Think of five large or small things for which you feel grateful, from the roof over your head, to the smile from the stranger on the bus, to the incredible sunset you saw last night. Expressing gratitude can lead to positive feelings, optimism, and connectedness. Other ways to express gratitude include writing someone a thank you note, telling a partner that you appreciate him or her, or even just thanking someone mentally. You may struggle at first, but once you get going, you might surprise yourself with how long your list becomes. Include physical attributes ("My strong runner's legs"), aspects of your personality ("I'm compassionate and kind"), things you're good at ("I'm really good at painting"), and so on.  If you have trouble with your list, ask trusted friends and family members what they like best about you. Keep your list where it is easily accessible, like in the drawer of your bedside table, taped near the mirror in your bedroom, or in your diary. Refer to it when you're feeling bogged down by negative thoughts. When negative thoughts pop up, don't automatically believe this pessimistic, critical, and unhelpful self-talk. Isolate the negative thought (such as "I bombed that test") and reframe it so that it is positive, supportive and encouraging ("It's too early to tell. I probably did better than I think.")  As you begin consciously and deliberately interrupting your negative thoughts and reframing them in a positive way, it will become easier for you to see things in a positive light.  Remember that events don't cause emotions – events first trigger thoughts, which then produce your feelings. If you can train yourself to start responding with positive thoughts, it is more likely you will then experience positive or neutral emotions. Studies show that humans take on some of the characteristics of those around them.  While you will not always be able to avoid negative people, take what steps you can to minimize their presence in your life.  Upbeat, optimistic people will model behavior you can emulate.
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One-sentence summary -- Make a daily gratitude list. Make a list of your positive attributes. Reframe your negative thoughts. Surround yourself with positive people.


The URL is the address of the web page you are on (https://www.wikihow.com, for example). This saves the page for you so that you can quickly find it later, and brings up a small box of options. You can also press Ctrl/Cmd and “D” keys simultaneously to bookmark a page.  Click the trash can to discard the link. Click the bolded text to change the title. Click “Add to Folder” to bring up a  list of all of your bookmark folders. The bookmark bar is a collection of links that are right underneath your search bar, allowing you to find them quickly when you need them. You can quickly add a link to the bookmark bar by clicking on the small icon directly to the left of “http” and dragging it to the bar underneath your URL. If you do not see any bookmark bar:  Click on the three dark bars in the upper-right corner of Chrome. Click on “Bookmarks” Click on “Show bookmarks bar.” Alternatively, press the Ctrl/Cmd, Shift, and “B” keys simultaneously to make the bookmarks bar appear. The key to organized bookmarks is through folders, as they eliminate clutter and help you find the correct bookmark quickly.  To make a bookmark folder, right-click on the bookmarks bar and select “Add Folder...” This will bring you to a small window where you can name the folder and choose where it goes. Some ideas for folders include:  Travel Work Blogs to Follow Kids Games Finances Special Projects This is a good idea if you have tons of folders. For example, you might have a folder labeled “Work.” But to make this more effective, you might add smaller folders like "Research," "Projects," and "Finances" that allow you to organize your bookmarks more efficiently. To make a subfolder, click on “Add Folder...” and choose the folder you want to add your new folder under. To add a bookmark to a subfolder, find it in the “Add Bookmark” window or click and drag it to the right folder. Hover over the first folder until it opens up, then drop your bookmark in the right sub-folder. Apps for Chrome, known as “extensions,” are added features that allow you to customize Chrome. To download them, go to the Chrome Web Store and search for “Bookmark Organizer" in the top left corner.  Make sure you click the box labeled “Extensions” under your search. Some popular programs to organize bookmarks, delete duplicate links, and create folders are SuperSorter, Sprucemarks, and Chrome’s own Bookmark Manager.
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One-sentence summary --
Click on the small star next to the URL to bookmark a page. Use the bookmark bar for sites you visit frequently. Use folders to group similar bookmarks together. Make subfolders to further organize your bookmarks. Download bookmark organizing extensions to automatically organize your bookmarks.