Fall: Week 6 - Scenarios

I am sorry about cancelling class today. I was really looking forward to a cool activity I wanted to do with you. We had some things come up so I am going to ask you to do this activity at home and we will discuss it online and in class next week.

I was going to break you up into 3 groups and give each group different scenarios of unhappy people. Your challenge was going to be to find a principle that you have learned from any of your readings and experiences that would help the person in that scenario.

It might actually work better to do this at home because it will give you some more time to go through your notes and readings to remind yourself of the happiness principles you have discovered.

I will write the scenarios below. Again, your challenge is to find a principle that would help the person in that scenario. If you can reference where you learned that principle (scripture, reading, experience) that would be best.

Here are this week's inspirements:

1. Do the scenario worksheet below (I will also email these) and bring them to class.
2. Write one of your favorite quotes from conference below.
3. Rewrite your Process Paper after I give you feedback and put it on the discussion blog (I am happy to offer additional feedback if you'd like before you post it). If you need another invite to the discussion blog, let Cassia know: spicedoodle@gmail.com
*Note: Make sure you have evidence to back up your opinion when you rewrite your Process Paper. This doesn't have to be scientific evidence (though it can be), it can also be evidence from your own experience or the experience of others you have read about. Words of prophets or wise men are also evidence, but make sure you share your personal experience of living what they teach so you can add an additional witness of the truthfulness of their words. If you don't have personal experience of what you are writing  - apply what you are preaching this week so you can share your witness of it's truth.
4. Make comments on at least 5 other people's papers on the discussion blog before Friday.
5. After conference, refine your goals if needed and the way you want to track them. Bring your ideas to class.
6. If you have time this week, read the biography you chose. This will need to be read in two weeks.

Scenario Worksheet:

Your challenge:

Look for the happiness principles that would help you go through each of these situations with a joyful heart. Look for principles you have learned in your reading, discussions and notes. Another way to think of this is think of what advice you would give someone who was struggling with these situations.  As you discover or remember a principle you know to be true, write it down on a page you title “Happiness Principles”.

Last of all, write your own scenario in which you struggle to find happiness and look for a principle you can apply to your life that will help you live more after the manner of happiness. Write it down and work on it for the next few weeks.  

Scenarios:

You wake up determined to have the Spirit with you that day. You read your scriptures, say your prayers and are ready to go and do some good in the world. Then you leave your room and you remember an assignment due that day that your forgot to the night before, you realize it is your day to do the dishes and they are stacked up really high, you begin to feel really stressed and your siblings run into the room fighting. You yell at them to be quiet and then realize that you already failed in your determination to have the Spirit with you all that day.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You wake up and step in bowl filled with milk and cereal that was left on the floor by a sibling, you clean that up and go upstairs to find a list of chores your mom wants you to redo because they were not done to her standard. Then you go to seminary and everyone ignores you, even when you tried to start a conversation. You get home and you find that the paper you took 3 hours to write was not saved and someone cleared it off the computer.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You have worked hard to get into a prestigious school. You have done all you could to prepare and you think your chances are pretty good. You receive a denial letter.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You feel a deep gloom settling over your life for the last few days and you can’t seem to snap out of it. You have tried service, prayer and reading your scriptures, and while those things help you mentally know that things will be okay – you can’t shake the feeling of sadness, gloom and lack of motivation that are pushing on you.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You learn that a close friend has passed away. You know you will see them again, but you feel a deep sense of loss for the companionship you have lost in this mortal life.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You make a list of righteous goals and are excited for the challenge of improving yourself. You work hard on them the first day, you struggle with them the next day, by the 3^rd day you realize you are too weak to be the kind of person you long to be.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You hear some people talk about things they don’t like about you when they don’t know you are listening.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You are working hard all day long, but don’t seem to be happy. You wonder why, despite your diligence to do so much, you find yourself stressed and unhappy much of the time.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You notice that when you are pleased with your performance you feel good about life, but when you don’t like how you did on a certain assignment or how you behaved in a situation, you feel really miserable.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You worry about your finances a lot and don’t know how you will pay for the important things you need money for.  All of the jobs you have applied for and opportunities you have pursued haven’t yet worked out.

Happiness Principle to Apply_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________