The Alphabet of Happiness: 'G'

Today let's look at Giving, Grace, and sharing your unique Gift.
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Randy Taran, Founder & CEO of Project Happiness, and author of The Project Happiness Handbook takes a look at the oh-so-many ways to be happier with small changes that yield big results. Below is a post from her Alphabet of Happiness, exploring happiness expanders from A-Z.

There are so many ways to experience happiness. Some are obvious and others can be more elusive, but no less important. Happiness has its own vocabulary, and the more approaches you know, the more options you have to experience it. Here are 3 more ways to tap into greater joy in your life, focusing on the letter "G." Today let's look at Giving, Grace, and sharing your unique Gift.

Giving
Happiness comes from giving, not getting. If we try to bring happiness to others, we cannot stop it from coming to us also. To get joy, we must give it, and to keep joy, we must scatter it. ~ John Tempelton

To feel good, do good. It does not have to be complicated - random acts of kindness work really well. Say hello to a new friend, help someone across the street, give up your seat on the subway to someone who would appreciate it, pay the toll for the person behind you... The smile on your face and the warmth you'll feel in your heart last long after the good deed is done. If you want to do something rewarding for yourself, try giving to others. Giving of yourself is not self-sacrifice - it's actually the opposite. It is a surprisingly effective way to lift yourself beyond your own worries and experience the satisfaction of small selfless deeds having big impacts. You have the power to enhance someone else's life. Warning: this could become addictive!

Grace
I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us. ~ Anne Lamott

Have you ever felt that things were just clicking into place without tremendous effort on your part? Have you had amazing unexpected people just pop into your life? Grace is accessible to everyone, and if we can get out of our own way, then it can show up in our lives. A state of grace is a feeling of alignment with all that is. Grace is also a surrender to and immersion with the flow, beauty, and perfection of the moment. It can sneak up on you, yet is more available than you may know. The good news is that it is there waiting for you to tap into - just trust that the universe is always conspiring to bring you to a state of grace and all you have to do is be open to allowing it into your life. If we can pause from the hectic pace of life to notice all the wondrous things that already exist, that opens the door for grace to walk right in.
When have you felt the presence of grace in your life?

Your Gift
A gift consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer. ~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Everyone is born with a gift - It could show up as an innate talent, a personality trait, or simply as something that comes easily. It could be a combination of many aspects, such as your sense of humor, your caring nature, athleticism, math or musical ability, leadership, intelligence, creativity, tenacity, or even your ability to connect with others. What is it for you? As you understand your gift, honor it, and then share it, you will notice that life flows more easily and you will experience more fulfilment, and even more fun. One note of caution - the expression of these gifts should not be tied to outcomes. Express your gifts for the joy of it and share them for the awesomeness of connecting with others - everything follows from that! Above all, nourish your own gifts and notice the gifts in others. Everyone wants to be seen for who they are.
How do you like to share your gift?

For more by Randy Taran, click here.

For more on happiness, click here.

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