Happiness In Time Of Trial Is Real

How often have you been in a tough situation and chosen happiness? If you regularly do that, you get what I am about to say. Being joyous in hard things is awesome.

I recently wrote about gratitude and forgiveness. In much the same way, choosing to be happy regardless of circumstances will move you ahead much faster in life.

Last week, I worked as a poll worker during the mid-term elections. The county workers told us in training that they expected it to busy at the few polling places that they would have, but because it was a mail-in election, most voters would have voted well before election day.

That idea was great based on past elections, but there were several factors that resulted in a different outcome. One change was that this election, voters could, for the first time, register at the polls in our state. We saw a lot of new voters. We also had a lot of people who either never got their mail-in ballots, or lost them. Then there were the people who had recently moved. I went in to work excited for the day.

Expectations Can Cause Dissatisfaction

After working for an hour setting up the polling place, we opened the polls and those who were already waiting in line filed in and started the paperwork to vote provisionally. It became apparent within a few minutes that our queuing setup was not going to be big enough to hold the crowds. Excitement for many was waning.

Assigned to stand in the room and greet people coming in, I instructed them on when to go to the tables to fill out the paperwork. We thought that would be the biggest backlog. Soon, the room had filled with those who had completed the paperwork and were waiting to get a card to vote on the machines. I directed traffic from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM when I got a break to eat lunch. I was happy and smiling the whole time.

When I took my break, I reflected on the day so far. I had been seated for a total of ten minutes from 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM. I had been talking almost non-stop for hours and my voice was getting a bit raspy. My body was moving slower than when I started the day. I was still joyful and smiling. My lower back had some mild discomfort, and my knees were a little slower to bend.

My yogurt soothed my throat and some good veggies and a healthy peanut butter and pear jam sandwich refreshed my spirits. That felt like happiness. After a 20 minute break, I was back at it, happy to be helping.

Other workers were not so upbeat. They chose to see the problems and not the successes.

What You Look For, You Find

I got to eat dinner at 11:15. A few minutes later, the last of those in line were able to finish their provisional ballot forms and get into line to get their ballot card. I had noticed something interesting. Few people had expressed anger at me. I had been smiling for hours and was still smiling. The very small percentage of those who expressed anger ended up shouted down by others in line. I just showed my joy in being able to help. It had made a difference. I’m sure that there were others who were really mad, but they didn’t want to say anything to the guy who was happily helping.

I also learned that the more clearly I explained the process and why it was necessary, the more people agreed with the process. The happiness was infectious. People got to know those around them in line. Fun conversations were happening all over the place. Those who were at the end of the line at 8:00 PM when the polls “closed” took pride in being the last ones to get to vote. It became more common to hear people shout with joy as they finished casting their ballots. People would applaud them for their enthusiasm.

A lot of people learned to see differently that night. Joy was found in trials.

What Lessons Do You Learn From Trials?

As I have pondered on the lessons from that 20 hour workday, I have a lot. First, be kind.

Second, anticipate good from others. I smiled more and giggled like a kid each time one of the sweet ladies working the line in front of me would tell the people to come see the “young man in the blue shirt.” From her perspective, I am young. As we left early in the morning, she told me, “You were a MONSTER today.” She appreciated my energy and steadiness.

Third, taking care of yourself is important to better performance. I made it through a grueling day. There was a price to be paid for not being as prepared as I could have been during the rest of the week. I also made sure I took time to recover. Ah, the joy of a nice warm bath with some soothing oils…

Fourth, some people will always find fault in someone else. Don’t take that on yourself. As one of my mentors taught me, sometimes the fan is just blowing. It is not aimed at you. You just happened to end up in front of it. Forgive quickly. It helps them too.

Fifth, trials give you great stories to share. I have shared many such stories from my ancestors. The trials have great value.

I invite you to find a trial today that you can smile about more. I know it will change your perspective and brighten your life. Happiness is yours to claim. You can find it in abundance.