What brings me joy.

I am sitting here, knowing I should be studying for my finals, but for some reason I can't focus. I can't help but think of all my friends out there who are also studying feverishly for finals, and I felt bad for them, I decided to give you guys something to break the monotony of your worst saturday night this semester.

I was thinking about what gets me ticking, what makes me happy, what I like to see more than anything. I honestly have to say it all boils down to the fact that I love to see other people succeed. Plain and simple. Now before you go thinking I'm being self-righteous here, I love to see myself succeed as well, but I get more joy out of other people I think.

Take, for example, the best basketball game of the year so far. Today un-ranked Indiana upset #1 Kentucky for their first loss, with a buzzer-beating 3 by Christian Watford that put them 1 point on top. It really doesn't get better than that.

This is probably the best day of Watford's (center, #2) life.

Now I love that. Largely because I just love college basketball...seriously, I don't think you understand how much I love college basketball...but regardless, I thrive off of seeing success like this, seeing people being able to feel good about themselves.  Watford is on top of the world tonight. He is feeling that all these years of dedicated practice, blood, sweat, and possibly tears, are all worth it at this moment. That's a special feeling to have, none of us get it too often, some of us feel like we never get it. Which is a shame because everyone has something to offer.

I can list many other types of successes that I enjoy seeing in people around me, getting a new job, getting a part auditioned for, getting a grade that was higher than expected on a test.  Getting engaged, overcoming a trial, strengthening a testimony of Christ, losing weight, kicking a bad habit, getting a raise....This could go on for a while.

Whatever it may be, seeing the look on a loved ones face as they describe a success they have had makes my day.  It doesn't matter how ruddy my day may have been up to that point, but as soon as I see the spark in their eyes, and the energy they give off...sheesh, it's intoxicating. It's like they give me some of their energy...which I guess makes me kind of a leech, or a parasite. Not the most pleasant imagery...

You get what I mean thought? Everyone benefits. On the flip side I hate it when someone is elated to share news on a success they have experienced, and it isn't received with excitement, or worse, it's met with criticism.  That's dream crushing at it's finest. You know how it is to work hard one day, but the next day you come back and instead of praise for all the work you did, they just point out things you DIDN'T do? often times things you weren't even aware of?  That's the pits. I hate when that happens. So much so that I recently quit a job that treated me that way. but to tie it into my theme here, this type of behavior drains energy from both the critique and the criticized. No one comes off feeling good, no one wins.

You're like a monstrous leech.

An emotional mosquito

The one ring to rule them all

(insert name of co-worker that is like this)

Yeah. It think you get it.


Anyway, I think I've illustrated how everyone benefits when we are excited for each other, and everyone's life gets darker when you play negative nancy (or negative nicholas. I don't want to be sexist here)

Granted, there are times when not everyone can win. For example, in order for Indiana to have such a spectacular win, Kentucky had to lose their title of "un-defeated", Whenever someone gets a new job, dozens of people didn't get it, and whenever a pretty girl gets married, some creepy guy with a mustache has to find someone else to stalk on Facebook.

That's life, I think they key though is that just like we can be uplifted when a friend succeeds, we need to be the ones to give them energy when they are down. We need to reach out and help them have the will to try again.  Now as I read through this I seem to be talking a lot about energy...you would think I was into zen or something. I think you all know and have experienced what I'm talking about though. It's very real. If you think I'm making this stuff up chances are you're one of the emotional mosquitoes I'm talking about.

So there you have it.

Joy comes to me in seeing others become better. If you still aren't convinced that I'm not being self-righteous by saying this, try thinking of me as a giant energy leech, and maybe that will humanize me for you.

That's a pretty good estimation of what I would look like as a leech.