I remember the day I decided to make a small difference. I was in the car, going home when I saw a homeless man ahead on the street, with torn clothes marked by years of wear. His feet were naked, vulnerable to the unknown dangers of the outside environment. His face looked as if there were no flesh and his hair was thick with dirt and grime. He was weakly holding a beat-up cardboard sign that desperately asked for help, ideally in the form of money. I suddenly felt selfish as I sat in the comfort and safety of the car.

When the car started to move forward, I quickly suggested to my mother that we give money to the man. Moving forward with my decision, we contributed a couple of dollars to the man. As we drove up near him, I smiled brightly, handing him the couple of dollars that we were able to spare. As he took the change, he profusely thanked us and smiled with his mouth going from one ear to the other.

I became aware that this small act of kindness meant so much. I gained happiness while giving to another person.

As I look back to this day, I realize that happiness is not always about the pleasure of taking and receiving from others.

In 2010, a survey called “Do Good Live Well” was conducted among about 4,500 adult participants. These adults volunteered in charities and donations for 100 hours a year.

The results showed that 68 percent of those who participated felt physically happier, 89 percent had felt the improvement of their well being, and 73 percent said that it lowered their stress levels. This study is able to prove that giving to others will help one gain happiness while also improving one’s health.

We are able to learn that materialistic happiness is temporary and only creates more greed than before. However, the genuine kind of happiness is the eternal joy that comes from helping others and building a better world. This happiness is forever remembered and cherished in our hearts.