If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.

If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.

If you want happiness for a month, get married.

If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.

If you want happiness for a lifetime, serve others.

Someone recently sent me this little bit of wisdom about happiness and service.

It’s tempting to find short term and short lived paths to happiness.

And there isn’t anything wrong with most of these activities, but we can’t be surprised when the effects wear off.

Long term happiness comes from service to others.

I’m sure you have heard this before and if you haven’t, you probably have already gotten to this conclusion intuitively.

The question becomes, what do you do about it?

Keep it simple.

Find an opportunity to serve, every day.

Do the dishes.

Hold the door for a stranger.

Go the extra mile for the customer.

Stay after at work for a few minutes to help a co-worker.

Serve. Every day.

Make it a great day of service.

Jake ​