Want To Be Happy? Here’s How!

Your giving helps the less fortunate pursue ends they would not otherwise be able to without the outside help. What you may not realize, though, is that donating your money can help you just as much as it can help the recipient of your act of kindness.

Here are a few reasons why you should give away a portion of your income.

Giving Makes You More Grateful

Donating your time and money towards any worthy cause exposes you to the pain, suffering, and inadequate opportunities other people get to live through.

We get to learn that we are fortunate and begin to appreciate the blessings life has bestowed upon us.

Having a sense of gratitude is critical to living a peaceful and happy life. You will feel more at peace with your current situation. You will be in a better place mentally and emotionally to take constructive action to make your life even better.

Giving is Fulfilling

Giving can actually make you happy. As you give away a portion of your income, you’ll realize that the act of making someone else happy also makes you happy.

Giving is one of the ways you can ‘buy happiness.’

The joy you get from giving is much more powerful than the experience of spending the money on yourself.

We Can Achieve More If We Pool Resources Together

No donation is too small to make a difference.

You might think your own resources aren’t enough to make a difference, but in supporting a significant cause, the sum of all contributions is big enough to make a significant impact.

Research institutions, for instance those looking to find cures for cancers, need all the help they can get

Much more can be done through organized effort. Besides, charity organizations in pulling together resources from several parties are able to build structures that can help improve efficiency and effectiveness and so achieve better results.

We Play a Role in Alleviating Extreme Poverty

The environment and circumstances we grow up in play a big role in determining who we become in life and the quality of life we are able to attain.

There are children growing up in extreme poverty in developing countries around the world who may never be able to break the circle of poverty their families have been living in for years.

This is not a case of lack of industry or initiative. It is just that the opportunities available for them to advance, given their circumstances, are too limited.

According to the UN, more than 1 billion people have been lifted out of extreme poverty in the last two decades. By giving, we can play a role in helping others escape extreme poverty.

You Become More Aware

As you research more about the issues you care about, you’ll be more aware of the social issues that affect you and the society.

Social change often begins with awareness. Collective action is often required to see any significant change in the social justice issues that plague the society.

If enough people are aware of a burning issue, they might just have the motivation and capital to take some action to address the situation.

There Are Tax Benefits to Giving

This really is a bonus to the wonderful reasons to give away a portion of your income.

The government appreciates that you’re a good citizen who is concerned about the prosperity of others and will reward you with some cool tax benefits.

If you make a contribution to a qualified charitable organization, you are entitled to a charitable contribution deduction on your income tax in the year the contribution is made. (Always see a tax attorney with questions. Laws vary and can change.)

There’s One Caveat to Giving

Donating part of your income to any good cause is a noble act. If more of us do it regularly, the result can be significant.

Ability to give is never pegged on a certain level income. Even the smallest contribution can go a long way in helping someone in need.

No amount of money is too small to give away. You can start by donating a small amount then increase the donation with time as your income increases.

There is one caveat though: be careful when choosing which organization you will donate money to.

The Kars4Kids charity, for instance, has been under heavy scrutiny and was fined by at least two states in the USA for not fully disclosing that their “free vacation” was really a timeshare agreement and that the money they raise doesn’t go to ALL kids, but only to those of a certain religions persuasion.

Don’t be afraid, but do be careful. There are several online sites (Charity Navigator, for instance) that give you a look inside the organization and where the money actually gets spent.

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Able Cane loves to research, write, and hike in the woods near his home in the great Pacific Northwest.

Want To Be Happy? Here’s How!