The Happiness of Giving

“You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.” (Winston Churchill)


How much are you willing to give? Yes, a difficult question to answer, because most of us would say, “It depends”. It depends on lots of things doesn’t it? Immediately racing through my mind would be the following questions: Who is it for? What does it involve? What commitment is required? How much time or money? When and where?

Yes, the answer to this question is not as simple as you might think. Everyone is different; some people seem to give endlessly while others give very rarely or not at all. Some people give unstintingly of their own time, while others prefer to give money. So what causes some people to ‘give’ more than others?

Volunteering has long been a common ethic in Australia, with people giving their time without any expectation of compensation. While these volunteer activities may be performed with the core intention of helping others, research (like that found in “The Health Benefits of Volunteering” by the American National and Community Service) indicates that there is a common wisdom that those who give of themselves also receive. As Gaylla LeMaire quipped:

“Volunteers are paid in six figures... S-M-I-L-E-S.”

Indeed there is a growing body of evidence that shows that people feel a rush of happiness when they help others (Gilbert 2006; William and Lee 2007). Recent research relying on MRIs demonstrates that reward centres in the brain are activated when people help a charity. Oprah Winfrey has been known to comment that her favourite moments were in her ‘give-away shows’, She says that “every gift I’ve ever given has brought at least as much happiness to me as it has to the person I’ve given it to.”

Research reveals also that those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer. Significantly, volunteering also provides individuals with a sense of purpose and life satisfaction. What could be better than having a sense of purpose and a sense of well being by helping someone else less fortunate or in need of our assistance?

American research carried out by Liu and Aaker, (The Happiness of Giving: The Time-Ask Effect, Journal of Consumer Research. 35 ,October), reveals that the focus on time versus money lead to two distinct mindsets that impact consumers’ willingness to donate to charitable causes. Interestingly Liu and Aaker found that thoughts of spending time for a charity or a good cause, appear to activate an emotional mind-set, resulting in a real connection between personal happiness and charitable giving – and possibly, according to the researchers, infecting the desire to achieve meaning and happiness in life.

Volunteering has other benefits too. It can assist people in making new friends and contacts, it can increase and improve social and relationship skills, it increases self-confidence, it can provide improved job skills and knowledge and ultimately help in some peoples’ career pathway. Don’t underestimate the power of volunteering.

“Noah's Ark was built by volunteers; the Titanic was built by professionals.”

“Mmmm, food for thought” ….. Many large scale projects, like hosting the Olympic Games for example, are dependent upon thousands of volunteers and in many respects owe its very success and efficiency to the work of willing volunteers. Remember the devastating Queensland floods of 2011? The massive cleanup would not have been achieved so quickly without the battalion of volunteers who came forward to help without a moments’ hesitation.

“Unselfish and noble actions are the most radiant pages in the biography of souls.” (David Thomas)

We can all make a greater effort to volunteer more generously of our time. After all, it seems to me that it would be a 'win-win' for all of society and think of the sense of well being and accomplishment that we would all feel in helping others. There are lots of ways that we can volunteer, consider some of the following:

• helping at your child's school
• volunteering for "Meals on Wheels" or some similar program that gives assistance to the elderly
• joining an organisation committed to helping others like: Rotary, Lions, and Zonta
• volunteer at some of LifeLine stores
• joining in designated days like: "Clean Up Australia" 
• volunteering to help in hospitals, reading or talking with elderly residents in nursing homes.

Let's face it, there are hundreds of organisations that could do with our help, our knowledge and expertise. Why not start with a simple project and see how you go? Not only will you make someone else feel better for your efforts but you will feel better about yourself too. You're never too young or old to start :)

“The world is hugged by the faithful arms of volunteers.”

(Terri Guillemets)

Karon Graham