I can come back. I was met by a bunch of people who were pleased to see me. When I left, they said, "Come back!" That experience of welcome gives me a strong connection with these new friends. It will be worth coming back.

I can leave my stuff here. My (drawings, chess game, guitar) will be safe here. When I come back, I can pick up where I left off. I have a place, some territory, the beginnings of a sense of belonging.

This can happen again. I can come back (tomorrow, next week) if I want to. I know that nice things don’t just happen by chance and that other people don’t just choose to be nice.

This is not finished. The (task, chat) takes time and can be finished some time in the future. I can move beyond wanting things now – to wait for something and enjoy the anticipation.

I see the person up ahead of me. In this program, I am inspired and drawn forward by the tangible and reachable role models of my peers, who are kept in my sight as they progress. People who excel nationally and internationally are too often swept away by the media into high-earning stardom – too remote for me.

I am getting better at this. In company (and comparison) with others, I am gaining involvement, knowledge, and mastery of some pursuit. My new activity or skill (chess, one-on-one basketball) is going somewhere – and this also says something hopeful about other things I might undertake.

I get to make choices. When confronted with some alternatives (I could do it this way or that way; I could do it here or there), I can take responsibility for my own thinking and motivation.

I can do this myself. I am reaching the point where I don’t have to depend on others in order to do things. I may start feeling limited by the "entry level" activities initially offered. I want to move on.

Next time, I (we) can win. I see the relationship between my effort and my success. Mastery becomes a seeking of excellence. Our team can win the next game – through a combination of belonging, new skills, teamwork, effort, and achievement.

My new skills are portable. They are not skills that work only here at the (club, program, school). They are life skills, which give me a ticket to ride in my own community, my own social circle, wherever.

I am offered destinations. By meeting people and reading, by joining leagues and associations, I learn of the ultimate possibilities. With my (gymnasium, tennis) skills, I can aim at a club championship for my age group – or the Olympics!