Considering that my weekly Joyful Piece would fall on Election Day, I thought I would prepare two posts. One version to be posted if the Harris-Walz ticket prevailed and another if the other ticket prevailed. Of course, there would be the logistical complications of posting before all the polls across the different time zones had closed. But, even if it was clear through the electoral vote count who the prevailing party was, it might still be subject to being contested…or worse.
Thinking deeper about “Joy”, I realized that I was confusing “Happiness” with “Joy”. Joy is deep and lasting. Happiness is momentary and fleeting.
Consider how quickly teams turn their attention to the next season. I would posit that it is due to focusing on outcomes over process. When we were children and played games and team sports for pleasure, we were “in the moment”— that was joy. It was pure delight to swing a bat, catch a hopping ball, score a basket, feel our bodies moving in a race. That was joy.
Then the ice cream truck would appear, and we were “happy” to cool our bodies, that was happiness. The feelings of pleasure and wellbeing from the ice cream were fleeting.
There was joy in having played the game and the memories we would later share would linger, sometimes far into the future.
The election results are serious and consequential. They will bring momentary happiness or sadness to the contesting parties depending on expectations.
The prevailing party will gather no lasting energy from its happiness. If wise, the prevailing party will wisely hold on to the “joy” of the moment and use it to fuel its agenda for the betterment of humanity. The other party will not be happy, but if its efforts were based on principle and the good of all, it can feel the joy of a job well done, with integrity, regardless of the outcome, and use that resource, the underlying joy of their endeavor, to redouble efforts to build a better world at their next turn.
Joy…
Thank you, Manuel
Solid analysis.