Twelve years ago, Taylor Swift shared her ultimate goal in life. It’s something any of us can achieve.

At 22, Taylorby the amount of money they gave away: The more they invested in others, the happier they were.” This was the case regardless of the giver’s individual income.

Another survey conducted by the Gallup World Poll between 2006 and 2008 that found that in 120 out of 136 countries, people who donated to charity in the previous month reported greater satisfaction with life.

The late entrepreneur Jim Rohn said, “Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have.” In the leadership bestseller by Bob Burg and John David Mann, The Go-Giver (Portfolio Hardcover, 2007), the main character learns that changing his focus from getting to giving–putting others’ interests first and consistently adding value to their lives–ultimately leads to unexpected returns.

Considering that not everyone has the luxury of giving financially, there are other ways to give practically as a lifestyle, like helping or mentoring others, giving of your time, volunteering at a shelter, supporting a cause, sponsoring a child, fighting injustice, and having a pay-it-forward mindset.

Organizational psychologist and Wharton professor Adam Grant told CNBC Make It: “The most meaningful way to succeed is to help other people succeed.” Having studied thousands of leaders, Grant observed that great leaders think bigger than themselves. They advance a vision, idea, or project that’s “going to affect a lot of people.”

You give because it makes you happy
Ultimately, you give for the same reasons Taylor Swift does: because it makes you feel happy. According to the aforementioned 2008 study, giving money to someone else can increase our happiness more than spending it on ourselves. The study found that despite participants’ initial belief that spending on themselves would make them happier, giving to others actually lifted their mood more. This suggests that giving can have a positive impact on both our emotional and physical health. It’s not just limited to monetary donations or billionaire celebrities like Taylor Swift. If science is telling us that giving can make us happy and benefit our well-being, why wait to start giving back?

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