Activity 1
Recognizing My Character Traits
Pass out the blank paper and pens or pencils. Then say: We all have a number of character traits. Let’s take a moment now to figure out what yours are. (Let the participants know that they will not have to share their paper with anyone.) Here’s how: I want you to think of yourself as a product and your name as your own private brand. It sounds really weird, but it will help you recognize your character traits. Your name—your brand—is the image you present to different people. A brand is the trademark or distinctive name that identifies a product, a manufacturer, or an idea.
Write your name on a piece of paper. This is your brand name, just as “McDonald’s” is the brand name of a particular fast-food chain, and “Nike” is the brand name of a particular kind of athletic gear. And just like “McDonald’s” and “Nike” suggest certain qualities to consumers, your name suggests certain qualities to those who know you.
Make an equal sign after your name, and think of the qualities this “brand name” suggests to your friends, family, and teachers or other adults. You may want to make a few different lists if you think your friends, family, and teachers see you in different ways. Do you think they consider you easy- going? Funny? Intelligent? Shy? Adventurous? Stubborn? Imaginative? A good listener? Quick- tempered or slow to anger? Careful or clumsy? Talkative or quiet? Patient? Ambitious? Someone who is honest and fair? The answers to these questions reveal many of your character traits.
You also have some character traits that other people, even people who are close to you, can’t always see.
Give Explorers a few minutes to complete this part of the exercise.
Then say: Take a moment now to think about what makes you feel good, deep inside. We all like to feel good about ourselves, and we tend to act in a way that makes us feel good. But what makes me feel pleased with myself may not be what makes you feel good. Everyone wants to love and be loved; beyond that, we have different motives for acting the way we do. Some of us do things because we want to be well-known and admired. Some of us do things because we like to help others. Think about why you do things. What makes you feel good about yourself: Is it creating something original, such as a picture or a song or a recipe? Is it figuring out how to do a complicated project? Is it challenging yourself physically, such as running a race, or intellectually, such as learning a computer game or reading a book? Is it competing against others and winning? Is it doing what your religion teaches? Or helping to right a wrong or to make your community a better place?
Perhaps you have several of these motives or some others altogether. Write down what you do that makes you feel good about yourself, and why you do it. These inner motives are important character traits too.