Q: Some people say "you are what you eat." Even more so, you are what you think. Positive thinking has the power to transform a mundane or even unpleasant experience into a wonderful one. Thinking positively will give you the foundation for a happier life, regardless of what happens to you.  If you catch yourself having a negative thought, take a step back, identify the thought, and label it as a "negative" thought. Learning to isolate negative thoughts will help you put your worries and insecurities to rest.  Begin a regular meditation practice. Meditation is the practice of developing mindful awareness. Meditation not only trains you to silence negative thoughts, it helps you calm all thoughts, good or bad, so that you can learn to enjoy the present moment. Remember that other peoples' energy will rub off on you, especially if you spend a great deal of time with them. Make a point to spend time with friends and loved ones who make you feel better, not worse.  Before distancing yourself from friends or family members who you consider to be "toxic," try to be a positive influence in their attitudes rather than succumbing to their negativity. Terminate any physically or emotionally abusive relationships immediately. No matter how forgiving a person you may be, there is no excuse for violence and abuse. Many of us define ourselves in terms of what we want to do or what we want to own. In other words, we define ourselves in terms of what we don't have. This in essence suggests that we are somehow incomplete. Take some time to be thankful for the things you do have, whether they are physical objects or not, on a daily basis.  Remember positive memories. While it seems impossible to forget embarrassing or sad memories, many of us overlook all of the great memories that have taken place in our lives. Think of the best day(s) you have had in the past month or year. Remember special parties, vacations, and holidays. Appreciate the wonderful people you have in your life. If you are depressed because you don't have a boyfriend or girlfriend, dwelling on this missing element will only make you more unhappy. Take some time to appreciate all the great friends and family members you have in your life.
A: Learn to silence negative thoughts. Surround yourself with positive people. Be thankful.

Q: You must bring certain documents to your interview so that the asylum officer can confirm your identity.  Bring a form of identification such as a passport. Bring a copy of your Form I-589 and originals of documents you submitted with your Form I-589 (marriage certificates, birth certificates, etc.) If you included a spouse and/or child under the age of 21 in your application, you should bring them to the interview. Your lawyer should have an idea of what questions you will be asked and how you should answer. Try to meet with your lawyer, even if only briefly, to talk about the interview. Generally you can expect to be asked the following:   Provide specific examples of persecution you either experienced or were aware of. Explain the difficulties you anticipate if you return to your home country. Describe the route taken to arrive in the United States. Explain how you got the money to travel to the United States. List any criminal charges pending against you or any persecution of others you committed in the United States or elsewhere. Provide information that proves you belong to a persecuted group. For example, if you claim to belong to a religious group, you may have to answer questions about the religion to show that you are a follower. Your interview will typically be held within 45 days of your affirmative asylum application, although you may have to wait longer if USCIS is experiencing a deluge of applications.  Your attorney may also attend. The interview should last about an hour.  If you need a translator, you will need to hire one at your own expense. USCIS has translators on site, but they are used only to confirm that your own translator is translating accurately. If you apply for affirmative asylum, USCIS has 180 days to make a decision on your application. Because the department is sometimes overwhelmed with applications, you might have to wait longer.  If you applied for defensive asylum, the asylum officer will make a decision relatively quickly. You will be given a written decision.   If the asylum officer finds that you have neither a “credible” nor a “reasonable” fear of persecution, you can appeal that decision to an immigration judge.  If you prevail, you will have a full hearing scheduled to convince the judge to grant you asylum. In other words, those claiming defensive asylum may have two hearings before the judge. However, if the asylum officer believes that you have either a “credible” or a “reasonable” fear, you will have a single hearing.
A:
Collect documents to take to the interview. Practice with your attorney. Attend the interview. Await the decision.