YOUTH GOAL ACTIVITY. HAPPINESS mirror motivator and JOY goal list. Youth can memorize the Prophet Harold B. Lee’s quote “Happiness does not depend on what happens outside of you but what happens inside of you.” Then, in the journal “What I can do to find joy now …” write their goals to obtain that inner happiness.
Use for Young Women, Young Men, Seminary/Institute, family home evening, Primary, Children and Youth activities
LESSON LIFESAVER Activity
Happiness mirror motivators and goal list
OBJECTIVE: Memorize a happiness quote and record ways they can find joy now to work on.
#1 – HAPPINESS MIRROR MOTIVATOR: Help youth memorize the Harold B. Lee quote “Happiness does not depend on what happens outside of you but what happens inside of you.” Youth can post the quote on their mirror as a reminder that happiness comes from within. Talk about the outward trials and how we gain strength and joy by focusing on the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can do this three ways through, 1) prayer and scripture study, 2) keeping the commandments and 3) serving others.
Tell youth that Harold B. Lee was a Latter-day Prophet who helped establish the Church Welfare Program (see Follow the Latter-Day Prophet puzzle/match activity) found HERE.
#2 – WHAT CAN I DO NOW TO FIND JOY goal list – mirror motivator: Have youth write ways they can find joy now, and remind them to work on these in the coming weeks, e.g., “Find a need and fill it (serve).”
MUTUAL NIGHT ACTIVITIES:
THOUGHT TREAT: Hidden Smile and Frown Sandwich Cookies. Pull open 16 sandwich cookies (e.g. Oreo or vanilla cream cookies). With a butter knife, carve a smile or frown inside the frosting of each cookie (8 smiles and 8 frowns). Place top back on cookies. Have youth open cookies and name a happy choice when they open a smile cookie or, name a choice that brings unhappy feelings when they open the cookie to find a frown.
ROSE-COLORED DAY: Tell youth that “joy” in a day all depends on the way you look at things. You can look at your day with rose-colored glasses (joyful thoughts) or dark glasses (joyless thoughts). Finding joyful thoughts in any situation requires fifteen seconds of concentration. Use the first five seconds to decide you don’t want that joyless thought. Use the second five seconds to decide on a joyful approach Then, use the third five seconds to try your new joy attitude and active positively.
EXAMPLES: Joyless Thoughts: “I hate this.” “I’d rather be watching TV.” “They don’t like me.” Joyful Thoughts: “This will make my mom happy.” “It will feel good to have this clean.” “Someday I will us this in college or teach my future child.” “I will encourage and lift someone.”
“SHAPE-UP YOUR DAY” BRAINSTORM: Give youth a slip of paper with “Shape-up Your Day” written at the top. Challenge them to come up with different ways to look at their day and challenging situations; Just like a workout to obtain physical fitness we can have a plan and then workout the day’s challenged one at a time. Tell youth that they can shape their day any way they want to, if they look on the bright side. They can team up with another person to brainstorm ideas, even get together to do a DAYS MAKEOVER (reflect past days and how it may have gone better “IF” you did something different), and how to make other challenging days ahead work better.
Source YW1.6
More Lesson Ideas For the Strength of Youth – December
Jesus Christ brings joy
Your Heavenly Father is joyful. He wants you, His child, to have as much joy as possible. This is why He prepared the plan of happiness. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be your Savior and teach His gospel. The word gospel means “good news,” and the good news is that because of Jesus Christ, you can have happiness in this life and a fulness of joy for eternity.
JESUS CHRIST BRINGS JOY – SEE (bundle and more) LESSON ACTIVITIES …
ETERNAL TRUTHS:
. You are intended to have happiness and joy.
. Joy doesn’t come from your circumstances; it comes from following Jesu Christ.
. The Savior’s joy is greater and more lasting than anything else..
INVITATIONS:
. Choose joy.
. Bring joy and happiness to others.
. Be joyful in worshippint the Lord.
PROMISED BLESSINGS:
. You can feel joy even when life is hard.
. A fulness of joy awaits you in God’s celestial kingdom.
