Episode 20 - Spreading Happiness - a podcast by Raina Jain

There’s really no other way to say it, but the aphorism “it’s better to give than it is to receive” has been right all along: spreading joy to those around us has a huge impact on our happiness and wellbeing. So much so, that recent studies have shown that performing acts that bring joy to others activates the same parts of our brain that food and intimacy with our partners does! There’s something about making someone else smile that, when we really think about it, is contagious, right?

There is a Chinese saying that goes: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.” For centuries, the greatest thinkers have suggested the same thing: Happiness is found in helping others.

Spreading happiness is amazing because it makes you and the other person feel better simultaneously! To spread happiness is to spread kindness. By making even just one other person happy, we are able to create a ripple effect.

The act of happiness you spread might just last long enough to reach one other person, but that means it’s done its job. That person will spread that happiness to one more person and so on. Ripples outward and outwards, affecting more people than you ever intended. There are some acts you can do that can affect many more people at once and that will have even bigger ripple results!

Use this day to change the conversation from something negative to something positive. If someone is spreading unrealistic standards or beating themselves up, gently challenge their thoughts or change the subject. It's time to break up the negativity and bring up what’s more important: what’s on the inside.

It's easy to get distracted by our own insecurities, but think about how good it feels to spread positivity. Bring that feeling to the surface today and make it a little easier to do the same each and every day that follows.

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