To encourage children and adolescents to find something meaningful to put at the center of their lives to overcome suffering and depression.
Keeping positive messages front and center gives us something to focus on to create success in our lives.
• Ask the child, “What is the one word that best describes you?” Answers could include “artist,” “peacekeeper,” “leader,” “comedian,” “computer whiz,” and so on.
• Help the child or adolescent come up with a word that best describes a positive attribute that he or she has.
• Give the child or adolescent a piece of paper and have him or her draw, color, paint, and/or decorate that word so it is big and bold.
• Make five copies of this paper and send them home with the child or adolescent to hang in the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and so on, so that he or she sees this message multiple times a day.
Use the attribute list on page 89 to stimulate the conversation.