What Do You Think?

What Do You Think?

In the space in front of each belief statement, write SA- “Strongly Agree,” A-“Agree,” D-“Disagree,” or SD-“Strongly Disagree.”

1. ______Technology is getting in the way of our ability to communicate face to face.

2. ______Bullying is a normal part of growing up.

3. ______Marriage should be forever.

4. ______The needs of larger society are more important than the needs of the individual.

5. ______Our society is becoming more selfish.

6. ______One should always resist unfair laws, regardless of the consequences.

7. ______You can’t depend on anyone else; you can only depend on yourself.

8. ______If you smile long enough, you become happy.

9. ______Social media can be dangerous.

10. ______You should always respect your elders.

11. ______Free speech is a critical foundation in a fair society.

12. ______Miracles do happen.

13. ______Technology makes us more alone.

14. ______There is one special person for everyone.

15. ______Money can buy happiness.

16. ______Individuals can choose their own destiny; their choices are not dictated or limited by the constraints of society.

17. ______I have felt pressure to change the way I look.

18. ______Killing is wrong.

19. ______Violence on screens creates violent children.

20. ______Doing what’s right means obeying the law.

21. ______There is a great deal of misogyny in today’s popular culture.

22. ______I am only responsible for myself.

23. ______Life’s fair.

24. ______Words can hurt.

25. ______Blood is thicker than water (genetic family relationships are the most important)

26. ______Police are your friends.

27. ______What goes around comes around (karma).

28. ______How you act in a crisis shows who you really are.

29. ______Love conquers all.

30. ______I believe in an eye for an eye, the law of retaliation.

31. ______People learn from their mistakes.

Now put stars next to the five belief statements above that are most important to you (whether you agree or disagree strongly).

Associate with Values

DIRECTIONS: Read each value, and write the first thing you think of in relation to that value. This is called “free association.” This could be a person, animal, object, experience, story, example, etc. For example: Loyalty--Grandma; Flexibility--Clay; Self-Control--Mary Ingalls; Leadership--Student Council officers; Integrity--Marji’s grandma...

What’s the story?

Choose a belief that is common to all group members. Record your common belief in the space below. Then each member of the group should tell a story from their life that either shows the belief in action or explains why the storyteller believes what (s)he does. Summarize each member’s story below.

Belief Statement: ______

Story from ______

Group member name

Story from ______

Group member name

Story from ______

Group member name

Story from ______

Group member name

Be Cool to the Pizza Dude

Sarah Adams - Port Orchard, Washington

As heard on NPR's All Things Considered, May 16, 2005

If I have one operating philosophy about life it is this: “Be cool to the pizza delivery dude; it’s good luck.” Four principles guide the pizza dude philosophy.

Principle 1: Coolness to the pizza delivery dude is a practice in humility and forgiveness. I let him cut me off in traffic, let him safely hit the exit ramp from the left lane, let him forget to use his blinker without extending any of my digits out the window or towards my horn because there should be one moment in my harried life when a car may encroach or cut off or pass and I let it go. Sometimes when I have become so certain of my ownership of my lane, daring anyone to challenge me, the pizza dude speeds by me in his rusted Chevette. His pizza light atop his car glowing like a beacon reminds me to check myself as I flow through the world. After all, the dude is delivering pizza to young and old, families and singletons, gays and straights, blacks, whites and browns, rich and poor, vegetarians and meat lovers alike. As he journeys, I give safe passage, practice restraint, show courtesy, and contain my anger.

Principle 2: Coolness to the pizza delivery dude is a practice in empathy. Let’s face it: We’ve all taken jobs just to have a job because some money is better than none. I’ve held an assortment of these jobs and was grateful for the paycheck that meant I didn’t have to share my Cheerios with my cats. In the big pizza wheel of life, sometimes you’re the hot bubbly cheese and sometimes you’re the burnt crust. It’s good to remember the fickle spinning of that wheel.

Principle 3: Coolness to the pizza delivery dude is a practice in honor and it reminds me to honor honest work. Let me tell you something about these dudes: They never took over a company and, as CEO, artificially inflated the value of the stock and cashed out their own shares, bringing the company to the brink of bankruptcy, resulting in 20,000 people losing their jobs while the CEO builds a home the size of a luxury hotel. Rather, the dudes sleep the sleep of the just.

Principle 4: Coolness to the pizza delivery dude is a practice in equality. My measurement as a human being, my worth, is the pride I take in performing my job — any job — and the respect with which I treat others. I am the equal of the world not because of the car I drive, the size of the TV I own, the weight I can bench press, or the calculus equations I can solve. I am the equal to all I meet because of the kindness in my heart. And it all starts here — with the pizza delivery dude.

Tip him well, friends and brethren, for that which you bestow freely and willingly will bring you all the happy luck that a grateful universe knows how to return.

Sarah Adams has held a number of jobs in her life, including telemarketer, factory worker, hotel clerk, and flower shop cashier, but she has never delivered pizzas. Born in Connecticut and raised in Wisconsin, Adams now lives in Washington where she is an English professor at Olympic College.

