Earlier this week, a report emerged from Harvard University. Undertaken over a period in excess of eight decades, the Study of Adult Development followed - and still follows - the lives of people from the 1930s.
Director of the study, Dr Robert Waldinger is a world-renowned psychiatrist and expert on human happiness. Taking his inspiration form this and a number of other pieces of research into similar ideas, Dr Waldinger concludes that a good life is about 'Being engaged in activities I care about with people I care about.' He goes on to explain that the Study has identified nine habits associate with human happiness including:
'the cultivation of kindness': being kind to the people you care about
'volunteering': men and women who took time to volunteer....met more people, formed relationships with more people, and took pride and satisfaction in the volunteer work they were doing
'expressing love for others': not going round telling everyone you love them, but finding many ways to express it
The Harvard Study draws attention to the range of human issues that CMPP has expounded for over a decade. CMPP celebrates the value of volunteering: the power of people working together to help transform communities and the lives of others; the positive impact of such activities on the lives of volunteers - well-being, team work, morale. We have also seen the increasing interest of customers in buying from companies that incorporate ethical purpose alongside the importance of profit. We have seen too the desire of a so-called Gen Z workforce to work for companies who rank purpose highly.
Before stepping down from her role as CMPP CEO, Tracy Jarvis echoed these sentiments: 'Everything we do in life has to have a purpose. If you're lucky enough to find your purpose, you'll never work a day in your life!
Through CMPP I've met the nicest people in the world - anybody that gives to other people makes the world go round.'
On a day in which a survey conducted by Sky found that 42% of people cannot recall the last time they 'laughed out loud', citing world events getting them down, whilst no-one would wish to devalue the immense challenges facing the country and the planet, the importance of local action has never been greater.
The growing evidence is compelling: that it's good for us and good for others.
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