Why Serving Others Brings True Happiness

When I come home, I often find a small bag hanging from my door knob, quietly left by a thoughtful neighbour or team member. Whether it's an extra portion of their meal or some freshly caught seafood, it’s always shared without any expectation of thanks or recognition—no note, no name, just a simple, heartfelt gesture. It’s not that I need more food or sweets; they do it because they know it brings me joy. But also, it makes them happy to give. 

The Joy of Service

The joy of service comes from giving and being of service without expecting anything in return—whether it’s brightening someone’s day or knowing you’ve positively impacted their well-being. Serving others brings a sense of fulfilment, whether at home, work or in your community. The amazing part is that it enriches the lives of those you serve AND your life.

Why Serving Others Brings True Happiness

Let’s explore the eight reasons in more detail:

1. It Brings Happiness to Both

2. It Brings a Sense of Purpose

3. It Strengthens Your Relationships with Others

4. It Releases Feel-Good Chemicals

5. It Enhances Personal Growth

6. It Booths Professional Growth

7. It's Good for Your Karma

8. You Create a Better World

Let’s dive into the eight powerful reasons and start with the first: why serving others brings happiness to you.

1. It Brings Happiness to Both

Our associates in the hotel often go above and beyond to create what we call "Magical Moments" for our guests. They spend their free time crafting personalised cards and gifts or heading to the local market to hunt a guest’s favourite local food. While their goal is to bring joy to our guests, the magic doesn’t stop there. When they share their "Magical Moments" and the guest’s reactions during our daily morning briefing, you can see the pride and happiness on their faces. In making others happy, they create joy for themselves, too.

2. It Brings a Sense of Purpose

Being of service and helping others brings a deep sense of purpose because it connects your actions to something greater than yourself. In 2019, we founded the Junior Sports Team in Krabi, Thailand (www.juniorsportsteam.org). Every season since then, we’ve trained local students with no swimming skills to become confident and capable open-water swimmers. Watching their progress is incredibly fulfilling and a powerful reminder of how joyful and rewarding it is to help others. Whether coaching, volunteering in your community, or giving back in any other way, I’m sure you’ve felt that same sense of fulfilment.

3. It Strengthens Your Relationships with Others

Service has a unique power to strengthen human connections. Going out of our way to serve others fosters a sense of appreciation that deepens and creates new relationships. During a recent stay in Bangkok, I struggled to find a local shop, even with the help of Google Maps. A kind street food vendor noticed my difficulty (probably after I passed his stall for the 4th time…) and took the time to personally walk me five minutes to the exact location I was looking for. Whether offering such thoughtful gestures to a stranger or lending a hand to a colleague, these small acts build meaningful bonds far beyond the surface.

In Thai culture, this idea is beautifully embodied in the concept of "Nam Jai" (Water from the Heart). I’ll explore "Nam Jai" in more detail in an upcoming post, so be sure to subscribe for free now to read this article, the forthcoming post on "Nam Jai," and unlock all previous posts!