Nastasi notes that Positive Psychology, the “new” science of happiness, links altruistic acts to happiness. She points out that Martin Seligman, the founding father of the Positive Psychology movement, writes in his book, Authentic Happiness: “When we are happy, we are less self-focused, we like others more, and we want to share our good fortune even with strangers.”
Nastasi’s personal journey has been a testament to the power of altruism. She volunteers at a London school each week, helping children with reading and comprehension. She also supports Women for Women International, which helps women in war-torn regions rebuild their lives by providing financial and emotional support, job skills training, and more.
Nastasi’s childhood involved being shuttled between Wyoming and Bronxville, New York—the result of divorced parents—but says “one of the few constants that remained in my life as a core value modeled by my parents was the importance of helping others.”
When Nastasi helps a child improve his reading, or when she brings a small gift for a student and receives hearty appreciation, she feels she gets back much more than she gives. “Volunteering my time in this way feels ‘selfish’ to me in the best possible way,” she writes.
“For me personally to help others find their voice through literacy and reading, through supporting women’s rights in war-torn countries, or through writing a column for a magazine that was created to give women a voice, all contribute to a deep sense of purpose that helps shape and give meaning to my life,” writes Nastasi.
Nastasi points to the words of Rumi, a 13th century Sufi poet: “From myself, I am copper, through you friend, I am gold. From myself, I am a stone, but through you, I am a gem.”