Model Essay #1

Title: / Author:
Quote or summarize author’s belief:
Favorite line:
Strongest evidence to support belief (anecdote, quote, statistic, example):
What is working--how does this author make their writing stand out?
What is not working--what do you suggest they do differently to improve this piece?

Model Essay #2

Model Essay #3

Title: / Author:
Quote or summarize author’s belief:
Favorite line:
Strongest evidence to support belief (anecdote, quote, statistic, example):
What is working--how does this author make their writing stand out?
What is not working--what do you suggest they do differently to improve this piece?

Model Essay #4

Title: / Author:
Quote or summarize author’s belief:
Favorite line:
Strongest evidence to support belief (anecdote, quote, statistic, example):
What is working--how does this author make their writing stand out?
What is not working--what do you suggest they do differently to improve this piece?

Important Moments

DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions with examples of significant moments in your life--thoughtful, true, and detailed recollections of specific experiences you’ve had.

For each item, identify at least one value from page 2 that played a role in this event. These questions are not always easy to answer. Take enough time to think.

*ANSWER A MINIMUM OF TEN*

1. When did you first realize your family loves you?______

______

Connected value(s):______

2. When did you learn that it is better to tell the truth?______

______

Connected value(s):______

3. Who was the first person to make you feel invincible?______

______

Connected value(s):______

4. When did you learn that life isn’t always fair?______

______

Connected value(s):______

5. Who taught you that you can’t always get what you want?______

______

Connected value(s):______

6. When has someone tested your faith?______

______

Connected value(s):______

7. When have you been in a situation when you didn’t quite have the courage to take action in a situation when you felt you should? ______

______

Connected value(s):______

8. Did you ever have to confront someone very different from you? If so, what happened? What did you learn? ______

______

Connected value(s):______

9. Can you think of someone who has taught you a valuable lesson about life? Can you remember the exact moment when that lesson occurred? ______

______

Connected value(s):______

10. Remember a time you had a “do something” moment—a time when you realized you had to take action in order to make a change happen. ______

______

Connected value(s):______

11. As a teenager, what do you believe are the most important “rules to live by”? When did you learn those “rules,” and who taught you? ______

______

Connected value(s):______

12. When has someone made you a promise that they failed to keep? Or have you broken a promise that you made to someone else? ______

______

Connected value(s):______

13. We all tend to judge people by appearances, even though looks can be deceiving. When have you prejudged someone incorrectly based on appearances or vice versa? ______

Connected value(s):______

14. When have you done something that you regret? What did you learn from that moment?

______

Connected value(s):______

15. When have you changed your mind about something that you were previously certain about? ______

______

Connected value(s):______

My STORY—Memory Chart

DIRECTIONS: Put a star next to the five memories that are most important to you from pages 7-8 (Important Moments). Belief statements are closely linked with personal memories.

Now revisit the belief statements on page 1 (What Do You Think?). Circle a “belief statement” that you connect with, and circle a “moment” that connects in some way with that belief statement. (You may instead make up your own belief statement if you choose)

Finally, fill out the chart below with information about the moment that you circled.

1. Belief Statement: #______Important Moment: #______

______is the event I am describing.

2. It happened when I was ______.

3. Where did it happen? Describe the place ______

______

4. ______were the people involved.

5. Close your eyes and picture yourself on that day. List five adjectives that come to mind.

● ______

6. When I think back on this day, it makes me feel ______

______inside.

7. Before this event, I thought that ______

______.

8. Now, I know that ______

______.

PICTURE what you believe

DIRECTIONS: Belief is more than just saying what you think. It’s about acting in a way that supports the belief. Choose a statement from “What do you Believe?” on page 1 or create one of your own. This will probably be the one you used for the last page. Complete this chart with details to help other people understand what this belief means through your eyes.

Your Belief Statement: ______

Synonyms (words/phrases that mean that same thing as the belief statement) OR words/phrases associated with this concept.
Example: Life is fair.
● Even-steven
● You get out of it as much as you put into it.
● You get what you deserve/give. / Paint a picture with words. Describe a scene or image of the belief in action—pictures may be narrative or metaphoric/symbolic.
List and/or describe stories that show what the belief means. These may be from books, movies, your life, or the lives of others you know or do not know. / Clearing up misconceptions about this belief—i.e.,
Love conquers all does not mean that you shouldn’t give your daughter an allowance or a really nice gift for no reason at all.
Rules that govern this belief—i.e.,
To learn from your mistakes:
1. You need to know when you’ve made a mistake.
2. You need to stop all defensive impulses, etc. / A Top Five list, for example: Top Five Daily Miracles:
5. I get up every day.
4. Algebra is 1st period so by the time I wake up it’s over.
3. There’s such a thing as Fruit Loops.
2. We beat West Philadelphia in basketball.
1. Chocolate.