David DeSteno

Engage in that element of service with other people, right?

Service has been shown to be one of the biggest predictors of happiness.

People completely mispredict how much it's going to make them happier.

You know, one of the things that data show is we often...

I don't mean service like a volunteer in a soup kitchen.

I mean like to friends or other people who are facing issues.

We often don't reach out to them because we think they're not going to want the help or it's going to make it feel weird or I don't know what to say.

But the data show on these studies that when people are assigned basically to go and do this as part of an experimental protocol,

not only are the people who they engage, who they give service to happy, but the givers are also happier.

And so I would say to people, whatever stage of life you're at or if you're in midlife and having these issues and you feel like I'm trapped, how do I find some of that peace or taste some of that peace?

Finding an opportunity for service is a way to do it because all the data show it's good.

Now,

The one thing about service is you might be saying, sure, Dave, again, that's easy for you to say.

I don't have the luxury to do this.

I'm always feeling stressed or I don't have time.

You have to find a balance between inner life and outer life.

And so what I'm telling you about service is kind of outer life.

Do this in the world.

But the way to be able to do that is to carve out time for yourself and

For quiet meditation, quiet prayer, if you're a person of faith, these are the things that recharge your inner life, that help you sit with the stress, the anxiety, the anger, the frustration, to sit with it, to place it aside so that you can then go into the world and be productive in helping others and not be swallowed up by that anger and that frustration.