Monday Wake Up Call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

4 Ways to Maximize Happiness When You Give Was last week a great week? Did you do something to help someone else? If so, fantastic! If you got caught up in “life,” no worries; there’s always someone in need, so you’ll have many other opportunities to help others. Here are 4 ways you can maximize your happiness when giving: Give to clear, tangible projects. When you feel like you’re giving directly to a project rather than “overhead,” you give 3 times as much – and feel better about it. When you know that your donation is going to something concrete and tangible, it combats a sense of futility (i.e., Will my donation even make a difference?). You feel like you’re making a more direct impact. This feeling of personal impact makes you more likely to give and increases your satisfaction level after you have given. Give more frequently in smaller amounts. Giving, like consumption, has diminishing returns. Giving $1,000 doesn’t give you 10 times the high of giving $100. Because of this, you really should be giving more often in smaller amounts so you get that pleasure high more often. Look for a monthly donation program where you can see the ongoing impact of your donation. Give with no strings attached. Making a donation to get something tangible in exchange can limit that high you get when giving. The same is true when you purchase something where a portion of proceeds goes to charity. These things can take your decision-making from, “How can I help others with my resources?” to a logical thought process of, “If I buy this, it helps a cause.” It’s not that you shouldn’t purchase products that give to charity, but your brain does not emit the same feeling. Nothing beats a straight up donation directly to a charity with no tangible strings attached. Give when you know whom your donation will help. Child sponsorship programs have been putting this to use longer and better than most. While it’s sometimes heartbreaking, putting a name and face to the cause gives you a big emotional boost. People will donate 60% more when there’s a name, age and picture of the person who will benefit from the donation. This is called the identifiable victim effect, where we care more about the one person we know compared to the numerous others that are just numbers. Something to Think About Giving to others gives us pleasure. It makes us happier which, in turn, leads us to give more, which makes us even happier and... you get the picture. And don’t forget: It doesn’t have to be money. You can use your talents and time to help many in need.   Weekly Activity  This one seems simple… Let’s find a way to continuously give to help others.   Words of Wisdom “To be poor does not mean you lack the means to extend charity to another. You may lack money or food, but you have the gift of friendship to overwhelm the loneliness that grips the lives of so many.” – Stanley Hauerwas “I am a huge believer in giving back and helping out in the community and the world. Think globally, act locally I suppose. I believe that the measure of a person's life is the effect they have on others.” – Steve Nash “Giving back involves a certain amount of giving up.” – Colin Powell “Happiness is letting go of what you think your life is supposed to look like and celebrating it for everything that it is.” – Mandy Hale “I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” – Lao Tzu

Monday Wake Up Call:

Monday Morning Wake-Up Call:

Your Motivation, Inspiration & Direction for the Week Ahead

Giving Gives Your Brain Pleasure

How was your weekend? Relaxing or exciting? Both are great, and we actually need both at different times (or you can have both at the same time)!

 

Thanks to technology, researchers are able to see brain activity during certain acts or activities. Did you know that when you make a donation to charity, your brain acts in a way similar to when you’re intimate or eating chocolate? In a study of those who donated to a worthy cause, the midbrain region of the brain lit up. This is the area of the brain responsible for our cravings and pleasure rewards, showing the link between charitable giving and pleasure. It’s true. This reward or pleasure response to giving is the physiological reason behind the “warm glow,” or that good feeling you get when you give and why you may choose to spend money on others or charity rather than yourself.

 

But does giving actually make you happier? According to a survey and study by researchers, it does. They found that people who spent a higher proportion of their income on gifts for others and donations to charity were “happier.” The researchers randomly assigned people to 4 groups that were told to spend $5 on themselves, $20 on themselves, $5 on others or $20 on others. Those who spent $5 or $20 on others reported being much happier, while those who spent money on themselves showed no change in happiness. Also, the group that gave away $5 was just as happy as the group that had $20 to give away, showing that happiness in giving can be more about the how than the how much.

