INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Is it a particular relationship that is making you feel useless? Are you feeling useless because of a certain situation you have no control over? Do you feel useless because you don't feel like you're contributing to society in all the ways that you could? Identifying the cause of the feeling is the first step towards changing your life.  One way to explore your feelings is to write in a journal. Think about these questions as you write, and try to figure out what's bothering you. Alternatively, try talking over your problems with a trusted friend. Sometimes saying what you're feeling out loud can help you figure out what's wrong. Figure out what you're good at by exploring different hobbies and reading books. Seek out what makes you happy and what you can contribute with those skills so that you're offering something to the world.  One way to explore interests is to take community college classes. These classes are relatively cheap, so you can spend a semester deciding if you really are passionate about an interest. Many community colleges offer night and weekend classes if you work full time. Alternatively, try classes at your local museums if you're interested in art or history. Another way to explore interests is to pick up a book from the local library. The books are free, and you can take your time learning about your interest. If you want to meet other people with the same interest, look on social media websites like Meetup and Facebook to find people in your area with the same interest. Buy someone a cup of coffee. Bring your loved one her slippers without being asked. Offer a parking place to someone who looks stressed. The little things you do to help people every day can help you feel needed. Volunteering is not only a solid way to make you feel useful, but you'll also be helping people out along the way. Choose something you love for your volunteerism. If you love books, offer time at the library. If you like working with kids, offer to read to kids at your local YMCA after school. Focus on what's positive in your life. By focusing on what's good about your life, you may be able to overcome feeling useless or worthless. It keys you in to the positive side of things, so you have a happier outlook. One way to focus on what's going well in your life is to keep a gratitude journal. Write down five things every day that you are grateful for in your life. Some people use social media like Facebook to the same effect--that is, they post five things they are grateful for every day as a status update. Using social media can help you get motivated with this project, as you'll likely receive positive feedback from friends. Sometimes feeling useless can stem from low self-esteem. You may feel like you don't have anything to offer the world. However, take some time each day to acknowledge to yourself what you're doing right. You do make a difference to other people, and you should look for that in yourself every day.  One way to build yourself up is to use your mirror to your advantage. Every morning, look yourself in the eye, and say something positive about yourself out loud. Post affirmations on your refrigerator so you can see them every day. Write a phrase like “I am a good, worthwhile person” or others to boost your self-esteem. In the same vein as talking to yourself positively, accept positivity from other people, especially when it is about something you do or who you are as a person. You may feel like you don't deserve the compliment, but people are usually sincere when they take the time to compliment you. Think about the contributions you're making that inspired those compliments. If you are passionate about preserving our natural resources, go out and do something about it. Organize protests. Write letters. Talk to people. Fighting for what you believe in can help you to feel less useless because you are doing something to help your friends and country. Steer clear of potential distractions like the computer, the TV, the phone, the cat, or the fridge. If you procrastinate, you won't accomplish anything. However, if you finish tasks you start, you're sure to feel more useful. Start with something small, like cooking dinner for your spouse, and work up to larger tasks, like cleaning out the garage. Improve your self-confidence and value your time and your skills more. You're not going to get a sense of purpose if you're not caring for yourself enough. Don't sell yourself short, and take time out to rest and relax when you need to do so. One way to value yourself is to say "no" to requests that you don't have the time or energy to do. If you divide yourself too thinly, you won't be able to contribute as fully to each task.

SUMMARY: Try to identify the source of the feeling. Find your passion. Do something nice every day. Volunteer in your community. Practice gratitude. Talk to yourself in a positive manner. Accept compliments. Contribute to causes you care about. Try not to procrastinate. Take good care of yourself.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Before you can soften the shank, the reinforced sole of the pointe shoe, you’ll need to figure out where your natural arch breaks. The break is where the heel becomes the arch. Bend your foot to see where your arch naturally breaks. You can mark the point on both your foot and the shoe with a marker. Avoid arbitrarily bending the shank of your pointe shoe, since this may not correspond to the natural break in your arch. After you’ve identified your natural break and marked it in your shoe, pry up the shank and bend it back and forth gently at the marked position.  This will make the shank more pliable when you rise up on pointe. Remove the small nail that fastens the shank to your shoe. Put on the shoe and extend your foot from flat to demi pointe to begin molding the break. This will help you know the exact shape of your foot in your shoe. Remove the shoe and gently mold the area of the shank where your natural arch breaks. Work the area with your hands, following your mark and the shape your foot has made. Molding the shoe where your arch naturally breaks will make rising in your shoes more comfortable and increase the life of your shoes.  You don’t need to add heat to help with shaping the shank. Since you previously wore your shoe to begin molding the break, the heat from your foot will have been enough.  There’s no designated left or right ballet shoe- your own feet will determine this as they break in the shoe. Label each shoe to make sure you’re consistently putting on your shoes until they are broken in enough to identify by sight.

SUMMARY:
Identify the natural break in your arch. Bend the shank at the natural break in your arch. Wear the shoe to mold the break. Mold the shoe with your hands.