My wife and I attend a large fundraiser every year. The host has done remarkably well in business. He, however, now focuses his time and energy on providing aid to children in impoverished nations.

At one of the events he said: “I can tell you this. It’s really selfishness on my part. Having all the money and success doesn’t compare to being able to give. Nothing brings more satisfaction in life than the act of giving.”

What he said hit home with me. Life really is about selfishness.

But can selfishness bring sustained happiness?

In looking back at life, selfishness through the accumulation of things has brought me happiness, but it was usually short-lived. After time, I needed more to sustain my satisfaction. It always involved longing and getting, longing and getting.

Selfishness through attempting to help others also brought happiness. But when I gave to change the world, my satisfaction was again short-lived as soon as I realized my efforts were fruitless. I usually wasn’t changing anything.

In hindsight what brought me the most sustained happiness was giving for the sake of giving – the process of giving itself. There was no giving to get. There was no giving to change the world. There was simply giving for the sake of giving.

The words rang true: “Nothing brings more satisfaction in life than the act of giving.”

Could it be that we were created to be givers? And by exercising this gift we are able to tap into happiness and contentment?

Timothy Velner is a husband, father, attorney and author living in Minneapolis. You can follow his daily blog – a series of discussions between the worry-self and the present-self at – thespiritualgym.me