Making friends is hard work. You have to be willing to reach out, to listen, to be honest and accepting. You have to risk being rejected; not everyone will want to be your friend. Still, a life without friends would be no life at all. As poet Edgar Guest once said, "Who would be happy, first must have a friend."
Today I’ll learn a new feelings word.
so that you could see some of my feelings. "
Its important to be able to name and describe your feelings. Then you can talk about them more clearly. You can get help understanding the ones them seems confusing to you. Gershen Kaufman and Lev Raphael suggest three ways to grow a Feelings Vocabulary;
1. Listen to other people talk about their feelings.
2. Ask for help explaining your feelings.
3. Read about feelings. (Ask a parent, teacher, or librarian to recommend a book.)
Today I’ll put off making a big decision unless it feels 100 percent right to me.
It sounds good. It looks good. It seems like a good idea. But something about it doesn’t feel right. (You could be facing a new relationship or a new experience. A Friend could be trying to talk to you into something.) You’ve tried to find out as much as you can. You’ve dug for the facts. You’ve thought about it a lot. And you’re still not sure… Trust your hunches. Listen to that little voice inside your head.
Today I’ll remember that it’s okay to cry.
Where do you go when you’re felling sad? Is there someplace you can be alone and cry if you want to? We all need to cry sometimes. Even boys. Even grown-up men. Crying is a way to let go of painful feelings. It can be good for you. Charles Dickens once wrote, "Crying opens the lungs, washes the countenance, exercises the eyes, and softens down the temper, so cry away."
Today I’ll imagine my friends as adults, just for fun.
Parents see their children as bundles of potential. They enjoy watching them learn, grow, and rial. They love their children for what they are, and for what they will become. Can you see the potential in your friends? Are they future teachers, athletes, healers, thinkers, inventors? It might be fun to share what you with them.
Today I’ll make time for something I really want to do.
Quick, what time is it? To find the answer, did you look at your watch? A clock on the wall? You clock radio, or the VCR? Counting all the clocks and watches, you probably have an amazing number of timepieces, in your house. Try this experiment some weekend with your family: Don’t wear watches, and cover the clocks. Turn off all the alarms. Afterward, talk about some of the things that happened. Talk about how you felt.
Today I won’t call anyone a hurtful name, including myself.
"Sticks and stones can break my bones but names can never hurt me…" You probably learned that rhyme as a you child. Don’t belive it. Names can hurt a lot. Children who are called "Fatty" or "Stupid" start beliving those names are true. Do you ever call yourself names? What kinds of names? Positivie or negative? Helpful or hurtful?
Today I’ll be a good sport in all areas of my life.
Its hard to be a good sport, especially when the score was close, the other team had an unfair advantage, or your team deserved to win. But being a good sport shows character and maturity. It shows that you can accept defeat gracefully. You can be a good sport in other places besides the gym or playing field. Celebrate someone else’s win, even if it meant your loss.
Today I’ll do something specific to conserve the Earth’s resources
Today is a Earth Day. What are you doing to save the Earth? Talking about it? Thinking about it? Or taking action? You can save up to nine gallons of water each time you brush your teeth if you don’t leave the water running. (Just wet and rinse your toothbrush.) Visit your library for more ideas.
Today I’ll be careful not to criticize people for who and what they are.
Criticism is a fact of life you can’t escape. But you can decide to listen or not. Ignore those people who start off, "You always…," "You never…," or "You’re a big, ugly…" They aren’t trying to help you. They’re trying to tear you down. Forget them. But pay attention to people who really care. These are the ones who might say "I feel this way about…" or "I know you’re trying hard, but…"