Mission 9: Give Compassion

Reflect On Yesterday's Mission Before moving on to your ninth mission, take a moment to reflect on yesterday’s mission. What was it like to realize that you own your feelings, and that you can learn to control them? Did your feelings about the person who you thought hurt you change after you thought about the good things in your life? Did your feelings of sadness or anger change? What might need to happen in order for you to forgive this person completely? I had a different take on this mission because I realized how much forgiveness we need to have as a society as we face the stereotypes - the negative actions of "some people" create.  Whether we like it or not somewhat begins to define our identity, who we are.  One wise freshman at Casady School stated during her facilitation of the I am Youth Lead workshop (a workshop on facing stereotypes created by teens for teens):  The stereotype does not define me.  In the same way, the hurt does not define my heart! The only way to happiness is by forgiving,.  If the hurt is so great, forgetting might be impossible - my brother by was killed in a car accident where the other driver was under the influence of drugs- that driver took away so many possibilities for my brother, his future family, my family and the role he would have played in making a difference in his community as a engineer specializing in anti-earthquake construction.  I have chosen to forgive,the driver but I cannot forget his action.  I honor the memory of my brother with his passion to serving others.  Altruism we only discovered from the mouths of those whom he helped.

Your ninth mission, Agents, is to bring comfort to those who are not feeling well. Bring comfort to kids who are not feeling well by making art to hang in the nurse’s or principal’s office. Draw some colorful pictures or decorations that will let these fellow students know that you are wishing them to get better. Then, deliver the pictures to your school nurse! Agents, remember... As you fulfill your mission, share your experiences on theCompassion Report Map! Your report inspires others, amplifying the power of your compassion and generosity! Going Deeper: Compassion is defined as the feeling that arises when you see another’s suffering and want to help relieve that suffering. Although you may just be learning about the word compassion, you have probably felt compassion before. If you see someone who is sad, hurt, or crying, you may have felt a pull within you that wanted to do something to help them, to comfort them and soothe their pain. Compassion is a central part to who we are as human beings, and the more we feel compassion and act upon it, the more we feel a greater sense of purpose, happiness, and connection in life with others. For Teachers/Parents/Mentors: Learn more about the science of compassion from our friends at the Compassion Action Network, including its physical and emotional health benefits, and ways to cultivate more compassion in ourselves and others. Spoiler! All 11 Missions are available to be viewed here. Use this sneak peak as a way to plan ahead, or to review previous or missed missions.

Youth LEAD OKC students worked all semester to fine tune their diversity leadership skills and chose to address a need to help other teens.   They created a new project:  Teens4Teens Project,

The Teens4-teens project partnered with Metro Tech Career Academy to help provide teen clothing to their homeless teens and then had an amazing, fun filled, deep thinking day that encompassed one of the most diverse groups of teens I have ever seen working together in the same room. @youthleadok#ProudProgramDirector #LoveMyJob #MyBabyIsLearningToLoveAll — with Carmen Clay and Tabitha May-Tolub.