B a r b a r a s h e r I l L u s t r a t I o n s b y r a L p h

Accentuate the Positive
Being involved in the social scene at school can be a very distracting expe-
rience. It’s hard to concentrate on lessons when one is thinking of a recent
cutting remark or feeling a fear of rejection.
In this game, teens are encouraged to shift their attention and notice
positive attributes of the people around them and how these people enrich
their lives.
M
A T E R I A L S
Paper and pen
D
I R E C T I O N S
Suggest to your teen that she make a list of the people in her life and write
down beside each name a positive aspect of having that person in her life.
She may find it hard to think of the positives for some people, so maybe it’s
that they teach her a difficult lesson.
Here are some examples:
Joan: Helps me think more clearly because of her ability to analyze 
situations.
Lorraine: Makes me look closely at my actions because she is likely to
question them.
Don: Makes me feel good about myself because he adores me.
Patty: Makes me more interested in doing physical things because she
fills her life with physical activities.
W
H A T
’
S
B
E I N G
L
E A R N E D
Teens are learning that everyone has a place in their lives and that even dif-
ficult friends can be useful.
Negative thinking brings up negative feelings, whereas positive thoughts
can have a soothing effect. This game can help teens return to an easier state
of mind, and in that state it is easier to concentrate on the task at hand.
Games for Teens
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Achy Breaky Heart
There’s no way around it. Life gives everyone some very sad and difficult
moments. Whether the moments are small rejections or bouts of intense
grief, a broken heart distracts our ability to focus. Here is one activity for
dealing with hurt that my friends Cindy, Robin, and Shirley did as part of
their work with hospice. (Hospice helps the terminally ill and their families
cope with death and the dying process.)
My friends ran a weekly group with children who had experienced the
death of someone they loved. One of the activities that the children really
responded to well was Achy Breaky Heart.