Salzberg writes, “The attitude of diminishing the happiness of others is based on considering happiness as a limited resource or commodity-the more someone else has, the less there is for me.” Unfortunately this is a common perspective.
And what happens is, we suffer inside when we feels this way. And what’s more it feeds upon itself. When we think we have a limited supply of happiness for others then we hold back on expressing joy, and then we may even go so far as to take actions to diminish others so that they feel more like we feel.
To counter this negative behavior give something to someone, comfort someone, give of your time, meditate and think positively about others, offer something out of care, listen out of care, do this to develop a loving heart. These are what Salzberg calls “meritorious actions.”
Give this energy away and you’ll get more, much more and remember that “happiness does not go away when we share it.” Instead, “it grows because the act of sharing puts us in touch with its source, which is limitless.”
