Knowing that you have lived a good life and made a difference in the world can give you peace of mind. You don’t need a bunch of trophies hanging on the wall. What matters more in this life is how you’ve added to the lives of your loved ones, to your community, and to the rest of the planet.
Giving to others is a great depression reliever and anxiety reducer. When you are actively making a difference in the lives of other people, you don’t have time to worry or the inclination to feel sorry for yourself.
Making your life count makes you a happier person. Being a more fulfilled person allows you to give to others freely. It also allows you to be your true self at all times. When you matter to others, it validates your own existence.
You’re helping the people you love feel like they matter too - not just to you but to the world. This is not something you can buy; you have to get your hands and heart into it or you’re not going to get much out of it. Being a mentor for a loved one will strengthen your bond and deepen your love.
Even if you are helping only one other person, but this has a positive chain reaction. As you help that person, he or she will be able to help others, and so on. In this way, you are contributing to the emotional well-being of many people you will never even know about.
Making a contribution gives you a sense of purpose. We all need a reason for being, and fame and fortune usually aren’t enough for anyone who has depth. Feeling like you are contributing to the betterment of mankind gives you a special kind of energy, the kind that empowers you to change yourself and the world.
You don’t have to be Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie or Bill and Melinda Gates to make a difference in this world. Holding the hand of a little old lady at a rest home is just as important. She doesn’t know or care about what’s going on beyond the warmth she is feeling from you. Half an hour of your life can give someone the will to live longer.
How you contribute is entirely up to you. The key is to choose something that will help you make a positive impact. Pick a cause you have a passion for or one that supports your beliefs. Find a person in need or a dog that needs a home. All that matters is that you do something you think is a good thing to do.
No matter who we are, we all have something to offer the human race. Now go find out what it is for you and share it.

- Dr Barton Goldsmith, a psychotherapist in Westlake Village, California, is the author of The Happy Couple: How to Make Happiness a Habit One Little Loving Thing at a Time. Follow his daily insights on Twitter at @BartonGoldsmith, or e-mail him at Barton@bartongoldsmith.com