Want to Be Happy?
Put a Little Love in Your Heart.

Jackie DeShannon’s 1969 hit, “Put a Little Love in Your Heart,” said it best: Think of your fellow man, lend him a helping hand. Put a little love in your heart.

Living in a retirement community means we acquire more free time, thanks to services that free us from meal preparation, yard work and other chores. And many of us are using that time to help others.

Older Americans who give back through volunteerism live longer and are happier, according to studies compiled by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Older volunteers reported lower mortality rates, lower rates of depression, fewer physical limitations and higher levels of well-being. Volunteerism was found to be greater contributor to happiness than other factors, including income, education level and marriage.

And we’ve all heard that money can’t buy happiness, but new studies by a University of British Columbia Professor Elizabeth Dunn finds that we’re happier when we spend money on others. Author John Bunyan reminds us, “There was a man, though some did count him mad; the more he cast away the more he had.”

Are you a giver or a receiver? Maybe the answer to that question is a simple “yes,” as giving and receiving are part of the same circle that benefits us all.

Looking to give back through volunteer opportunities? You can find many area nonprofits through the University of Arkansas at https://uark.givepulse.com/search.