Family Is Gold!

I’ve been on a quest for discovering the root of happiness over this past year. Don’t get me wrong, I see myself as a very happy person. My journey began by focusing on respect. It’s true that when a person feels respect and appreciation they feel a strong sense of happiness. I always knew that people who have been raised in loving families truly understand what happiness feels like. There is nothing stronger than a family’s bond to make a person feel great. This week I’m off to spend an entire week with my family, including all my brothers and sisters and their kids. What a blast! Many people I talk to, when they discover this annual huddle-up, respond with something like, “Really? A whole week with your family? Isn’t that stressful?” Not for our family.

Happiness can be discovered in other ways. There are many people who didn’t grow up in a supportive household who are now extremely happy. The reason for this is they found their purpose in life—something so many people are searching for well into their forties and some beyond that. When I hear a story of happiness it always revolves around serving others. People who are truly happy feel that what they are doing in life is a direct connection with making other people’s lives better. When we serve others in this way, we can’t help but feel good. Try it yourself sometime. The next time you’re feeling sorry for yourself, go volunteer somewhere or go next door and assist a neighbor with something. You will feel the dark cloud lift and “happy” will be the next emotion you feel.

It’s not rocket science. It’s common sense that we forget about this when we’re not serving others.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: What can you do right now to make a difference in another person’s life? Spend a little one-on-one time with a child? Take your spouse on a mystery date? Look to become a Big Brother or Sister?