Judith Bond: Living a Generous Life Judith Bond - The Mazatlan Messenger
go to original December 10, 2013

This is Today I'm Gonna Try and Change the World by Scottish-born Canadian Johnny Reid - great song. If we all just reached out to one person today and helped them, the world would be a better place, eh?
(Ever wonder why Canadians say 'EH'? Because it's better than saying 'HUH')

We know that generosity makes the world a better place, but giving is not only a boon for those on the receiving end. Studies show that opening your heart and giving generously of your time, talents or money pays many dividends, making you happier and healthier both mentally and physically and perhaps even lengthening your life.

In one study, subjects were given the opportunity to either keep or give away money. The stingy subjects who held onto the money and presumably felt shame, showed increased levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. The more money they chose to keep, the higher their levels of cortisol. Being generous makes us feel expansive and is a sure fire stress-buster.

Research on volunteering shows that people who volunteer their time have increased happiness and life satisfaction, better mental health and an increased life span. People who do volunteer work talk about a “helper’s high.” A recent study showed that states with higher volunteer rates have better overall health and lower rates of heart disease. Another study showed that men who do volunteer work have death rates 2.5 times less than those who don’t.

Read the rest at The Mazatlan Messenger

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