It can be tempting to hide a painful past and pretend like it does not exist. However, fighting your history in this past will deplete your energy. Instead, start by forgiving yourself rather than judging yourself consciously or subconsciously.  Try saying something to yourself like: “I know I haven’t lived up to who I want to be because of X. I acknowledge that and want to focus on moving forward.” Give yourself time to heal. Instead of telling yourself, “My heart will never heal,” tell yourself, “All pain dulls and passes with time.” You may never completely get over some things, such as the loss of a loved one or the pain of betrayal, but as long as you accept the idea that you are allowed to move on, some level of healing can still occur. Oftentimes, just getting something off of your chest provides the relief you need to start moving forward. If you have hurt someone, been a victim in some way, done something you regret or are ashamed of, or are grappling with some other sort of pain, talk about it with a trusted friend, counselor, or spiritual advisor. Hurting others can cause one to feel guilty or ashamed. Taking the time to apologize to someone you have hurt acknowledges their pain and provides an opportunity to relieve your own. Be sincere and specific when you apologize to others, and offer to correct the situation.  For instance, if you have lashed out at your partner, take the time to say something like “I know that I hurt you when I did/said X. It was wrong of me, you did not deserve it, and I am sincerely sorry. How can I make things better?” Having unfinished business, owing debts, and other kinds of situations can be heavy emotional baggage. If you want to clear your conscience, let go of the past, and move forward, you will have to make amends.  If you have financial problems caused by lingering debts, unpaid bills, or other issues, seek help from a financial planner. It can be scary or embarrassing to take the first step, but you will feel better once you do. If you hurt someone long ago and it is still on your mind, contact the person and attempt to make amends. If you want to avoid further confrontation, you may even feel better by anonymously repairing damages. For instance, if you stole money from someone, send it back to them in an unmarked envelope. No one succeeds at everything all of the time.  If your past has created some sort of fear about a certain circumstance or part of life, actively work on confronting that fear and beating it back. Remind yourself that even when you have failed, you can learn from the experience and use the knowledge in the future.
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One-sentence summary -- Forgive yourself. Confess. Apologize. Repair damages. Don’t fear failure.

Q: You can take the same actions at work or school that you'd take at home to reduce water pollution. Look into the policies at your workplace or school and find out if there are changes you could help to facilitate to create a pollution-free environment. Getting classmates, teachers, and coworkers involved is a great way to educate others and make a difference.  For example, you could recommend that your office or school switch to eco-friendly cleaning supplies, and make suggestions as to which ones work well. You could also put up signs reminding people to conserve water in the bathroom and kitchen areas.  This could include reminders never to leave a sink running longer than necessary and encouraging the men or boys to use urinals rather than toilet stalls. If you live near a local body of water, there's a lot you can do to help reduce pollution there. See if there's a group working to clean up local beaches, lakes, rivers or oceans. Many cities host clean-up days during which volunteers can come help clean up trash to purify local waterways. If you can't find a local group working to reduce water pollution in your area, you might be just the person to start one! Consider hosting a cleanup day. Set a date, publicize the event, and have a plan in place for collecting and disposing of the trash. Corporations that allow industrial waste to seep into waterways are the biggest culprits when it comes to water pollution. There are regulations in place to prevent this from occurring, but it's still a common occurrence. Find out if there's a certain factory or energy plant in your area responsible for polluting local waterways, and speak up about the problem.  Learn about local and national laws against water pollution and join up with groups working to protect water in your area.  Voting for political candidates who strive to protect waterways is a great way to do your part to reduce pollution.
A: Get involved at school and work. Help clean up litter in water-filled areas. Speak up about water issues that affect your community.

Article: One of the main principles of raja yoga is non-violence. Since the consumption of meat involves the death of an animal, yogis typically become vegetarians. The further you advance in your practice, the more interested you may become in giving up meat.  Raja yoga includes eight steps toward enlightenment, the first of which is self-control. Nonviolence is part of this first step, which means without becoming a vegetarian you ultimately will not achieve enlightenment. However, not everyone wishes to progress that far with their practice. Keep in mind that you do not have to become a vegetarian to meditate, or to gain benefit from a daily meditation practice. This is a decision you must come to on your own, in your own time. You certainly don't have to give away everything you own to benefit from meditation. But as you progress in raja yoga, you probably will find that you have less and less attachment to material possessions.  The principle of non-accumulation of material belongings also is included in the first step on the raja yoga path to enlightenment. The essence of this principle is to acquire only those things that you need to live. So, for example, if you live alone, there is no need to have a full set of dishes – you only need one plate, one spoon, one glass, and one set of silverware. Non-accumulation applies to people as well. Yogis do not hold onto others or foist their own beliefs and expectations on others, but rather allow them the freedom to be their own people and follow their own paths. Yogis who follow raja yoga believe that sex should only be for procreation. If you are not procreating, or attempting to procreate, you should abstain from sex if you want to reach a state of enlightenment. This yogic principle of purity goes beyond merely sexual abstinence, however. It also means you live a life of complete purity, with your thoughts turned always toward God. If you aspire to follow the raja yoga path, it is your responsibility to understand the principles and ideas upon which it is founded. The traditional texts can assist you on your meditative journey.  Key books to read include the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Keep in mind that you don't have to believe everything in these books, or in other yogic teachings, to benefit from a meditative practice. Hold what you want and don't worry about the rest, but keep your mind open. As you continue to meditate, you might find yourself going back to those teachings and finding something new in them. Letting go of the idea of being stylish or following trends is part of embracing non-attachment to material possessions. Clothing ideally should be made of natural fibers, to comport with the yogic principle of purity.  Light-colored clothing typically is the least distracting, and is often favored by raja yoga practitioners. Avoid synthetic fabrics, since these are impure. You also should try to avoid brightly colored clothing or clothing with loud patterns that is designed to get attention. Stay away from clothing or shoes made from leather or fur, as these require the death of an animal.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Become a vegetarian. Give away your belongings. Practice sexual abstinence. Study yoga philosophy. Wear simple, modest clothing.