Generosity Breeds Happiness

My recent columns, Newspaper News, and New York City in December, touched on the concept of giving where there is need, and both elicited some nice responses. A psychologist friend of mine sent along an article about a recent study in England that demonstrated the link between generosity and happiness. We often hear that gratitude leads to a more positive outlook; it is a feeling closely related to generosity. Being generous, and that doesn’t only mean with money, but with time, attention, and care, directly connects to an elevated sense of well-being for both the giver and the recipient. But one doesn’t have to read the data to know that it feels good to both give and to receive. It reinforces the sense of connectedness we all have as human beings.

Last month, I reached out to a handful of my clients, asking them to donate to a program at the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center in East Hampton, an organization that exists to support local working families. My goal was to raise a modest sum to add more cribs and staff in the infant care program. The response was overwhelming, and in a relatively short time, we achieved almost double the number of our initial goal. Yes, the gifts are tax write-offs for the donors, but these are people who are often asked to give to organizations, many of them good causes, and they are selective with their choices. I do believe the response to this fundraising campaign had a lot to do with empathy for our fellow human beings, and it is a good feeling to give to the most vulnerable among us.