.
Brush the snow off of the car next to yours.
Tell someone which quality you like most about them.
Pay for a stranger’s cup of coffee without them knowing it.
Ask to see a store’s manager and comment on the great service.
Wave to a child in the car next to you.
Let someone else have the last slice of pizza or bite of dessert.
Catch someone doing something good, and compliment them.
Encourage someone’s dream, no matter how big or small.
Personally invite someone new at work or school to have lunch with you.
Tell someone you believe in them.
Leave a waiter or waitress a big tip.
Ask an elderly person to tell you about the “good ole days.”
Give up your seat on the rush hour train.
Be a mentor or coach to someone.
Leave a joke on someone’s voicemail.
Give blood.
Wave to someone looking for a parking place when you’re about to leave a shopping center.
Compliment a coworker on their role in a successful project.
Tell a child you’re proud of them.
E-mail a friend some information about a topic they are especially interested in.
Drop off some cookies for your local fire or police department.
Stop and buy a drink from a child’s lemonade stand.

“If you think you’re too small to make an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room.” – Anita Roddick

Homework: Print out the list above and add your own favorite ways to help people. Do at least 3 a day and watch your life change…you will achieve true happiness.