Problem: Article: There are different attitudes people have toward their spiritual life. Determining what your personal relationship toward a spiritual life is can help you determine the best way to cultivate that spiritual life.   For example, research shows that there are two types of attitudes towards religious commitment.: intrinsic and extrinsic. There is also a third dimension of religiosity called the “quest dimension”. Depending on which attitude or dimension that you have, you will approach your spiritual life in different ways.    Intrinsic commitment: Having an intrinsic religious or spiritual attitude means that you believe in the religion or the spiritual world as absolute truth. You hold your belief in your religious or spiritual beliefs above all other beliefs.  Extrinsic commitment: Having an extrinsic attitude means you see your religious or spiritual beliefs as a means for you to live a fuller life, but do not regard religion above other beliefs you have. For example, you may use prayer as a means to gain relief from a stressful experience. For some people, having an extrinsic commitment to religion helps then fulfill social responsibilities or advancement.   Quest: The quest dimension describes a kind of person who does not need to believe in a reality where God or any spiritual figure must exist. Instead, you believe that the complexity of religion or spiritual matters is important to grapple with, but you also work to cultivate doubt and skepticism alongside your faith. In other words, you expect your faith to change and grow with you. To decide what spirituality or God means to you, you should write about your feelings and thoughts to help clarify where you want spirituality or God to go in your life.  The past is a very important part of you and should be used to decide what spirituality or God means to you now. Memory can be a rich source of knowledge that guides your decision making.   Write about important experiences that involved spiritual enlightenment or God’s presence. For example, write about a time you felt profound peace when there was turmoil in your life. Write about important relationships that taught you about spiritual growth or God, or write about relationships that hurt your spiritual life or relationship to God. For example, a relationship with a parent or guardian might have helped you grow closer to God. What do you believe about the spiritual or God now? What has changed in your beliefs or values? Write about these experiences, relationships or ideas that have shaped your most current relationship to your spiritual life or God.  For example, a recent change in a relationship like a divorce, having kids, or starting a new bond could have helped move you towards the idea of seeking a more spiritual life. Write down the big questions you have about your relationship to God or the spiritual. Setting goals, even with your spiritual life, will help you to create the spiritual life that you desire. These goals can be spiritual goals such as finding time to talk to God, pray, or read religious texts. They can also be goals that help others with their spiritual needs, like giving to charities, volunteering, or praying for someone.
Summary: Decide what your attitude toward God or your spiritual life is. Write about what God or spirituality was for you in the past. Write about the current state of your relationship to your spiritual life or God. Write down what you want your spiritual life or relationship to God to look like in the future.

Problem: Article: Picky eating may keep your family member or friend from maintaining a balanced diet. As a result, their health might not be as good as it could be. Maybe recognizing this is what they need to make them want to address their picky eating. There are lots of things that might motivate someone to overcome picky eating. Perhaps they need a more nutritious diet to support a new exercise plan. Or maybe they'd like to show their children that they can try new foods, too! Tell the people you're closest with that you're trying to help the picky eater make some changes to their eating habits. Ask this support network to suggest recipes, help prepare foods in new ways, and generally provide sympathy and support. Emphasize that rushing the process won't help, so ask them to be patient and supportive. If the picky eater has people in their life that are judgmental about their habits, tell them to avoid spending time with those people during this transition. Feeling pressured or judged may hinder their progress. Make a list of the top 5 foods that the picky eater doesn't like eating. Look up recipes that incorporate those foods in unique ways. Since texture or smell may be behind their dislike of a particular food, it's possible that changing the way it's cooked might solve this issue. For example, steamed broccoli has a very strong and recognizable smell. That scent might be diluted in a soup recipe that calls for running the ingredients through a food processor. Tell them to keep trying an item they dislike at least 10 times. Occasionally, exposing a picky eater to a food they've had issues with in the past over and over again can cause them to acquire a taste for it. Suggest they eat very small portions of this item. You can also help them prepare it in new ways each time they try it. Make note of which dishes they can tolerate -- or even enjoy! Only cross an item off the list of possibilities when you and the picky eater are sure you've given trying it your all. If you have a friend, family member, or even acquaintance who is a picky eater, you may occasionally feel exasperated by their eating habits. Remember that this isn't your problem to change or control -- it's theirs. Your judgment isn't going to help them do that, so back off and walk away when you feel your frustration rising.
Summary: Help the picky eater find their motivation for changing. Enlist family and friends as the picky eater tries new foods. Suggest that the picky eater prepare problem foods in new ways. Encourage the picky eater not to give up on foods too quickly. Control your frustration when interacting with a picky eater.

Problem: Article: Attention-seeking behaviors can sometimes be a result of trauma, neglect, or other stressful situations. It can also be a sign of low self-esteem or feelings of inadequacy. If this is someone you care about, try to find a time to chat to see if there is something that is causing this behavior.  You might start this conversation by saying, “Hey, I want to check in. Has everything been going all right lately?” If the other person doesn’t want to talk, they don’t have to. You can simply tell them something like, “If you ever do want to talk, just let me know.” Your loved one might be worried that no one will care for them if they don’t constantly seek out their attention and approval. Let the person know that you will love them, even when you’re not directly paying them attention.  You might send them a random text that says, “Hey, I was just thinking about you. Hope you’re having a great day!” or “I just want you to know how much I appreciate everything you do.” You can even tell them something like, “Even if we’re apart, you’re still important to me.” It is important to approach them yourself so that they don’t have a chance to try to grab your attention. This will help reassure them that they don’t need to resort to drama or conflict to get positive attention. Extreme behavior might manifest as threatening to hurt or kill themselves, locking themselves in rooms, or breaking down over minor events. These are usually signs of underlying mental health issues. The good news is, your loved one can get support and treatment from a mental health professional.  You might tell your loved one, "I've noticed that you seemed really upset lately. I love you, and I want to make sure you get the help you need." These behaviors may be a call for help. Try not to dismiss these threats as just attention seeking. They may very well be legitimate. Personality disorders, like Histrionic Personality Disorder or Borderline Personality Disorder, may cause people to engage in extreme attention-seeking behaviors.
Summary:
Determine if there is an underlying cause to their behavior. Boost their self-esteem when they are not actively seeking your attention. Suggest that they get professional help if you think they will hurt themselves.