Make someone else happy. Watch what happens to you. Give someone room to breathe. Notice how free you feel. Offer someone peace in a difficult moment. See where it lands.
The paradox of being happy, feeling liberated and being at peace is explained so eloquently by Coach John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach who won ten national championships and became more celebrated for his wisdom on life and character than anything he achieved on the court.
“There is a wonderful, almost mystical, law of nature that says three of the things we want most- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind- are always attained when we give them to others. Give it away to get it back.”
The most generous people I know are also the happiest, the most at peace and the least burdened by life. That is not a coincidence.