The Businesses of Hope and Joy

I have heard people joke that religious leaders are “hope dealers”. They sell folks on the idea that there is a tomorrow that is better than their today and all of their yesterdays. At their best, they inspire people to live with positive expectation and to pass on this positive infection through acts of kindness in the face of life’s challenges. At their worst, they distract folks from the discovery of their own potential by holding a proverbial carrot out in front of them in perpetuity.

As a former pastor, I can relate to that notion of being a “hope dealer”. But, I would venture to say that anyone in business is a hope dealer. What product or service doesn’t make a part of its sell the story of how engaging with them offers us better tomorrows. With our products and services, everything gets better, whether it is relationships, vacations, physical fitness. No matter what it is, it is promising that tomorrow will be better. Consider these examples.

• New tires keep you safer so you can have more tomorrows.
• This diet plan will make you healthier and more attractive so you can have better tomorrows.
• Artificial Intelligence will make work easier, so you’ll have time to enjoy your tomorrows.
• This drink will give you more energy so that you can perform better at work and maintain your lifestyle or get a better one tomorrow.

Hope is always about tomorrow. There’s a reason why the term “brand evangelist” is nearly ubiquitous in marketing these days. It is because evangelical means “good news” about tomorrow. And who doesn’t like good news, especially when it has a direct impact on how you live your life. Because sometimes the hope of a better tomorrow helps you live more joyous today.

The business of joy however, is about the present moment. It is the realization that all any of us truly has is this moment, today. And joy comes when you live into your IDEALS moment by moment. What joy looks like for everyone is different because our values and ideals are different. But, what is similar among us is that when we’re in alignment with our values and ideals, we feel joy even when everything around us can be seemingly falling apart.

Good examples of people who manifest the pillars of present moment joy even in the face of profound challenges are the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu (now deceased). Their businesses of joy have been chronicled in The Book of Joy with Douglas Abrams of Idea Architects and the Netflix documentary, Mission: Joy – Finding Happiness in Troubled Times.

I was fortunate enough to host an unrecorded event with scholars and theologians about the 8 pillars of joy outlined in the book (see below) as well as engage in conversation and Q and A with the co-author Douglas Abrams. The video that directly follows is of Doug’s presentation followed by my conversation with him. If you would like to go directly to the conversation portion, it begins at the 51:09 mark.

Many folks think that joy should come easily. But, make no mistake, JOY TAKES WORK. That works begins with knowing what your values are what they are not and having tools to get them in alignment with how you show up in the world.

Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren’t any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn’t be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life’s challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person.

R. Buckminster Fuller

The 8 pillars of joy are:

• Perspective.
• Humility.
• Humor.
• Acceptance.
• Forgiveness.
• Gratitude.
• Compassion.
• Generosity.