 

Something to Think About

If giving gives you pleasure and can make you happier, should you start giving to others if you want to be happier? Research says yes; however, there’s more to it: Research also shows that when you give with the intention of giving vs. giving to get, your response and reward is much better! More about that next week.

 

Weekly Activity 

Donate your time or some money to your favorite cause. If you don’t have one, this is a great time to find one!

 

Words of Wisdom

“Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller

“If we look at the world with a love of life, the world will reveal its beauty to us.” – Daisaku Ikeda

 

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson 

Monday Wake Up Call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

LOVE: THE MAGIC KEY OF TRANSFORMATION Welcome to Monday! Let's talk about love. What is love? It seems as though it means different things to different people. Love is difficult to explain in philosophical terms because it's not designed to be analyzed or explained; it's designed to be experienced or felt.     Love is the most powerful emotion; it can literally transform a life. When humans feel loved, there is no limit to what they can achieve. I recently met a man who seemed very unsure and lonely, always staying in the background. Several of us started including him when we went to sporting events or social outings and, over the next few months, we noticed that his self-esteem was stronger, and he felt confident to engage in conversations. He seemed and looked happier. It suddenly occurred to me that he felt loved and included. You could see the transformation that had taken place in his life because we took the time to show him love.     Is there a relationship in your life that you would like to have transformed? It all starts with you. Do you love who you are? Do you love where you are in life? Do you express that love in all that you do on a daily basis? Do you show that person in your life love, even if you're not feeling it from him/her? It's been proven that as you give and show love to others, you receive love in return.     SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT     One of the easiest ways to express love is to start your day thinking about what you're most grateful for. Keep that thought as you go through your day. Greet those you meet throughout the day with a smile that says, "You are loved!"     WEEKLY ACTIVITY      Do something special for someone you love this week!     WORDS OF WISDOM     "Don't worry about what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." - Howard Thurman     "Happiness is simple. Everything we do to find it is complicated." - Karen Maezen Miller     "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness." - Dalai Lama     "The people who are the hardest to love are the ones who need it the most." - Peaceful Warrior

Are Vaulted Ceilings Right for Your next Home?

Vaulted ceilings add space and impressiveness to a room, even if the room doesn't have a lot of floorspace. While the impression of grandeur given by a vaulted ceiling speaks for itself, it's important to understand the specific benefits of different features when buying a home. Here are just a few of the perks that come with this interior feature.

Helps with Cooling

People interested in buying a home that's energy efficient will recognize the value of having a space that helps cool itself. Especially with the right kinds of windows and ventilation, the hot air that rises into a vaulted ceiling leaves cooler air behind at the lower levels. Louvered windows, for example, allow the rising hot air to escape and encourage ventilation when open. If used in a bathroom, high ceilings can also help to minimize humidity.

Makes Use of Roof Space

Even with an easily accessible attic, there is a lot of space that typically goes unused in homes with a traditional roof and low ceilings. Because of structural supports and other obstructions, some areas of the attic space are impractical for storage. Instead of blocking off those areas, a soaring ceiling allows residents and guests to enjoy the extra space whenever they relax downstairs.

Adds Rustic Appeal

Depending on the type of structural supports and exposed surfaces, a vaulted ceiling can compliment a range of different styles in home decor. Sturdy wooden rafters can look rustic, but other spaces may feature beams with a more modern look. For homeowners looking to add vaulted ceilings by exposing the beams, it's important to speak with an architect or engineer who can assess the structural aspects of the home. Removing or altering rafters that serve as structural support for a heavy roof could have serious consequences.

In any event, those who are buying a home or shopping for one should consider the benefits of rooms with more vertical space. Visiting open houses can give you an idea of how this feature works in different homes. Speak with a real estate agent to learn about homes in your area.

Thanks to Ben Heinrich on flickr for the image used in this post.