Happy People Outperform Unhappy People

Happy People Outperform Unhappy People

“Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”- Abraham Lincoln

I guess I started getting excited in my sleep because I tossed and turned all night. The alarm buzzed, and I woke to a crisp autumn morning. I scrambled around in the dark to make sure I packed all of my “gold” gear. I needed my gold gear because I am the proverbial captain of the Gold Team. When I strutted into my usual convenience store; I received unusual stares because of my shiny, gold sneakers. It’s Ok because I broke the ice with a smile.

This school day was different because it was the day of the Annual Renaissance Blue/Gold Basketball Game. When I pulled up in the parking lot, I immediately saw an announcement pasted to the window. When I walked in the door, posters exploded from the walls announcing the event or bragging about favorite teams. As the students arrived, they were decorated with blue and/or gold colors. The principal (me) had on his gold lamé suit to let everyone know his team loyalty.

The game is just that: a game but the event is much more. We have staffulty (faculty and staff) on each team and students on each team: a blue team and a gold team. Although the excitement revolves around an athletic event, the real purpose is much larger.  The connections we make are priceless. If anyone wants to know what school spirit looks like, they should experience this event. Students, staffulty, parents, alumni and community members truly make this event one of our paramount school evenings.  

Right before the game started, I looked at the packed bleachers. The crowd overflowed into the doorways and the sidelines. I absorbed that moment as I stared at every person across the gymnasium. I spoke to my colleagues sitting next to me: “No one can take this moment from us. Look what we created.” They knew what I knew. A game that started as a friendly competition fifteen years ago between students and staffulty has now turned into a “we” event. It’s not us versus them. It is a true display of the abundance mentality.

It is just as important to connect staffulty and parents as it is to connect students and parents, staffulty and students. Happy people outperform unhappy people. I can tell you that every person in that gymnasium felt connected in some way. Every shot attempt was cheered by both teams.

I was caught up in the enthusiasm. The parts of the game I enjoyed the most are when students excel in a moment they will never forget. Most people never get to play to a packed house. This is a time for them to enjoy a truly great moment. Every student, every person should have that chance to feel like a rock star!

These same happy people filled the school the next day. Our building still buzzed through to the next week. And yes, those happy people surely outperformed those unhappy people. That’s something I will never forget.