Problem: Article: It is easy to focus on the things that you do not like about yourself or the areas that need improvement. When you focus on the negative, you forget about all the other wonderful attributes you have.  It is important that you acknowledge the things that you are good at and make time to do those things.  Examples of good qualities you may have include being smart, funny, kind, generous, creative, loving, caring, etc. Talents and skills you may have include being an athlete, dancer, musician, writer, artist, poet, singer, volunteer, etc. How much time do you spend doing these any of these activities? How will you make these activities part of your everyday life? A lack of confidence can stop you from trying something new or doing something that you enjoy. What would you do if you had more confidence? What is stopping you from doing it?  Write down the following sentence, "If I had more confidence, I would..." What type of support or encouragement would you need to try this? How would you feel if you actually tried this? For example, maybe you are a good writer and would like to work on your skills. However, you are not confident enough to write for your school newspaper. You may write,  "If I had more confidence, I would join my my school newspaper. I know that I am a solid writer, but I am afraid of other people reading my work. If I joined the newspaper, I would become a better writer and make new friends." Every person has strengths and weaknesses. These are different for each and every girl. When you compare yourself, you are often comparing a weakness you have to someone else's strength. If you continue to do this, you will never feel good about yourself.  When you find yourself comparing yourself to another person, direct your attention back to yourself. Remind yourself that you are unique and have your own strengths and talents. Go back and read the list of positive attributes, talents, and skills that you made. It may help to post the list by your bed or on your bathroom mirror. There may be areas that you would like to improve upon or things you would like to accomplish. When you achieve things, you prove to yourself that you can meet expectations. Setting a goal and achieving it can help build your confidence.  Write down your goal and then write down steps you can actually take to achieve it. Your goals and the steps you take should be realistic. Setting a goal that you are unable to reach may backfire and make you feel worse. For example, if you want to start running, running a 5k is a better goal than running a half-marathon. Trying to go from not running very often to running a half marathon is a huge jump, and you are setting yourself up for failure. A 5k is very realistic, and you can find a couch to 5k running program to help you set your daily and weekly goals.
Summary: Write down your talents, skills, and good qualities. Challenge yourself to do more. Stop comparing yourself to other people. Set goals for yourself.

Problem: Article: Use a 2 quart (2 liter) plastic bottle and fill it ¾ of the way with water. You can either use water from a local pond or stream, or from the tap. Pond or stream water is preferable because you will also get small microorganisms that may be present in the water. If you have to use tap water, make sure that you let it sit in an open container for at least 24 hours before using in your ecosystem. The chlorine present in tap water may kill any animal or plant species that you add to your ecosystem. Letting the water sit for 24 hours gives the chlorine time to dissipate from the water. Next, add 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) of tiny rocks or pebbles. You should always wash any rocks prior to adding them to your ecosystem. This will help remove any contaminants. At this stage you could also add one dead leaf. This will provide a food source for any microorganisms in the water. You can buy aquatic plants from your local pet supply store. When you add the plants to your ecosystem, make sure to separate them and add them individually. Alternatively, you could pick water plants from a local pond. You can also purchase small freshwater snails at your local pet supply store. Alternatively, you may be able to find water snails from a local pond. Make sure the snails are small enough to fit through the opening of the bottle. Once you have placed everything into your ecosystem, you should wait approximately 24 hours before sealing it closed. This will allow your ecosystem to settle. After 24 hours you can screw the cap onto the top of the bottle. Situate your aquatic ecosystem in a sunny spot. The bottle should receive indirect sunlight throughout the day.
Summary: Fill the bottle ¾ of the way with water. Add pebbles. Insert aquatic plants. Place snails in the bottle. Wait 24 hours before putting the lid onto the ecosystem. Place the ecosystem in a sunny spot.

Problem: Article: If you have central air and heat, you’ll need to find the main unit that conditions and circulates the air. This is usually in a basement, closet, or other out-of-the-way space. Try following any visible pipes or ducts through your house until it leads you to the HVAC unit, which will be a large metal contraption. On a HVAC unit, this will probably be somewhere between the air handler, a large box where the air is conditioned, and the plenum, another metal box located next to the unit itself. On a window air conditioner, the filter slot should be behind the grill that faces into your house.  The location of the filter slot can vary from one unit to the next, but it should look like a long, thin opening with a removable cover. If you can’t find a filter slot on your HVAC unit, try looking in the vents that blow air into your rooms. Some systems have filters in the return air vents themselves, although this is usually only true of systems with 2 or fewer vents. To avoid hurting the machinery or yourself, you’ll want the unit to be off when you change the air filter. This will also keep any dust or particles from getting into the machinery while the filter is removed. The filter should slide out easily. Be careful when removing it, as it may be covered in dirt and dust that could come loose and make a mess if handled too roughly.  If the filter doesn’t come out easily, you can attach a folded tab of duct tape to the side of the new air filter to make an easy-pull handle for next time.  The old filter can be thrown in the trash. You may want to carry it to the trash in a garbage bag to keep it from shedding dust and dirt on the way. It should slide in the empty slot with little to no resistance. The filter should have an arrow on the side that indicates the direction of the airflow. Make sure this arrow points in the same direction the old filter did, which will be towards the ductwork and the unit’s blower. If you notice any gaps or other signs that the filter does not fit correctly, remove it and put the old filter back in temporarily. You may have the wrong size of filter, in which case you should double check which kind you should have and buy a new one. It’s also possible that your new filter was somehow damaged and misshapen. Look at it closely to see if you can detect any damage, and if so, return it to the store and buy another. If any dust or dirt was shaken off the old filter when it was removed, be sure to clean it up. Use a rag or vacuum to remove as much of the dust as possible. It should run the same as it did before, or else have slightly better air pressure. If anything sounds or smells strange, or if the system isn’t running at all, call a HVAC technician. This will help you keep track of how often you’re changing the filter, and ensure that you remember when it’s due for a check. Make a note with your phone or computer, or write it down somewhere that will be easy to keep track of.
Summary:
Locate your HVAC unit if you have central air. Look for an air filter slot in your unit. Turn your unit off. Remove the old filter. Insert the new air filter. Check for any gaps around the filter once it’s in. Clean off any residual dust with a rag or vacuum. Turn the unit on to make sure it’s still running well. Make a note of when you replaced the filter.