Seven (7) Ways Sharing Can Make You Happy

Sharing can do more than just save you a buck. New psychological research suggests that sharing fosters trust and cooperation in the community and contributes to personal well-being. This article offers some of the ways that sharing can boost your happiness levels and help your community thrive. The complete text, including several video clips, can be found at Sharing (http://tiny.cc/qxnng).
1. Sharing involves reciprocal giving, and the research is full of the benefits of giving, from greater physical health to personal happiness. 
2. Sharing can cause the release of oxytocin, a hormone that increases feelings of well-being.  3. Sharing builds trust, and trust is highly correlated with happiness.
4. Sharing increases positive social interaction with others, which can prolong your life. 
5. Sharing invokes gratitude, and gratitude is highly correlated with happiness. 
6. Sharing can decrease the disparity between “the haves” and the “have nots,” which increases well-being. 
7. Sharing involves cooperation, and cooperation has been essential to human flourishing.

from cl Weekly October 24, 2011