The phrase 'bring up' is most often used to talk about parents or guardians raising children. They keep them safe, provide for their needs, support them as they work towards their goals, and help them to thrive. But, in my opinion, this is a far too limited use for such a powerful term.

For, in reality, we are always bringing each other up. With every interaction in every day, we have the opportunity to fulfill these same duties for one another: we can help one another to feel safe, fulfilled, supported, and happy.

Imagine the world that we could build if we were all committed to bringing each other up.

Old Happy: "We're in competition." New Happy: "We're here to help each other."

Because Old Happy culture raised us to believe that our value is based upon our performance, we have learned to see other people as our competition. You have to prove (by working harder, smarter, faster) that you are the best. The winners of this competition are the ones who are worthy of love, fulfillment, and happiness.

As a result, many people learn to employ a specific strategy: keep other people down. If you hurt others, it quiets your own insecurities and knocks them out of the field of competition, clearing your path towards what you think you want.

But it's all a lie. Keeping people down will never make you happy—it's bringing them up that does that.

The more that you focus on supporting and encouraging other people, the better you start to feel about yourself. You are proving to yourself that life is not a competition. You are remembering that you have your own incomparable, unique gifts and strengths. And with each generous action, you are helping others to see these truths, too.