Buddha, along with modern-day teachers, teach that it’s these intuitive promptings from your higher self that are the real you, not the mind. The mind only represents your conditioning and ego. By moving away from it and into your being is when you are truly at your best. Everyone, in the ordinary consciousness state, moves into the self and away from the mind on occasion. But, with practice, you can live from this place of no-mind or no-thought most of the time. People who have learned how to be in no-mind report that they only think a small percentage of the time and when they do, it’s a pure, unadulterated form versus being all over the place. When you first start, this period of no-thought will be short, but it will gradually increase over time. When these periods do occur, however, you will feel a certain peace and stillness inside that you may have never felt before. Know that you are on the right track with your natural state of being, which has been obscured by the mind for so long. With practice, this sense of peace and stillness will deepen with you and will stay no matter what’s going on around you. Many people have such a vested interest in their mind that they are the ones who have the most challenging time getting away from it. So the less you buy into the antics of it, the easier time you will have trusting that your higher self knows what’s best for you. In other words, don’t hold on to them. What you will find with practice is that they will go as easily as they came into you. Also, like the mind, these emotions are not who you are as a being. However, they are a guide and are definitely needed in life. The key, though, is to not react to them on the inside. When you look at it this way, because it actually is accurate, it’s a much simpler way to live.

Summary: Focus on what your being is saying to you versus the mind. Pay particular attention when you have no thoughts or are in a no-mind state. Trust that these intuitive prompts are enough to carry you through life. Allow negative emotions to wash over you and out. Understand the only thing you are really ever expected to take care of in life is the present moment.


Though your thesis is essentially your personal opinion, it needs to be presented as a structured argument.   Your thesis is a statement that others may hold a different opinion about. And which you will develop in your essay to show why you have this point of view. Check to make sure your thesis contains an argument that hits on the focus of your question. Revising your seatbelt thesis to: “Increasing seatbelt laws to include mandatory buckling in back seats will provide further safety benefits by reducing the percentage of fatalities in vehicle accidents.” better answers your original question. A very vague, large statement will require many pages for you to support adequately. A highly specific idea may not be a strong enough argument or provide enough evidence to back up.  While “The fear of muddled class systems and the pursuit of the American Dream depicted in The Great Gatsby led to an age of consumerism and excess, which triggered The Great Depression.” answers your question, it’s slightly broad. “The themes of wealth disparity in American royalty, and pursuit of the American Dream presented in The Great Gatsby depict a parallel to real-world consumerism and excess which led to the Great Depression.” narrows down that you will talk about specific themes in the book and compare these fictional themes to the real world. This is also an example of a thesis statement which can be broken up into two sentences. Now that you’ve compiled evidence, revised, and come to a specific stance, read over the assignment again. Make sure that you can write a paper with your current thesis that will fulfill the requirements.  If your assignment was to discuss the benefits of seatbelts, read your thesis again and ask yourself if it can cover the criteria. “Increasing seatbelt laws to include mandatory buckling in back seats will provide further safety benefits by reducing the percentage of fatalities in vehicle accidents.” In this thesis, you have taken a position that can be argued. You have made it specific by narrowing your topic a particular aspect of seatbelt safety. And you have given an answer to how your argument will discuss the benefits of seatbelts. If you’ve already done some research, which you should have to arrive at your thesis, you should be able to provide enough evidence throughout your essay to back up your claim.   Before beginning your paper, make sure you have fulfilled all the criteria. Do you answer a question? Are you taking a position others can challenge or oppose? Is your thesis specific enough? Does it pass the “So what?” and “how and why?” test. If your thesis doesn’t fulfill these requirements, take a break and then go back and revise. Sometimes, after taking a step back, you can come back with a better angle. As you write your essay, follow your thesis and outline, but don’t feel that you have to compromise your paper to fit your thesis. If you find yourself needing to revise your thesis throughout your essay, do so.

Summary: Make sure your thesis has an arguable point, that is not too general a fact or solely a personal opinion. Strike a balance between being too vague and too specific in your thesis. Make sure your thesis covers the assignment. Make sure you can accurately explain your ideas well enough in your essay to support your thesis.


There is a lot to know about betta fish, even beyond the basics just outlined. In general, large box stores aren't in the business of providing detailed information, unless you happen to strike a betta enthusiast salesperson. As well as having the basic understanding of betta outlined above, you might consider researching more details about betta fish online at specialist sites. These sites will remain useful for you after purchase too, as you'll be able to ask questions, check up health and nutrition notes and find like-minded betta fans to share stories with. Please be aware of what you are getting into before you buy a betta fish. Know that these fish can live up to five years under the proper care, so do your research before buying. The minimum size tank for a betta fish is 2.5 gallons with a heater and filter, although if you have a bigger tank, you don't have to do as many water changes. Despite the recent fad of keeping bettas in small vases or bowls please do not keep a betta fish in a tank or bowl that holds less than 2 gallons; it is terrible for their health and is very small! Remember that even though these fish may look like flowery decorations, they are live animals that need room to swim around and space on the surface of the water to breathe and eat.  Your betta fish will not be happy or live as long if kept in these small places. The best room for a betta tank is one that is calm, quiet, and off-limits to pets that are a risk to bettas, such as dogs or cats.  The tank should be placed on a sturdy, level surface to prevent the tank from spilling over, and there should be outlets nearby to plug the heaters and filters into.  The tank should be away from things like windows, vents, doors, or humidifiers, as the temperature fluctuations and UV exposure can pose a danger to the health of your betta, and encourage harmful algae growth in your tank.

Summary: Do some initial background research. Understand the care requirements. Understand the proper environment for a betta.


Place your weight on the ball of your foot and pivot 90-degrees to your left. Bring your feet back together. Pivot turns are used in many line dances, including the popular Cupid Shuffle, to change directions or to link other steps.
Summary: Step forward with your right foot. Shift your weight to your left foot. Repeat the move with your left foot, this time pivoting 90-degrees to your right.