Isolation Equals Unhappiness

If you have ever felt depressed or sad (and yes, we all have at some point), then you probably have isolated yourself from those around you. When you start feeling a little unhappy or you are feeling detached, you’re most likely moving away from being a part of something. Isolation can lead to depression faster than anything else. Why do you think they put the hardest of criminals in solitary confinement while they are in prison? Being lonely is akin to torture.

When we get stressed out about life, we often choose to detach ourselves from others in an attempt to feel better. However, prolonged isolation will eventually make us feel worse. It is okay to spend some time alone, and sometimes it is the best thing to do. But you must make sure you don’t spend so much time alone you forget how to function normally in society.

That is why it is so important to get involved in activities on campus. Becoming a student leader, volunteering your time, or joining a social club like a fraternity/sorority is extremely important to help you feel fulfilled and happy in your collegiate career.

You don’t have to believe me right now, but I challenge you to test me by asking a question that will prove this is true. Find someone on campus who is having a blast, who is living the best life he or she possibly can, and ask that person this question: “What groups are you involved with on campus?” I’ll bet that person rattles off an entire list of things he or she is part of on campus and in the community.

Then find someone who is having a horrible time in college and who just hates everything. Ask that person the very same question: “What groups are you involved with on campus?” I’m pretty confident that person will respond by saying he or she is not involved with anything; everything sucks, so that is why he or she doesn’t join anything.

The bottom line is this: for you to begin your journey to success in the right way, you have to feel fulfilled. You start this process by get- ting involved with groups that give back, be it through community service, fundraising, education, and the like.

Many people will agree they enjoy helping others. It is something that offers a universal feeling of true happiness. You can never get sick of seeing the joy on someone’s face that you helped; you will never have that gross feeling of eating an entire carton of cookies when you help someone. And if you have been reading this far into the book, that means you are truly dedicated to creating success and happiness in your life, so I’ll give you a bonus right now.

The secret to wealth is providing value to other people’s lives. The more value you give to others’ lives, the more you will get in return, and money will be a byproduct of the value you add to others. If you are good at making a difference, you won’t have to worry about making a dollar.

Arel Moodie is widely known as America's Top Young Speaker. He has spoken to over 65,000 students in 39 states and 2 countries on the topics of student success, student leadership and student entrepreneurship. He is a leading authority on helping students of this generation succeed in school and in life. He is also the best selling author of the book Your Starting Point For Student Success. To find out more about Arel's book, go to www.startingpointbook.com. To find out more about Arel's speaking please go to www.arelmoodie.com.