Frequently in this blog, I talk about the joy that I, and hopefully others, get when we are learning and growing together. How community is the balm that soothes all wounds and heals weary hearts. Never has that felt truer to me than since COVID, and yet I find myself avoiding groups and plans and outings and such. Apparently I’m not alone in that I hear similar stories from others. We know that being with others helps, and yet we are struggling to motivate ourselves to do just that. Maybe we are all still reeling a bit from the isolation and fear that understandably came from a world-wide pandemic. Or maybe it’s just easier to stay home in our pajamas. Either way, I’m on a collective joy hunt and maybe you’d like to join me.
In May, my husband and I took a vacation in Europe and planned it around a Bruce Springsteen concert in Amsterdam. I know how truly lucky and privileged I am to even consider a trip like this, so I’m both grateful that I could and aware that many can’t. Thus, my invitation to join me in the collective joy hunt might not include a trip to Europe, yet I’m confident there are plenty of ways to find it in your world and at a much lower price point.
Anyway, is there a more profound way to find collective joy than at a concert of one of your favorite artists? I say, no. We were with 60,000 other people in a stadium filled with people from all over the world. People with different political views, different religions, genders, sexual orientations, ethnicity, and value systems. And yet, we were all singing, dancing, waving our arms around (Okay, some of us more than others.) and absolutely getting along quite swimmingly. (Say that with a British accent.)
Springsteen and his band put on an incredible three-and-a half-hour concert with many of his fans standing for that whole time. Not everyone in that stadium spoke English, but they could certainly sense the energy of the songs and the devotion of the man singing them. We all sang along and danced and found joy as a collective of 60,000 people. 60,000! If only the world could feel like a Springsteen concert, or probably any of our favorite artists. If only we could bring that collective joy feeling to our work environment, our political discussions, and our family dinner tables.
I’m not sure I have the answers of how to do that, but I do know I’m on the hunt. How can I bring some of that collective joy to my work, my clients, the groups I teach and lead, my family, my friends, and even people whose company I don’t necessarily love? The collective joy of a concert seems to be that we focus on the beauty of the moment, on the music and the people entertaining us with that music. And maybe that’s part of the answer of finding collective joy in other spaces. We can look for the beauty and the entertainment of the moment.
I’m committed to my collective joy hunt. Let me know some things that work for you. Also, anyone have any Taylor Swift concert tickets they want to sell?
Love,
Lisa Kaplin Psy. D. PCC