b'What thoughts do you tell yourself? he asked.Tim Massaquoi, therapist andNo matter what your situation is at home or atformer NFL playerschool, make sure you are telling yourself, Im good. Im smart. Im talented. Im capable. YourWhen it comes thoughts really impact how you feel and yourto making new behavior. friends, even an If you have negative thoughts, such as thinkingNFL football player you cant do something, its important to tellcan face challeng-yourself that those thoughts are not true. Itses.important to go back to your positive thoughts.Tim Massaquoi Remind yourself that you are smart and capable.played for three And, he added, if you dont know how to han- NFL teams as a dle a challenge, ask for help and support from atight end, and each friend, family member, teacher, or another trust- time he joined a new squad, he didnt know ed adult. anyone in the locker room. He gradually You should tell yourself, he said, I can accom- became friends with the teams other tight plish whatever I want to if I put my mind to it. ends and new players. It was more difficultBy DePaul Healthy Trailblazer Journal 8B staffto get to know the veteran players. The DePaul Catholic School They already had their own friends, he said. I think one of the hard things, as far as making friends, is putting yourself out there, said Mr. Massaquoi, who retired from the NFL in 2010 and is now a thera-Ive learned thatpist in Philadelphia. Introducing yourself to if you want to beSophiasomebody can be scary because theres a healed, you have toLeon fear of rejection.allow people to helpseventh Looking back, he said he developed an you. grade interest in therapy when he was 17 while mentoring a boy with behavior issues. Through their work together, the boy com-Catholic Partnershippletely changed how he approached being Schools Healthya student. Thats when my journey really Courier started, said Mr. Massaquoi, who is the 12'