By Ragoo Raghunathan

Hinduism’s most important and best-known text, The Gita, says the purest gift is one given from the heart to the right person at the right time and at the right place expecting nothing in return. As we are engrossed in our daily grind, it becomes important to remember these words and incorporate the act of giving in one’s life.

During our professional pursuit we are focused on learning, earning and being successful in what we do. It is mostly take, take, take. Let us not forget that there is also so much happiness and satisfaction in giving. It is said that people are happier when they give than when they get. LinkedIn reports that ‘volunteer activities’ increased over 2-3 times more than it was a couple years ago. Volunteering for humanitarian and health causes were especially popular with a big spike in volunteering for civil rights organizations in the past few months.

What can I give?

In our professional life giving is easy – the best thing one can give is their time. You can give your warmth and friendship, give a listening ear or a shoulder to lean on. Last but not least – you can give materially if you can afford it. Giving inspires giving. People who have been on the receiving end of kindness do pay it forward and give to others even when they have hardly anything to give. Perpetuating the cycle of giving makes the world a better, more humane place to live in.

If you are an experienced individual, immaterial of the area of expertise, plan to set aside a little time on a regular basis to guide or mentor younger professionals. Sharing your experiences, offering to join a panel discussion on a local platform, contributing to the local parent-teacher meeting, participating in the local town hall meeting, encouraging an aspiring entrepreneur by giving her a word of advice or some tips will just do the trick. There are many little things you can do to help others on LinkedIn. Being open to networking on LinkedIn, endorsing someone’s skills, sharing or liking their post, increasing their visibility to your network are just some of the actions you can take. If you are part of a local community or cultural organization (like India Society of Worcester), volunteer some time there.

So what do I get?

Well, the brain is a complex organ and responds via neurochemical signals. Happiness triggers the release of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin in the brain. While dopamine is connected to motivation and arousal, serotonin is crucial for sleep, digestion, learning, memory and appetite. Oxytocin is among the most important hormones and favorably affects your blood pressure, increases bonding, trust and empathy, while reducing social fears. So, if giving makes you happy and allows us to secrete all these wonderful neurochemicals in the brain, we owe it to ourselves to give as often as possible.

What are you waiting for?