Kindness Holds the Key to Happiness
Recently, I shared a personal anecdote about my visit to a local orphanage. I shared how the sincerity and diligence of the orphanage administrators made me reflect on my own professional life.
This is a continuation of the same incident.
So, we had gone to the orphanage so as to donate some food. It was a family member’s death anniversary, and as per our Hindu teachings, a great way to honor the departed souls is to do charity.
Now, I don’t necessarily believe that charity should only be based on a reason, but if religion helps push someone on the path of charity, then there’s nothing wrong with that.
Anyhow, after donating some food supplies and money, the orphanage administrators were gracious enough to let us serve food to kids.
My brother and I then went to the mess and started helping the mess workers in serving food to the orphanage kids. We took large utensils and went to each table to serve food in their plates. At that point, we could see how grateful those kids were to get a meal. They didn’t care if it was a simple dal or a fancy dish. They were grateful for whatever food they were getting. (As opposed to people like us who often complain to our mothers about the food they prepare for us.)
Before starting to eat their meal, they all took a moment to close their eyes and thanked god for the meal they were getting. They recited a small prayer in unison and then began eating. This simple moment had a big impact on me.
These small kids inspired me more than any motivational speaker. I felt overwhelmed to get a chance to be around those kids and serve them. Their humility towards even the little things was inspiring to see.
Not only that. After coming back from the orphanage, I saw my mother and my aunt rave about how good an experience it was. They kept talking about how amazing it felt to be of service to those kids. How amazing it felt to help them, in our own small way.
Just by doing this small gesture for the kids, we all felt a sense of happiness.
This is the key here. Happiness that comes as a result of kindness.
So many people talk about the impact that kindness has on other people. But at the core of it, the biggest impact of kindness in on our own self. We help ourselves by being kind to others.
So, one of the easiest paths to achieve happiness goes through kindness and service. When you are kind to your fellow human beings, when you serve them without any self-interest, you get a sense of contentment and happiness in your own life.
Talking about particular examples, here are the simple things you can do to be more kind and to achieve happiness in life:
- Teach kids — If you ask anyone who, in the past, has volunteered for teaching kids, you’d know how content they feel by doing this. This contentment, and as a result happiness, comes as a byproduct of being of service to others. Moreover, teaching is the noblest of things one can do. By teaching kids, you give them a shot at a better life.
- Donate — You don’t need to spend a large amount of money. But making a small donation each month, you can help someone in need. Moreover, if you are not capable of making a monetary donation, you can donate your time.
- Help someone online — When you are doing something worthwhile, people will start approaching you for help. They will reach out to you through social media or emails. This gives you an opportunity to help or to guide them.
- Doing something nice for your family — If you live with your family, do something nice for them. It doesn’t need to be something spectacular. Maybe you can surprise your mother with a nice cup of tea in the morning. Maybe you can assist your dad in gardening. Maybe you can reach out to a younger brother and guide him on his career.
- Encourage people — You have access to social media. You have access to a lot of online content. So instead of bashing people online or criticizing their work, you can choose to encourage them instead. Show support to people who are putting in effort in their work.
The point is, don’t think you need to do something extraordinary to help others. You can be kind and selfless in your own small ways.
Remember, it’s okay to be concerned about your well-being. But every once in a while, take out some time to be of service to others. Because giving without expecting anything in return can be your key to happiness.
We already live in a transactional society, so you doing something against the norm can be revolutionary.
Thank you for reading. I am Shikhil Vyas, a professional content writer and blogger.
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