My Favorite Chinese Proverb!

I love this Chinese proverb and offer its wisdom to anyone going through a tough change:
 
If you want happiness for an hour—take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day—go fishing.
If you want happiness for a month—get married.
If you want happiness for a year—inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime—help someone else.
 
To move through change, you need to break through the illusion that you are the only one experiencing pain or suffering. When you stop obsessing about your own problems and instead direct your energy towards helping someone else, you will find that you also have the strength to move through your own change.
 
Make a list of friends and loved ones (or choose a total stranger), and ask yourself: What can I do to help this person? What does he or she need? Even something as simple as sending a card, making a call or sharing a meal can make a huge difference in someone else's life.
 
You have a responsibility to show up in the world for your friends, family and community. Be bigger than just your change. Someone else needs you.
 
Read more about getting unstuck during change in my book, The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Making Any Change Easier.