A Double Dose of Happiness

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Activities like knitting and crochet can cause a relaxation response similar to meditation.
—Knitting for Stress Relief

Find what you love to do and find a way to share it with others.
—The Cheerful Monk

I used to love to knit, but I haven’t done it for years because it hasn’t integrated very well with my present lifestyle:

Still, I’m about to go on a trip which will involve a lot of sitting. So that eliminates the first reason. And…I’ve discovered Knitting for Charity. I was especially taken by the Mother Bear Project, which provides homemade stuffed bears for African children with AIDS/HIV. What better reason to knit than to show a child he/she is loved?

With permission, Mother Bear Project

To simplify things I’ve ordered a complete kit for one of the bears. So I not only have a chance to knit again, I have a chance to make this poor old world a slightly more loving place. I can’t pretend I’m being altruistic…projects like these soothe my nerves and warm my heart. But hopefully I’m not only giving myself a double dose of happiness, I’m giving some to someone else too.

What about you? How do you give yourself doses of happiness? Do you find it increases when you share it? Please share your thoughts and experience in the comments section.

Thanks to bikehikebabe for commenting on last week’s post.