Extrovert Cures Depression?

So the other night I was at the pub for my bro's birthday, and I over hear a friend yelling to another friend(who's having some family problems) "You can't make others happy till you're happy, worry about your happiness first". I've been thinking about statements like that for awhile now so I piped up, what if you can get happiness from helping others first. I mean, just the simple act of helping someone will bring joy to TWO people, you and them. And if your down and out, what better way to get feeling better then to spread some feel good. And the more people you help, the more chances someone will help you when you need it most. Then my other friend said at work a new employee started crying after a customer gave her hell, so my friend consoled her, told her some stories of hard times she had had when she first started. Then she mentioned to me that usually the newer employees get eaten alive by the older ones. If helping someone when it is no problem for you makes you feel good, perfect. But what about helping someone when it isn't easy, or convenient? Do you still do it? Ask yourself this: Your family Is gonna sit down for a bite to eat, and things Are REALLY tough, I mean, you barely have enough scraps on the table to feed your family of 5. What do you do when you see a starving beggar outside? Do you let him in, and share your last few morsals with him? Or do you worry about your families welfare first?

It is a natural instinct to want to worry and save your family first. But what if helping him out now can return the help to you in the future? When you most need it? Or aren't expecting it? What about doing things with out expectations of anything in return? Not even a thank you... There is a great book I read last Christmas. It's called, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. It's a children's book, it's 2 paragraphs in total, front to back. But man is it a powerful book. I recommend buying it, reading it, giving it away as gifts, for the young and old. Even just sneak into the book store or library and read it, it'll take 4 minutes max!:)

What if you help 100 people, and never expect anything in return? What if those hundred people did that too? I think it's possible that then, when you need help, people will be there for you. I heard once that a good practice is to talk to a stranger every day. Make it a point to do that and you will work on your social skills, it'll brighten your day, and you'll make probably brighten someone else s day too. It doesn't have to be a conversation. It could be something as simple as, "Hello, How's your day been so far?" Think about what happens if everyone does that? Practices that? We would be such a friendly society. Not only would we be more comfortable talking to strangers, and public speaking, but we would be more comfortable with being talked to! Me and my girlfriend went to New York, and I'm generally a very polite person, so before I ask for help I usually ask how their day is going, and when I tried that in New York, man did I get a look, suspicion! I couldn't believe it. So next time I asked for directions, I dumped the formalities and just barged the question at someone, "Where is so and so street?" It got an answer and no weird look.