What Generous Behavior Does To A Life
It's not small... in fact, it's staggering
When last we saw Ruby she was celebrating a wish come true. She’d just met Raphael, the bike messenger, who’s able to hook her up to be PAID to ride her bike around all day, too.
Now she’s off to meet the Poet-O…..
Of course Ruby doesn’t really wish she were homeless, but she really DOES wish she had the magic card that would allow her to eat whenever she needed to.
“And tell them you want to help serve.”
Ruby’s eyes are about to be opened to a brand new source of fun….
Of all things, it was what Ruby herself wanted and needed most — to be fed — that she was in a position to give to others…..
The music and the dancing represents what’s going on inside of Ruby. She’s experiencing what’s referred to as a “helper’s high”…..
“They fed me, George! They fed me!”
On every level. Because that’s what Helping-Giving-Serving does to a person. It feeds YOU.
The helper’s high is real
A rush of euphoria — followed by a longer period of calm — is often referred to as a “helper’s high.”
Our brain rewards our generous behavior by releasing pleasure chemicals — Endorphins (our natural pain killers), Dopamine (a reward chemical), Serotonin (flows when we feel valued and important), and Oxytocin (the cuddle hormone).
Caring for strangers drugs us into a bliss state.
Not only that, but….
the happiness from it can return hours or even days later — whenever the helping act is remembered
and…
it’s a happiness level equivalent to more than doubling your income!!!!!
WHAT???
Oh, yeah, there’s research and science around this.
If giving weren't free, pharmaceutical companies could herald the discovery of a stupendous new drug called “Give Back” – instead of “Prozac”.
- Stephen Post and Jill Neimark
How about you?
When you think about a time when you were being of help in that way where you weren’t doing it for credit or gain, can you remember how it made you FEEL?
What are the ways you give-help-serve NOW in your life?
Are you inspired to get even MORE of it going on?
I AM.
When I think about my current level of helpfulness in the world, I think of this newsletter as one of my primary acts of service. I don’t get anything in exchange for it except the pleasure chemicals getting released into my system when I imagine how my writing helps others learn and practice tapping. And I’m pretty sure that’s why I do it. It feels gooooood.
But what are the other ways I’m helping?
And could I do MORE?
For sure, I could do more. So…..
Let’s tap
Let’s tap to anchor in WHY helping-giving-serving is worth getting going on to an even greater degree in our lives.
Here are two short tapping scripts — in the Tap&Teach style that I use to anchor in understandings — to remind ourselves that serving others IS GOOD FOR US, not just them.
You’ll tap IN the following understandingings by reciting the script ALOUD as you tap through the points….
What Generous Behavior Does To A Life
(inspired by Why Good Things Happen to Good People: The Exciting New Research that Proves the Link Between Doing Good and Living a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life)
Call to mind a time when you were doing something to help someone else without any expectation of personal gain or reward. It may be big or small. Often it’s very small. Like I remember the time I gave Poet-O my last postage stamp and it felt both like a sacrifice and it felt really good.
Got one?
Feel it…. see it…. hear it…. and now tap as you say….
Generous behavior
shines a protective light
over the entire span of a life.
Sixty or seventy years later
I will still be reaping physical and emotional benefits
from the HELPING activities I engaged in
as a young person!But no matter when I adopt a GIVING lifestyle,
my well-being will improve,
even if it’s later in life.My well-being will improve because
GENEROUS BEHAVIOR is closely associated with
reduced risk of illness
and lower rates of depression.
But even more remarkable,
GIVING is linked to the traits that support…
a successful life —
traits such as social competence,
empathy,
greater self-esteem,
and other positive emotions.By learning to GIVE,
I increase my wellbeing on all fronts
and become more effective at living, itself.
Stop tapping, hold wrist, inhale, exhale, go back into the memory of helping someone and let yourself imagine that it is impacting your life across all time and space.
The Power of Helping-Giving-Serving
(inspired by info from Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health)
Again, call to mind a time when you were doing something to help someone else without any expectation of personal gain or reward. It may be big or small.
Feel it…. see it…. hear it…. and now tap as you say….
Helping-Giving-Serving,
it has the power to get my ‘pleasure chemicals’ flowing.Helping-Giving-Serving has the power to…
enhance my mood,
lift my self-esteem,
raise my happiness level,
bolster my emotional resilience,
support my self-worth,
give my life a greater sense of meaning,
increase my life force!And on the flip side,
Helping-Giving-Serving has the power to…
lower stress,
diminish feeling isolated,
decrease the awareness of physical pain,
override negativity,
curb hostility,
reduce depression and anxiety.All because Helping-Giving-Serving has the power to…
get those ‘pleasure chemicals’ flowing!
Stop tapping, hold wrist, inhale, exhale, go back into the memory of helping someone and let yourself imagine that it is impacting your life across all time and space.
Thank you for tapping along!
Join us next time when Ruby realizes she has a lot to learn if she’s REALLY wants to be paid to ride her bike around all day.
