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Hi! I'm Eddie the Schoolbus, and I'm going to teach you how to be happy. But first, pretend that your birthday is next week. What things are on your birthday 'wish list'? Think about the things on that list . . . why do you want them? Is it because you think they will make you happy? Hey, that's normal. Everyone does that. But happiness is a bit trickier than you might think. Bet you didn't know that there are four different types of happiness. Want to know what they are? 
Happiness Level 1. Hi, my name is Anthony! Did you learn about the five senses in science class yet? You know - see, hear, taste, touch and smell. There are a lot of things that make me happy that appeal to these senses, like eating pizza (taste!), listening to a fun CD (hear!), or running through a sprinkler when its hot outside (touch!). What’s your favorite movie? That’s a good example of something that makes you happy that you can “see.” What’s your favorite smell? Grandma’s chocolate chip cookies are mine! These things that appeal to our senses (remember – see, hear, taste, touch and smell) are called Happiness Level 1. Have you noticed what’s in common among all these kinds of things that make me happy? It's pretty easy to do (it doesn't take much skill to run through a sprinkler or watch a movie), it doesn't last very long (when the pizza is eaten, it's over), and that it's all about one person … ME! I’m at the center of it all. There's nothing wrong with this kind of happiness unless you make this the only thing you're living for. Can you think why that might cause a problem? If you need some help figuring it out, read the story of The Farmer, the Goose and the Egg.  Happiness Level 2.
Hi there, my name is Warren. My soccer team won the championship this year, and it was so much fun! You know what I mean -- think about the times you did something really well, maybe scoring the winning soccer goal, or getting an A on a test, or beating the last level on your video game, or being the popular kid in school. This type of happiness is Level 2, and it comes from things that make me feel good about myself. Level 2 is not quite as easy as Level 1 -- I need some talent and skill to play soccer well, and I really had to study hard to get that A. But it lasts for quite a while. After all, I can brag for weeks about how I slide tackled the defender, got the soccer ball past him, and scored the goal! Like Level 1, it's focused all on one person ... that's right, ME! There's nothing wrong with this kind of happiness either, unless you make this the only thing you're living for. Can you think why that might lead to trouble? If you need some help figuring it out, read the story of The Lady of Stavoren.  Happiness Level 3.
I'm Officer Sanchez and one question lots of people ask me is why I became a policeman. That's an easy question to answer -- because I want to help other people and I want to try to make the world a better place. But even though it's easy to answer, it can be difficult to do. What kind of things can you think of that you can do to help other people or make the world a better place? What about writing a letter to your Grandma, helping your mom with the dinner dishes, or cutting the grass for your next-door-neighbor? This kind of happiness can be very difficult to do. It takes a lot of time and energy, but it lasts a long time. Your next-door-neighbor will appreciate the fact that you cut her grass all through the summer and you will feel good about that. Your Grandma will look at that letter you wrote her for years. Unlike Level 1 and Level 2, Level 3 is all about OTHER people, not about me. But as good as Level 3 is, there can be problem with it too. Can you think what that might be? If you need some help figuring it out, read the story of The Happy Prince.  Happiness Level 4.
Hi. I'm Cathy. There's one more type of happiness, and I'll help you figure out what Happiness Level 4 might be. Any guesses? If you said God – you’re right! Level 4 is the highest (best) level there is – it’s the longest lasting (it lasts forever!); it requires the most from us (totally surrendering to God), and it affects EVERY other person (because God’s invitation is for everyone.) Surrendering to God means believing everything God tells us and doing everything He asks -- no compromises, no trying to wiggle out of it. In some ways, that makes it harder than all the other levels because we have to be willing to choose God over things, over ourselves, and even over other people. But the reward is God's unconditional love for all eternity. And that's real happiness. Let me tell you a great story about how much God loves you. It's called The Prodigal Son. Life Principles Lesson. Hey, it's Eddie again. Did you notice that the pictures moved when you pointed your mouse over them?Now that we’ve gone through the four levels, I want to remind you of one thing. NONE of these levels are bad. I want you to remember that. God made each of these kinds of happiness good for us to enjoy. But the lower three levels will create problems if you don’t remember to keep your focus on Level 4 --- if you don’t remember that the most important thing in life is God. If God is not the most important thing in your life, then the other three levels will end up making you UNHAPPY. If you're not sure why this is true, try reading those Stories again. Why is all this stuff on happiness important? Because the way we think about happiness is the way we will think about success, life, love, suffering, freedom and a whole lot of other things. Knowing about Happiness Level 4 will help us to know how to be really successful and free, how to love, and how to deal with unhappy times later. More on this coming soon! |