Currently serving as the Socialization skills curriculum provider at the Detroit Impact Center located in Detroit Michigan, I had the opportunity to dialogue with my group of outstanding young adults on the content of pure and true happiness. I kicked the session of by providing post cards for everyone. They were instructed to list one good thing that had taken place in their lifetime.
I of course to break the ice volunteered to go first. I went on to tell them the story of my roller skates and how I skated on eight wheels up and down the street in the middle of the snow in Gary, Indiana. At that time I was only nine years old. The skates were provided to me by my father and they had meant the world to me.
Our dialogue in regards to happiness today was truly amazing! Two of the young men mentioned that the birth of their children was truly their happiest moments in their life’s. One young lady mentioned that turning 13 was very happy and awesome experience. Another young lady mentioned that her grandmother coming home from the hospital was her happiest moment ever.
Shortly afterwards, we immediately begin working on the second activity for the day. The directions were to turn the same post card over and list one thing they had done for someone else to make that individual happy. I explained to my group that conducting something good for someone else does not necessarily involve the spending of money. For example, smiling at someone with a dismissal look upon their face or providing words of encouragement are just two great ways to make someone else happy.
During our debrief session at the end, we had all come to discover that some of my students had done wonderful things for other individuals to make them happy. Allowing individuals to move in their homes and the providing of clothing were just a few of the actions these youngsters had taken to make someone else happy. It turns out that some of my students who had provided these acts of kindness found themselves being betrayed in the long run. The individuals they had shown acts of kindness to not only underappreciated it, some of them even today refuse to acknowledge them at all. Simply, some of my young adults wanted to know if providing acts of kindness were worth it in the long run just to make someone else happy.
I explained to them that acts of kindness whether reciprocated back from those same individuals or not could never hurt and were truly worth the act. In addition, I explained to them all that just because they selected to provided a good deed for someone does not necessarily mean that a good deed will be reciprocated to them immediately. In the end we all agreed that actions applied to make someone else happy for today in the long run would be returned to you when you least expect it.
Our topic or social dynamic of discussion for next week is “Disappointments in life. Until then, I will keep you posted.
Adra Young
Author of: The Everyday Living of Children & Teens Monologue Series
Curriculum & Socialization Skills Provider for: The Detroit Impact Center
