Do you sometimes wish you were someone else?

Episode 37 in Part 3 of our Introduction series: Getting to know others.

Habits:  Positive Attitude | Growth Mindset

Skills:  Self-confidence | Attitude

Description:  In this episode, we investigate your attitude towards you and look at how a negative attitude can lead to negative outcomes, while a positive attitude can create positive outcomes. We look at how to influence your thoughts and words so you can make them more positive, and with it become more self-confident.

 

Suggested student exercise

What are your best traits?

At one time or another, we all have thoughts of how good it might be to be someone else. But you have a unique set of skills, ways of thinking, strengths and experiences, meaning that your contribution to the world can always be valuable. So let's not focus on the negative. Let's focus on the positive.

Ask students to take some time to make themselves feel good, by listing all the great traits they have to share. 

How this lesson might be applied in the classroom

This episode focuses on supporting students attitudes toward themselves, and to life situations in general. We outline the benefits of having a positive attitude, but also cover why it can be difficult to be positive much of the time. We introduce a few ways of helping students maintain a more positive outlook on life, including:

  1. Writing down three good things that have happened to you in the last day or so – A Gratitude Journal

  2. Remembering to talk about the good, not just the bad – particularly when talking about your day

  3. Try to make positive comments about others rather than negative ones

When discussing this episode, some questions might include:

  • Do you agree that it's easier to dwell on the negative things than it is the positive? Why/Why not?

  • Why do you think negative comments stay with us longer?

  • How do you bounce back after someone says something negative to you?

  • Why do you think it's harder to remember the good things that happen to us?

  • Do you believe a positive attitude can lead to good outcomes? Why/Why not?

  • Is there anything else you need for good outcomes, or is a positive attitude enough?

  • In the middle of this video, there was a quote from Henry Ford 'Whether you think you can, or you think you can't – you're right'. Do you agree with this quote? Why/Why not?

  • How can thinking you can suddenly make you able to achieve something?

Some specific discussion points

Do you have examples of students who've had two different attitudes, who achieved two different outcomes? As always, discussion of any literary works, historical figures, celebrities or current events featuring prominent individuals offers an opportunity to discuss how attitude impacts different people/characters? 

Questions may include:

  • When you think of someone with a positive attitude, which celebrity, TV, movie or book character comes to mind first? Why them?

  • How has their attitude impacted this person in their life?

  • Has having a positive attitude led to good outcomes for this person?

  • When you think of someone with a negative attitude, which celebrity, TV, movie or book character comes to mind first? Why them?

  • How has their attitude impacted this person in their life?

  • Has having a negative attitude led to bad outcomes for this person?

  • Can you think of anyone who has a negative attitude but has good outcomes?

  • Why do you think they were still able to achieve?

  • Can you think of anyone who has a positive attitude but has bad outcomes?

  • What do you think prevented them from being able to achieve good outcomes?

Discussing the quote from this episode:

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude" — Thomas Jefferson

Possible areas of discussion may include:

  • Do you believe this quote tells the truth? Why/Why not?

  • What do you think makes up the 'right mental attitude'?

  • What do you think makes up the 'wrong mental attitude'?

  • Why do you think Jefferson said 'from achieving his goal', instead of say 'becoming a success'?

Further information on this topic

If you'd like to dive a bit deeper on this topic, you might be interested in watching:

 

Benjamin Zander – A World of Possibility

Alison Ledgerwood – Getting Stuck in The Negatives (And How to Get Unstuck)

 

Please let us know how we could improve this episode?

We're always keen to hear how our work can be improved. If you can think of anything we can do to improve either the delivery of our content, the content itself, the exercises, or our guides to how the lesson can be applied in the classroom, please let us know.