generous

Let’s be honest for a moment. You’d probably be thrilled to have a cool million or 2 in the bank. Money can’t buy happiness, as the saying goes, but what you do with your money (as well as time and talents, for that matter) might have an awful lot to do with your quality of life. Sure, doing something nice for someone else feels nice, but a recent study suggests that generosity has a positive biological effect on the brain.

Every year at Christmas, you read tales on social media about “Secret Santas” who pay off people’s layaway balances, or pay for the groceries of the person behind them in line at the grocery store. Earlier this month, a “Secret Santa” walked into H.W. Good Elementary School in western Pennsylvania and paid off the outstanding food bills of more than 40 students. [1]