Happiness Happens Month - Why?
By Joan E. Thompson

Plymouth - When happiness happens, what do you feel? What helped you feel happy? How often do you discover happiness while focusing or thinking about something else entirely? When you receive – or give – an especially meaningful gift, are you aware of being happy? When you accomplish a particularly challenging goal does that make you happy? Do you ever wake up in the morning, experience gratitude for being alive – and discover you’re happy?

In his book “Non-violent Communication – A Language of Life”, Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D. refers to non-violent or compassionate communication as a way of relating with others that leads us to give from the heart. This kind of giving benefits both the giver and the receiver. The receiver enjoys the gift (be it attention, service, or money) without worrying about consequences that often accompany gifts given out of fear, guilt, shame or desire for gain. The giver benefits from the enhanced self-esteem occurring when we see our efforts contributing to someone’s well-being. Research calls that the “helper’s high” – and it lasts as long as we recall the experience.

I believe giving from the heart is a concrete step toward feeling happy. And that volunteers, who act from the heart by doing what brings them fulfillment and contributes to the well-being of others, are the happiest among us.

August has been labeled “Happiness Happens Month” - Greg Porell, Editor of South Shore Senior News can tell you by whom. The month may have earned its label because it is summer and while it is now half over, there is still time to enjoy the hot weather and its fun-filled activities. Lots of locally grown great fruits and vegetables are ripening and we can enjoy them at their best! For children, school is still out – and that always contributes to the feeling of a happy vacation-time.

Rosenberg relates the various ways Nonviolent Communication helps us connect with each other and ourselves so that our natural compassion is allowed to flourish. It guides us to reframe the way we express ourselves and listen to others. And in the doing, discern between what feelings of our own create the lens through which all our responses travel. If we can only suspend the judgments or assumptions we make about others’ motives or feelings and stay with inquiring until their feelings are expressed, we can come closer to listening from the heart.

And Listening from the Heart, being fully open to what another person is experiencing, accepting what they feel without judgment or criticism, but just because it “is,” will contribute to deeper understanding. Try it. See how it contributes to your own happiness!

About The Author

Joan Thompson is the Executive Director for Mayflower RSVP, Inc., a non-profit organization mobilizing Volunteer Service Activities in Plymouth County. She has directed RSVP’s Retired & Senior Volunteer Program for nearly 30 years, working with 200 public/private, health, human service, and educational organizations to provide meaningful volunteer service opportunities for members in the RSVP program. She is a trainer in Volunteer Systems Management for local and national organizations and a member of AVA, the international Association for Volunteer Administration. She may be contacted at RSVP’s Plymouth County headquarters via telephone at (508) 746 -7787 or by email at MayflowerRSVP@ Verizon.net.