Happiness Comes From Giving

This story is about a beautiful, expensively dressed lady who complained to

her psychiatrist that she felt that her whole life was empty; it had no

meaning.


So the counselor called over the old lady who cleaned the office floors, and

then said to the rich lady, "I'm going to ask Mary here to tell you how she

found happiness. All I want you to do is listen."

So the old lady put down her broom and sat on a chair and told her story:

"Well, my husband died of malaria and three months later my only son was

killed by a car. I had nobody... I had nothing left. I couldn't sleep; I couldn't eat;

I never smiled at anyone, I even thought of taking my own life. Then

one evening a little kitten followed me home from work. Somehow I felt

sorry for that kitten.

It was cold outside, so I decided to let the kitten in. I got it some milk, and

it licked the plate clean. Then it purred and rubbed against my leg,

and for the first time in months, I smiled. Then I stopped to think; if helping a little

kitten could make me smile, maybe doing something for people could make me happy.

So the next day I baked some biscuits and took them to a

neighbor who was sick in bed. Every day I tried to do something nice for

someone. It made me so happy to see them happy. Today, I don't know of

anybody who sleeps and eats better than I do. I've found happiness, by

giving it to others."

When she heard that, the rich lady cried. She had everything that money could buy,

but she had lost the things which money cannot buy.


Happiness is when you want everything you have,

not when you have everything you want.