National "Give Something Away Day" Strengthens Relationship, Happiness

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Jul 15, 2021, 07:03 ET

SALT LAKE CITY, July 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrating the annual national "Give Something Away Day" on July 15 strengthens relationships, increases happiness and causes a contagious uptick in kindness, according to one CEO responsible for providing millions of meals to impoverished children.

"Winston Churchill is credited with saying, 'You make a living out of what you get. You make a life out of what you give,'" wrote Kevin Guest, chairman and CEO of USANA Health Sciences and a global advocate for harmony in relationships, in his bestselling book, All the Right Reasons: 12 Timeless Principles for Living a Life in Harmony. "Many people enter relationships for what they think they can get instead of what they can give. If we were to focus more on giving than getting, the return would be enormous."

Research indicates the average U.S. 10-year-old owns 238 toys but only plays with an average of 12, while the average American woman owns 30 outfits and disposes of 65 lbs. of clothing each year.

"Coming out of the pandemic is an excellent time to simplify our lives and to share with others who might not be as fortunate," said Guest, chairman and CEO of USANA Health Sciences, and a global advocate for harmony in relationships. "I see no downside to giving something away to make a difference in the lives of others."

One hundred percent of Guest's book sales are directed to benefit the USANA Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides food and nutrition to help ensure impoverished children and families reach their fullest potential.

Polling a group of 30,000 American households showed that givers were happier than non-givers, according to a Social Capital Community benchmark survey.

"There's no question that when you buy a homeless person a meal, donate clothing or give away something, you feel uplifted, and that's what this is about – lifting others up, including yourself," said Guest, who regularly works with his executive team to pack thousands of food bags for food-insecure children who don't know where their next meal is coming from.

When Guests' four children were smaller, he and his wife would find someone to serve on Christmas Eve. Some years they served food at a homeless shelter; other years they selected a needy family and buy gifts for the children, he wrote in his book, which is translated in five languages.

"People matter more than things," he said. "We all work hard to achieve success, to arrive at some pinnacle of achievement—to have the perfect house, perfect family, perfect body. In the process, we fill our lives with stuff. Most people have more food, faster cars, fancier clothes, better health, higher incomes, bigger houses and more conveniences than their ancestors had a hundred years ago.

"Yet according to the World Database of Happiness, we are not any happier than previous generations. Studies show once we have enough income to comfortably meet basic needs, additional wealth has little impact on our happiness. We are really searching for inner peace, yet many of us don't know how to find it."

This year, Guest urges others to give something away and find harmony, happiness and peace.

"Because I believe relationships are the most important things we have, I urge others to even give a little more time to those relationships that matter most," he said. "For me, that's with my family, friends and colleagues. Without a doubt, time with them will be some of the most treasured experiences."

A sought-after international speaker, Guest shares more insight on harmony in his book, which is available on Amazon. For more information, visit www.kevinguest.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Tim Brown, Candid Communications
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SOURCE USANA