Happiness Contribution

Anything you're good at contributes to happiness. - Bertrand Russell

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1864519,00.html?cnn=yes

Researchers have determined that happiness is contagious, to a degree. If you’ve been denying your own happiness because you believe it to be selfish, now you know that you’ve been denying those around you a measure of happiness as well, because their own happiness would increase with your own, like ripples in a pond.

Anything you’re good at contributes to happiness, which means that even if your talent is something you consider frivolous or silly or of no importance to anyone, it could create happiness in the world by making you happy. What if your only talent was whistling (doubtful that you have only one thing you’re good at, but go with me on this). What if you consider whistling to be a waste of time because it doesn’t do anything constructive. You know you’re wrong now. You can make yourself happier by whistling which can increase the happiness of others around you. You can make those you don’t even know happier by seeing you happy as you walk down the street. Perhaps someone will hear your tune, and it will remind them of a happy time. Even something as simple as whistling can contribute to happiness.

Use your talents. You were given them for a reason.

And if you are around people who do not want you to be happy, who are happier themselves when you are miserable, leave them. Get out and find people who aren’t sadists.

Choose your life, your friends, and your happiness.