Last week, the man behind the funniest character on "The Office" came to my school, Miami University. Tickets were snatched up, everyone standing by the "I love watching 'The Office'!" statement that we put in our posts when we were looking for a roommate. But most of us didn't know much about Rainn beyond his iconic portrayal of a paper salesman. He talked about his media company, life, and search for joy, leaving us all happy not because we saw someone famous and hilarious, but inspiring and witty.
And between subtle "Office" references and jokes, he shared some lessons that a crowd of college students really needed.
1. Gratitude should be a go-to to boost your mood.
He made us all spend a minute writing out a note to someone we are grateful for and asked us to call that person to deliver the message. Rainn shared videos from his media platform SoulPancake that highlighted the immediate happiness of showing gratitude by doing exactly what we were instructed to do. Each person in the study left happier than they came. So on days when you are really down, consider that doing a kind thing for someone important to you or letting someone know you appreciate them might actually be the thing to boost your mood.
2. "Do what makes you feel alive."
Yes, this may sound like a cliche, inspirational phrase that would be posted on Pinterest with a mountainous sunset background. But Rainn spoke about how although he worked as an actor and followed all the steps we are told will make us happy, he was still feeling dissatisfied. This resonates with an audience of college students that don't always know what they want to do and need affirmation that doing what we want is the right thing.
3. You won't get joy from where you might expect it.
Having dedicated his career to trying to make people happy and make himself happy, he persuaded us that happiness is not always in the obvious places. He talked about a professor who asked his students to spend a weekend making themselves happy and then the next making others happy. The students had a greater jump in happiness after making others happy. Rainn encouraged us to question what we are taught, to be grateful, and to make a positive impact in whatever way we can. That can be advocating for a cause important to you, or, I think, being a volunteer sheriff's deputy like Dwight Schrute.
4. We should all make an effort to reach out to others.
Rainn instructed us all to spend a minute on our phones, then spend a minute talking to someone we didn't know near us. My phone wouldn't load in the crowded hall, but the girl next to me was named Anna. She had lived in a bad dorm her freshman year and didn't like the dining hall on the north end of campus. That minute was a lot more interesting than checking the email alerts I get from Canvas. I think we could all try to take small opportunities to get to know the people around us.
Rainn Wilson talked about how we are all having a shared human experience, and "The Office" is part of that human experience, in a way. So it's not a bad thing to try to find things in common with others through shows that we like, or that I have two laptop stickers of Michael Scott alone. Though not all of these are new ideas, when shared by an icon that has an incredibly interesting background that includes having been an employee at Dunder Mifflin, I will listen.
Going to the cinema alone is good for your mental health, says science
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