“I once read that Yiddish, a Jewish language from Eastern Europe, is the only language that has a term for taking pride in other people’s accomplishments: shepping nachas. In a world that is often competitive, how lovely to believe that being happy for others and feeling a sense of pride and joy in their accomplishments helps us be happy.
“Judaism teaches that happiness breeds more happiness. Being happy for others is both an end in itself and a means to an end. Imagine that your favorite sports team loses the game. You go to work the next day and see a friend whose team won. (In this scenario, the teams were not playing against each other.) Can you find it in yourself to glean a little bit of joy from your friend’s happiness? Can it give you a sense of possibility that maybe your team will win again? While you will never be as happy as if your team had won its game, that doesn’t mean you have no space for happiness at all. Other people’s happiness and accomplishments can buoy us. Happiness is like a candle. You can use it to light another candle without diminishing any of your own light.”
