INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If your self-talk is overly negative, it can lead to low self-esteem,  depression, or anxiety. Tackle the unhelpful thoughts you have by looking for evidence to support or oppose these thoughts. For instance, you might think “I’m a loser.” You might seek out evidence for or against this thought. Is this a factual thought? Are you jumping to conclusions? If you have any positive relationships in your life, that automatically discounts the notion that you’re a loser. Sometimes, learned helplessness develops because you refuse to see that there are various explanations for life events. By looking for alternative explanations you will feel more empowered to change your situation. You might improve your mood, too. Let’s say, you were passed up for a promotion at work. You might immediately think, “my boss doesn’t like me.” Take a step back, however, and try to see it another way. Perhaps the other person was simply more qualified. Or, maybe your boss passed you up because you don’t seem ambitious about being promoted. If you suffer from learned helplessness, you may not give yourself credit for your successes. Yet, you probably blame yourself for all your failures. Learn to reframe negative events by changing your attributions to effort-based contributions instead of fixed personality traits. Instead of saying “I’m stupid because I screwed up the report” say “I could have tried harder. Next time, I will.” This allows you to base your successes on effort—which can always be enhanced—versus stable traits like stupidity. . Generally, people with learned helplessness struggle with poor self-esteem. You may not recognize the power you have in your own life. You see yourself as a puppet when really you are the puppeteer. You must identify your strengths and believe in your potential. Write out a list of positive characteristics about yourself. Dig deep, using both minor and major traits. These might include “I am financially savvy” or “I am good with details.” Keep this list within reach whenever you start to doubt your worthiness. Transforming from a helpless outlook to an empowered one is a challenge. The process is only complicated by depression, anxiety, abandonment issues, a history of abuse or extremely  low self-esteem. If you are having trouble replacing your old beliefs, you may need to see a trained professional. Locate a  therapist in your community who works with people with learned helplessness. Or, explain your circumstances to your primary care physician and ask for a referral.

SUMMARY: Perform reality testing against negative self-talk. Try to find alternative explanations for your beliefs. Reframe negative events to focus on effort, not fixed traits.  See yourself as worthy Get help from a therapist.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: The spiral pattern is a classic tie dye look. The basic spiral collects all your fabric together into a single coil. Using this method of tying, you'll create a design with your design that corkscrews out from the middle point of your spiral. But before you do, make sure the surface is clean! If you are working on a commonly used surface, like a table you eat meals at, leftover food or oil can get on your fabric and ruin your consistency of the pattern made by your dye.  Crumbs wound in your fabric could create light spots in your dye or flecks of white. Take a damp cloth and wipe off your surface before laying your fabric on it. You may want to protect the surface on which you are working by laying down a dye resistant mat or disposable cover to work on. Some common options include cardboard, plastic, and tarps. You only want to gather a very small amount of fabric between your fingers at this point. The fabric you grasp in your fingers will form the center point of your fabric. Gathering too much fabric can lead to a large, blob-like center of your spiral. Keep your spiral as tight and flat as possible. To help create a regular spiral, you should flatten your fabric against your surface with each full twist of your hand. As you continue to twist, the fabric should begin to form a spiral shape. You may want to use a tool to help you coil your fabric to give you the tightest spiral possible. A tighter spiral will result in more coils in the pattern, making it more elaborate. Some tools you might use to wind your spiral include a blunt fork or the eraser end of a sturdy pencil. Bring the loose end of your spiral and hold it to the main coiled part with the free hand you aren't using to twist the fabric. Pull the outside end of your coil tightly so that your spiral is wound as tightly as possible. Continuing to hold your spiral together with one hand, use your other hand to slide several large rubber bands around the fabric. You'll want to position them so that they cross at the center of the bundle, stretching from one end of the coil to the opposite side. Start with four rubber bands and increase the number as you find necessary. Larger pieces of fabric, fabric wound especially tight, or thicker fabric might need more rubber bands to maintain the spiral.
Summary: Make a basic spiral. Spread your material out on a flat surface. Pinch the center of the fabric with your thumb and two fingers. Twist the fabric while holding it down with your fingers. Close your spiral with your free hand. Band your spiral together.

The best time to throw a St. Lucia Day party is immediately after a procession, but if there is no procession in your area, just schedule it for the evening of December 13th. You can host a party in your home, a restaurant, a church, or your local Swedish cultural association--it’s up to you and your budget! If you are outside Sweden, it would be appropriate to invite members of the local Swedish community, especially if they are participating in a local procession. Otherwise, you can simply invite your own family and friends. Since St. Lucia Day is so close to Christmas, it would be a good idea to send out invitations several weeks in advance to be sure people can come. St. Lucia’s colors are red and white, but you could also decorate with the Swedish flag. You can use crepe paper, bunting, and tablecloths in red and white. Most Christmas decorations would also be appropriate for St. Lucia Day, especially decorations with evergreens or candles. On St. Lucia Day, it’s traditional to serve a St. Lucia Crown Cake--usually a round coffee cake with seven candles placed in a circle on it. Adults traditionally drink glögg, a type of mulled wine, and you can serve coffee or lingonberry juice for non-drinkers. You can also serve traditional Swedish foods like meatballs, gingerbread cookies, and buns. If there is a St. Lucia procession in your area, it is traditional for participants to sing St. Lucia Day songs at parties afterwards. If not, you can play recordings of St. Lucia Day songs and other traditional Swedish music.
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One-sentence summary -- Choose a time and location. Invite your guests. Decorate for the holiday. Serve traditional Swedish foods. Arrange traditional entertainment.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Choose a ribbon color that goes well with your towel. Wrap it around the neck of the bear to hide the elastic, then tie it into a bow.  You don't have to use the same color as the bear. For example, if you made a white bear, try a pink ribbon. Cut the ends of the ribbon into angles for a nicer touch. Use a thinner ribbon for a smaller bear and a wider ribbon for a larger bear.

SUMMARY:
Wrap a ribbon around the bear's neck.