Four Kinds of Happiness Worksheet
Lesson 19 Faith & Life Study
Name:
Date:
The Four Kinds of Happiness
God put a desire for happiness inside each of us! Some kinds of happiness fade quickly, but others fill our hearts and last forever.
1. Pleasure
Treats & fun things; fades quickly
2. Comparative
Winning & being best; can bring envy
3. Contributive
Helping others; brings deep joy
4. Spiritual
God's love; lasts forever
The Second Kind of Desire: Comparative
Sometimes we all want to be better than others. We naturally compare ourselves to classmates or teammates. We wonder: "Who is more popular? Who is faster? Who got the higher grade? Who is winning and who is losing?"
Winning a sports game, making the team, or earning high marks are wonderful things. But they can never make us completely happy. Soon, someone more talented comes along, or the prize is forgotten. If our happiness depends only on winning, we get trapped in a comparison game that leads to jealousy and disappointment.
The Third Kind of Desire: Contributive
We also have a deep desire to help people and make our world a better place. Doing something kind makes our hearts truly glad. This happiness does not vanish in a few minutes. It does not leave us feeling empty like the first two kinds can.
When we serve others, we grow in empathy. Empathy is the special ability to understand what someone else is feeling and see things from their shoes. Empathy moves our eyes away from ourselves and places our attention on caring for others.
St. Teresa
Photo & Life: St. Teresa of Calcutta (1985)
Mother Teresa spent her whole life caring for the poor and sick on the streets of India. She showed the world that true joy comes from giving love without expecting anything in return.
The Four Kinds of Happiness Page 1
Lesson 19
The Four Kinds of Happiness
Continued Reading & Reflection
Following Our Conscience & The Golden Rule
This kind of happiness asks us to follow our conscience. God gave our conscience as a holy gift to help us know right from wrong. It is God's gentle voice in our hearts helping us choose good and turn away from evil. When we live with empathy, we treat everyone with kindness and follow Jesus' Golden Rule:
"Do to others whatever you would have them do to you." (Matthew 7:12)
The Fourth Kind of Desire: Spiritual
Even when we help others, we still desire something more. We all long for perfect love, total truth, goodness, and feeling completely at home. These desires call us beyond this world—they are a desire for God Himself. Jesus founded the Church so we could be in a loving relationship with Him. The only way to fulfill this deepest longing is to open our hearts to God's love and mercy. Only God can make us perfectly happy!
1
How do we know that not all feelings of happiness are equal?
2
If the third and fourth kinds of happiness are greater and last longer, why don't we always focus on these kinds of happiness?
The Four Kinds of Happiness Page 2
Lesson 19
The Four Kinds of Happiness
Student Reflection Questions
Use what you have learned to answer the questions in complete sentences. Think deeply about your own choices and heart.
3
Why is the happiness that comes from serving other and contributing to the world around us and from growing in relationship with God worth it, even if that happiness takes more work and may not be felt right away?
4
Based on what you have learned, which of the four kinds of happiness do you mostly seek in your life? Why?
5
In what ways have you recognized God's calling in your own life?
The Four Kinds of Happiness Page 3