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Excerpts from Living Values Activities Books and
Happiness Ideas at Home for Parents of

• When there is love and peace inside, happiness automatically grows.

Build Concept: ?Talking to Myself? is an acknowledgment of the process that occurs within every individual. We all talk to ourselves with a silent voice. This is called self-talk or inner dialogue. In this unit on Happiness, this is an important aspect to think about, as self-talk can be positive or negative, encouraging or discouraging.

Discuss/share: ?Let?s talk about the things we say to ourselves.? Ask:

• What kinds of things can we say to the self to create happiness inside?
• What do you say to yourself when you give happiness through words to others?
• What happens to your emotional energy when you speak kindly to yourself?
• What happens when you give yourself a ?hard time?, when you are very critical with yourself?
• What happens to your feelings when you say, ?I?ll never be able to do it?? or ?I?ll never make it.?
• Are the feelings different when you say, ?This is a bit scary, but I?ll do my best??
• What do you say to yourself when you make a mistake?

Say, ?Notice your tone of voice when you speak to yourself. What do you say to yourself when you?re afraid that you?ll fail at something? What is the emotional effect when one calls the self ?Stupid?? It?s wonderful when people feel badly when they make a mistake because it simply means they want to do it right. But we have a lot more energy to do the right thing when we say to the self: ?Okay, I made a mistake. I?m human. I can learn from mistakes. What can I do next time so I do not repeat the mistake??
Discuss.

Then draw three columns on the board, putting the following headers at the top of the column: Situation; Discouraging; and Encouraging/ Empowering. Ask them to make three similar columns on a piece of paper. Fill out the columns with the content from the questions below.

Situation Discouraging and Encouraging/Empowering

Ask:

• Does anyone ever have difficulty starting an assignment? 
  (Write ?assignment needs to be done? under the column titled ?Situation.?)
• What are examples of thoughts students say to themselves that are discouraging in this situation?
  (Write two of the replies under the column titled ? Discouraging.?)
• What can you say to encourage yourself when it is difficult to get started on an assignment? 
  (Write a few of the replies under the column titled ? Empowering.?)
• Let?s look at a disappointing situation. Please give me an example. What are discouraging things people say to themselves? 
  (Continue to fill in the columns as described.)
• What can you say to yourself that is encouraging in this situation?
• What differences do you notice in the tone of voice that you use to yourself when you say things that are critical or discouraging as opposed to encouraging?

Activity: Instruct the class to divide in half or in small groups. Ask the students to continue to generate situations that are challenging and fill in the remaining columns with discouraging and encouraging or empowering thoughts.

Core Activity: Can We Buy Happiness?

Listen to a song that creates the feeling of happiness inside.

Discuss the following Reflection Points:

• Happiness cannot be bought, sold or bargained for.
• Happiness is earned through pure and selfless attitudes and actions.
• When one is content with the self, happiness comes automatically.

Ask:

• Do we try to buy happiness sometimes? How?
• Does it work?
• Do you think you will always be happy once you get that new thing you wanted? How long does that happiness last?
• How do you feel when you do not get something you want?
• If you feel upset, is it because you are measuring your own worth by obtaining that?
• Why is happiness temporary when sought from outside sources ? from wealth, material possessions and status?
• How can you remain happy when you do not get something you want?
• What are pure and selfless attitudes and actions?
• What kinds of thoughts and actions create lasting happiness?

Activity: Create a skit based on the discussion.

Homework: Ask the students to think about what would make this classroom a happier place.

Core Activity: Including and Excluding

Discuss:

• Quite often groups of students will form cliques. Why do you think these form?
• What are sensible reasons for having groups of friends? What are good things about cliques?
• In schools, sometimes members of one group will shun members of other groups. How do you think people feel when they are left out?
• Do you ever get left out? How do people feel when that happens?
• How can we be inclusive rather than exclusive?
• What can you do when you see that someone has been left out?

Activity: Paint or draw a picture of the colours of happiness contrasting with the colours of rejection. Or, make a collage of imagines of happiness or happiness and sorrow.

Activity: Needs and Wants

Activity: Each student is to create a list of 12 things that give him or her happiness in life. As a class, discuss the difference between needs and wants. The students can discuss their choices in groups of 3 or 4. Reduce the list to 6 items, then 3 items. Discuss it more to finally arrive at the one item on the list that gives the most happiness. The students can then write a letter of appreciation to the person connected with that item.

Science

Discuss ways in which science could contribute to the happiness of humankind.

Drama

Students can create and present a puppet show on happiness to younger students, or they can enact a script or story taking up the contrast of happiness and sorrow.

Art

Make a practical or decorative object for home that will remind you of your own inner beauty.