Can helping others actually help you?

Helping others reach their goals will actually help you reach yours and allow you to live a fuller life.
OK-I realize this may seem as if I'm going against the grain here since this blog is focused on treating yourself well, but stay with me..when I say "helping others" I am not speaking of wiping your kids' noses, getting them dressed, picking up after Fido in the yard, etc. I'm talking about helping others either through random acts of kindness or through charity. I hear you asking yourself "How can it possibly help me treat myself well/better if I'm giving even more of myself to a charity?" Consider this:
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—help someone else.– Chinese Proverb
This has been yet another common thread I found with the women I've interviewed who are happy and treat themselves well. They live a fuller life by helping others in hundreds of different ways. So next time you experience negative thoughts/feelings take a minute and look up....look around....by helping someone else, even in the smallest way, you'll bring in more joy and fullfillment to your own life.