Editors Note: In this article we are able to continue a very important topic that was started in this months Meditate On This video, Giving is Receiving!  I encourage you to take even one of these helpful tips below and see how you can implement them in to your normal routine. Don’t just add COLOR to your world, remember to add COLOR to the world too! ~Nitika~

I was recently reading a book all about trends in our society that cause us to be happy. I learned a lot in this book; that on a whole, religious people tended to be happier than the nonreligious, that getting married is strongly related to happiness, that people in our culture LIKE to work and have a job, and that the only way for money to get you happiness is if you GIVE IT AWAY. Giving is one of the best things we can do to increase our self-esteem and sense of purpose.

Now, lots of people operate from a place of lack, telling themselves that they cannot afford to donate anywhere, that they need to make a lot of money before they can give any of it away, and giving sounds really nice, but not in this economy…. etc.

The thing is, there are LOTS of ways to give! And you don’t need to wait until you are rich and successful to do so. You can start right now! Giving rules, and I guarantee that when you give of yourself, you get a lot of self-love in return. Below are some ways that you can share who you are and what you have with others:

1. Although money is not always necessary to be charitable, there are lots of donations  you can make that are quite small yet greatly help the less fortunate, especially on a global level. Check out http://www.halftheskymovement.org/, this is the website of the book Half the Sky, which discusses women’s oppression turned into opportunity in the Third World. They have a list of organizations on the site, find one that resonates with you and get involved somehow, even if it’s just sending them $20!

2. One of my favorite things to do is volunteer my time at a nonprofit for girls entrepreneurial skills in NYC. Check out http://www.volunteermatch.org/ and type into the search the opportunities you are looking for, they have organizations all over the country!

3. Donate blood! You save THREE lives, you get free snacks, and stickers that say to be nice to you. I understand the queezy factor, lots of people don’t like needles. But, if you can handle it this is a wonderful, wonderful way to give back. Walk or run in a local race/walkathon that asks you to raise money for a certain cause or medical condition. This is really fun, a chance to get people together and raise awareness, plus you get some exercise.

4. Clean out your closet and donate your old clothes/shoes/dresses. There are plenty of Salvation Armies all over this country where people are more than happy to take on your unwanted belongings. And as an added bonus… de-cluttering your closet has also been proven to increase levels of happiness!

5. Give of YOU! Sometimes just doing something small for someone else is all we need to feel better ourselves. Listen to your friend after a tough day, water a neighbor’s plants while they are away, give advice on something you are passionate about (for instance I love sharing my knowledge of running with a new runner, even better I like going on runs with them!), tell your parents you love them, remember a friend’s birthday. All of these are ways to give effort without feeling overstretched.

I’m not saying that we should only give to make ourselves happy, or give only to get. What I am saying is that we each have something unique to add to this world. We each are a special contribution, and when we find how we can make a difference, no matter how big or small, our happiness increases exponentially. So get out there and share yourself, give what you can, to the world. I promise it will give right back!

** This article was written by guest contributor Bevin Reilly, for her bio and contact information please visit http://yourbellalife.com/guest-contributors/