Make Someone Happy Right Now

Is there someone you’ve been thinking about a lot lately? Perhaps you’ve had a fight, perhaps you’re falling in love. Maybe your mum’s birthday is coming up or your dad’s. Maybe someone’s been diagnosed with an illness or you’ve had a falling out with a friend.

Chances are high that at any point in our life, there will always be one person who will take up space in our mind for most of the day. Today, it’s our spouse. Tomorrow, it’s our boss and the day after, it’s our best friend. This is how we function.

People beget people. It’s what makes the human world go around. Our minds are designed to latch onto people.

So, here’s what I propose. Five simple steps:

1.  Focus on the person you’ve been thinking about a lot lately.

2.  Why have you been thinking about them? State the reason clearly to yourself.

3.  Whether the reason makes you happy or sad, this step is simple – communicate. Reach out.

4.  Once you have texted, called or emailed and heard back, send them a list – five reasons you appreciate them.

5.  Hit ‘send’, smile and carry on with your day.

Now, if the reason you’re thinking about this person is a happy one, it will of course be much easier to reach out to them and let them know why you appreciate and love them. Professing our love for someone when things are great is easy.

The real challenge is when things are not okay. Maybe you’ve been thinking about a co-worker, a partner, a parent. These can be tricky equations to navigate because most of us are still learning how to be gentle, sensitive and mindful of another person’s needs.

But go ahead and do it. Reach out to them. The feeling once you’ve sent the list is amazing! You know why? Because you’ve gone beyond yourself and your emotions to make someone happy. The selflessness of this action cannot be overstated.

We are always wondering how to be happy in life. There is an incredibly easy shortcut – every time you want to feel happy, go out and do something nice for someone. You will be buzzing with good energy before long! This works because of two reasons:

a)  We are looking past ourselves.

b)  When we witness the joy our act of kindness has brought someone, it’s a natural high!

So, who have I been thinking about a lot lately? Hmm. I’ve been thinking about how to write this piece in a way that appeals to you. So, I guess I’ve been thinking about you!

Here’s my list then of what I appreciate about you:

1. I appreciate tremendously the fact that you read! Someone who reads is likely to be intellectually and emotionally competent, and I’m grateful that such a person has arrived here to read this piece.

2. I appreciate that at least, for an instant, you thought about sending your own appreciation list to someone. I know that 95% of you reading this are not about to send a list. But the fact that for a moment, the thought crossed your mind – it’s enough. Even the seed of a thought makes the world a better place and you just contributed.

3.  I appreciate that you are a good person. Only someone with a kind heart would have chosen to read this piece because the title – it would appeal only to someone with an inherently selfless nature. You clearly possess it in abundance.

4. I appreciate your generosity of spirit. Your largesse has allowed you to read this article through to its end because you believed that it might have something valuable to say. Your generosity means that you have made space for other voices in your life.

5. I appreciate that you likely have had a smile on your face, reading the above reasons :) It shows you have a childlike spirit and a willingness to interact with the world openly and honestly. Thank you!

I wondered for years how to be happy. I found many secrets to happiness along the way but this, what has just transpired, is the best secret of all – I’m happy right now because I made you smile. 

My happiness lies in another person’s joy.

Yours could too. Go on, write that list.