INPUT ARTICLE: Article: People who fulfill their dreams tend to have a strong foundation. This means people who help you when you ask, people who encourage you, people who can act as your mentor, and so on. Without connecting with people you are far less likely to have the opportunities that come with community.  Networking is a big way to make things happen. It can lead to a job, to your book being published, to discovering a new dream. Take advantage of opportunities to meet people in your chosen area. For example, if there's a journalist convention in town and your dream is to be a journalist, make sure you go to it and talk to people.  Look at every interaction as an opportunity. You have no idea where your next connection might come from. It might be that girl you met on the plane, it might be your boss at work. Talk to people, let them know what you're interested in, and make sure you return that interest by paying attention to who they are and what they do. Build community. This means that you have a strong support group, which makes it easier when you have setbacks while fulfilling your dreams. It means that while you are focusing on your dreams, you are also focusing on benefiting and connecting with other people on a personal level. No one who has ever attempted to achieve their dreams has gotten a free ride. There are lots of obstacles that can crop up. Being prepared and being flexible can help you a lot when dealing with them.  One of the obstacles to fulfilling your dreams is the need to do everything perfectly. Perfectionism is going to make you unlikely to ever get started on your dreams. It's usually an excuse for procrastination. "I'll wait until I get my promotion..." "I'll wait until the kids are grown up..." "I can't start until I know exactly what I'm doing..." Another obstacle is fear. You're afraid to fail, you're afraid that you'll find out down the line that this isn't what you wanted after all, you're afraid other people will think your dreams are stupid. Letting go of fear is the same as letting go of control. You can't control how people think about you, you can't control how you're going to feel in a year, you have no idea what the future holds. When you find yourself obsessing over these fears, bring your mind back to the next task, without thinking about the overwhelming whole. Other obstacles may arise that you can't foresee. Ask yourself what do you need to overcome this obstacle? What happens if you don't? How did this obstacle come about? If there were no restrictions on solving this obstacle, what would you do? These questions can help unlock creative solutions to obstacles. This doesn't mean you have permission to be negative. Being negative and being realistic mean two very different things. Being negative means you don't think you can achieve your dreams. Being realistic means that you know it could take awhile and you know there will be obstacles along the way.  For example: instead of quitting your job and running away to L.A. to be an actor right off the bat, try out acting classes and maybe acting school to see if that's what you really want to do. Work and save up some money so that you have a safety net for any potential problems ahead. Being realistic doesn't mean that you use obstacles or perfectionism as an excuse to procrastinate. This is where setting goals is so important. In the above example, the hypothetical person isn't saying "well, when I have more money..." they set a timeline "I'm going to make X amount of money and when I have that I'm moving to L.A. to look into acting opportunities. Until that time, I'm going to take classes in acting and working in local theaters. Another problem that people have when trying to achieve their dreams, is staying motivated to do so. It's easy to get overwhelmed or distracted. Sometimes staying motivated means pushing through the times when things get hard.  Focus on the small steps. Avoid looking at the big picture, otherwise you're going to get overwhelmed. For the hypothetical person trying to become an archaeologist, there is going to be a lot of work and time to complete. Instead of focusing on the end goal (in ten years or so) focus on the next thing (that essay you have to finish, or graduating from college). Have a plan for staying motivated. it isn't necessarily a defeatist attitude to have plans for when your motivation flags. Along the way you're going to need a boost either because of a setback or simply exhaustion. Have a plan for those moments (taking a short break, reminding yourself what you're trying to accomplish, looking at what other people have accomplished!). Decide it this is what you really want. Sometimes when you're losing motivation for something, it's because you no longer have the same dreams that you once had. There's nothing wrong with this! It simply might be time to look in a new direction for fulfillment. You won't fulfill your dreams by always taking the safe option. Dreams involve risk. They involve putting yourself out there in the world and hoping for the best. Hard work, planning, and being flexible can get you a good long ways, but for the rest, you have to know that you won't always succeed, but being willing to try anyway. Don’t wait to start accomplishing your dreams, even if you're starting small. There is no “opportune moment.” If you want to run that marathon, then start training right away.

SUMMARY: Connect with others. Deal with obstacles. Be realistic. Stay motivated. Take risks.

INPUT ARTICLE: 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.