BOOM79 and Shiva: Keeping Perspective When Excitement Rises

Good news arrives, chairs move closer, and suddenly everyone is talking at once. A happy moment seems to open an entirely new future. We volunteer for more than we intended, speak more loudly than usual and feel certain that tomorrow will carry the same energy. In this reflection on BOOM79, we at Ishta Mel turn towards Shiva to consider that expanding feeling. How can we enjoy excitement while keeping our judgments proportionate? The task is to give happiness enough room to be felt and enough shape to remain considerate.

Notice what the moment makes larger

Excitement can enlarge a real achievement in our imagination. Completing one difficult challenge begins to feel like proof that every difficult challenge will now be easy. A warm response from friends can feel like agreement with every idea we put forward. The present event is real, but some of the future we attach to it is still untested. Recognising that distinction helps us keep the pleasure without making our plans depend on an exaggerated conclusion.

We can ask two short questions: what happened, and what are we adding to it? Perhaps we finished a task that had troubled us for a week. That deserves satisfaction. The added story may be that we will now finish five similar tasks in one evening. Separating the event from the story gives each its proper weight. We can celebrate the work completed and examine the next workload when we know more about it.

Shiva gives our devotional reflection a centre of steadiness. We seek the capacity to remain aware of the whole moment, including the people beside us and the limits that have not disappeared. This can become an inward prayer for proportion: may joy sharpen our gratitude, and may enthusiasm leave room for clear understanding. We carry that intention into what we say next.

Choose an expression that fits the occasion

Imagine a group celebrating the completion of a demanding quiz round. One member wants to call more friends immediately; another proposes extending the evening; a third begins recording everyone. These are different actions, with different effects. The shared happiness does not settle whether people have time, want to appear in a recording or are ready for a larger gathering. Excitement can be communal while choices about participation remain individual.

A considerate expression might be to congratulate the group, ask before taking a photograph and enjoy the time already available. We can be lively without assuming that everyone wants the occasion to keep growing. For a reader reflecting on BOOM79, this is a useful question to carry into any animated conversation: does our way of expressing enthusiasm leave other people comfortable enough to choose? Their quieter response may reflect tiredness, temperament or another responsibility.

Volume also carries the moment beyond the people who share it. A corridor, balcony or common room may bring neighbours into our celebration without asking them. Noticing the setting allows us to adjust naturally. We can move inside, lower our voices or choose a shorter celebration. These actions give our happiness a place among other people's lives. Courtesy helps a good moment remain pleasant in memory.

Give new promises a later decision point

The sentence “We should do this every weekend” can feel effortless during a joyful gathering. It becomes a different proposition when calendars, travel and existing commitments enter the picture. We can let an idea be an idea before turning it into a promise. “This was enjoyable; let us check our schedules tomorrow” preserves enthusiasm while making room for the information a real commitment needs.

A useful distinction is between expressing a wish and accepting responsibility. “I would enjoy another meeting” shares a feeling. “I will organise the next four meetings” creates work on which others may rely. When excitement rises, we should listen for the moment our words cross that line. If we have already crossed it too quickly, we can clarify before the group starts depending on an arrangement we have not considered.

The later decision point should be definite enough to matter. Otherwise, postponement can become an empty phrase. We can agree to discuss the proposal the following afternoon, when the relevant people have checked their availability. This gives the idea a fair hearing. A worthwhile plan can survive being considered with a fuller view of the week.

Keep other people visible

Excitement sometimes narrows our attention to those who are equally enthusiastic. We may interrupt the quiet person, overlook someone who contributed earlier or turn friendly teasing into a performance for the room. Recovering perspective includes noticing who has become less able to speak. We can stop talking long enough to hear them, acknowledge a contribution specifically or let someone leave without making them defend their departure.

We can also watch the language of comparison. Enjoying our own success does not require describing someone else as hopeless. A group can become carried away by a joke that grows harsher each time it is repeated. We can redirect attention towards what went well: the preparation, the thoughtful answer or the cooperation. This gives the celebration substance while preserving the dignity of people outside its centre.

Let the moment settle into memory

Excitement naturally changes in intensity. When the gathering ends, the quieter feeling that follows need not be treated as a problem demanding another burst. We can allow a good experience to become a memory. A brief message of thanks or putting away the shared materials can give the occasion a satisfying close. Completion makes room for the rest of the day without diminishing what was enjoyable.

Returning to BOOM79 in this devotional reflection, we can judge our self-command by the shape our enthusiasm takes. Did our words remain dependable? Did others retain their freedom to join, decline or rest? Did one pleasant event receive the meaning it deserved? These questions help us appreciate joy with accuracy.

At Ishta Mel, we ask Shiva for steadiness generous enough to include happiness. We want to laugh wholeheartedly, recognise what is good and remain awake to the room around us. When excitement has passed, we can then look back with uncomplicated pleasure: we enjoyed the moment, treated people well and left tomorrow enough space to be itself.