Spend Your Way Happy

Lots of folks try to cure the blues by getting themselves something nice. A little “Retail Therapy” to cheer them up. When surveyed, most folks believe that buying themselves something is a good way to improve their happiness and that if they had more money to spend on themselves it would make them overall happier.

However, research says that is dead wrong. Spending on yourself may give a small boost, but it quickly goes away. This also has a diminishing return as well, so the more you do the less help it is. However, spending can bring you happiness, you just can’t do it on yourself.

Elizabeth Dunn from the University of British Columbia did a couple of studies, one that surveyed people that had recently received a bonus and one where participants were given a sum of money to spend in a day and found in both that those that used the funds on others, such as friends and family ended up feeling significantly happier than those who treated themselves.

It shouldn’t surprise us. Long ago Jesus taught, “It is more blessed to give than receive” (Act 20:35). “Doing unto others” is a much better way for us to treat ourselves. Research tells us something even better. Cost isn’t a factor. Things we do for others, like a compliment or a note, that cost little have the same rewards on happiness.

If you want to be happy, don’t do it for yourself, do unto others and it will be done to you!

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