The Value of Sharing

We've all most likely been taught the value of sharing during our earliest school years—and this is a great thing. However, the practice of sharing stretches far beyond the confines of our youth and the classroom. Sharing into our adulthood and with our broader communities is crucial to maintaining our happiness and strong social bonds. Our well-being benefits in several fascinating ways when we share with those around us. Read on to find out the link between sharing and happiness and how to ramp up your sharing practice!

How Sharing Benefits You

Once you start to discover the benefits of sharing, you’ll soon realize that the positive results are essentially endless! Learning to share also teaches you social skills that create essential, strong bonds. Your willingness to communicate and empathize with those around you can lead to innumerable advantages like:

• Nurture stronger relationships
• Broaden access to healthy resources
• Cultivate more free time
• Gain the support of your community

Allowing yourself to trust the support of your community through the act of sharing tends to give back more than you give out. Sharing broadens your social circles and can also ease the pain or discomfort of any potential tragedies or inconveniences that occur. Humans are social beings, after all, and are far stronger in cooperative groups.

How Sharing Benefits the Environment

The benefits of sharing, as you may have already guessed, extend to our environment as well! When we learn to see how much we have and possess on our own, our collective resources are that much more extensive. Sharing is kind to the environment because it:

• Shrinks your carbon footprint
• Reduces consumption, waste, and energy use
• Sets an example for others to follow

When we can come together to access and use our shared resources more efficiently, the planet will benefit!

What Can We Share?

So, what can we share with others? Sharing could mean school supplies, toys, or some of your lunch in the classroom, but the things we share might look a bit different as adults. Below are ways you can cultivate and strengthen your sharing practice:

1. Shared Housing: In today’s world, most of us were brought up in homes with our immediate families. However, various cultures today have shared housing with extended family, elders, and other community members throughout time. The familiar adage “It takes a village to raise a kid” has much truth to it. The broader the community, the stronger the bonds and networks of support.
2. Carpooling: This may seem simple, but carpooling is a great way to connect to your community through your commute and benefit the environment. Whether to or from work or any other special event, cut down on the cars and travel together.
3. Info/Skill Sharing: We all have something that makes us unique. As people, we tend to gravitate towards specific skillets and hobbies. Not everyone can be a jack of all trades! Consider volunteering your time to teach a skill or trade for those in your community.
4. Shared Gardens: Access to healthy foods is the backbone of any healthy community, so share the bounty! Learning to grow and cook healthy meals in large groups will heal your community from the inside out.

The world is a better, wiser, and stronger place when we learn how to share and work together. Set an example for those around you and make sharing your new favorite hobby!