Upon reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog, I found this nugget:

“If you want to heal, heal others.”

In the context of this quote, Paloma—a brilliant 12-year-old girl who feels the meaninglessness of a life as member of the shallow high-class—comes to the conclusion that her unhappiness can be salved by reaching out to others. It’s only when she listens to Renée’s life story and holds the older woman’s hand that she feels a spark of joy.

What’s my conclusion? It’s as simple as this: To be happy, reach out to others, serve them, love them, seek their happiness.

Here’s another great quote about finding happiness in serving others:

“To find real happiness, we must seek for it in a focus outside ourselves.” -President Thomas S. Monson (Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

I have found that I’m most happy when I’m cleaning the kitchen for my family or writing a blog that I hope will touch another or watching my baby nephew.

Now it’s your turn: How have you found happiness in helping others?