When your day is filled with work, chores, or activities, you may lose touch with yourself. Through the act of mindfulness, you are making a gentle effort to be continuously present by: Being present "on purpose" through a conscience direction of awareness. Being attentive to the present moment. Your mind may be racing with things to do, and people to see, but instead you focus on the simpler things. Being non-judgmentally aware. By paying more attention to the moment, you experience more about the world around you. You may listen or see more than before, because of your heighten awareness. Studies have shown that being more appreciative about one's life and one's world will lead people to live more fulfilled lives. The act of paying attention to the good things in life, and being appreciative actually makes people happier. Surround yourself with positive people who don't always focus on the negative. Focus on the present moment, and find something in your line of vision that makes you happy. Hold that image in your mind, and focus on it in a positive way. This is a helpful practice for mindfulness, as a way to clear your head of negative or hyperactive thoughts. It can make you feel "centered" in a chaotic world. How we see the world is all a matter of the mind. Our mind can be shaped and changed. One way is through positive rather than negative statements about yourself. Affirmations can build your confidence, and keep you focused on the good things in life. In our daily lives, we are often disconnected with nature, and all its beauty. Our Earth is a reminder of how precious life is. Appreciate the little things, both big and small: Walk along a beach, river, or lake. The sound of water can be calming. Notice the birds in the trees or sky. Watching a large bird migration can be magical. Go star-gazing. The universe is big and beautiful. Take a deep breath and look around you. While there are things that you wish could be better, be grateful for the things that you have, and the beauty of living on this Earth. You only have one life to live, and it is yours. Go into a florist shop, or a garden, or even out in the wild. Flowers are beautiful, and smell oh-so-sweet. The scent of a fresh flower is like nothing else. Sometimes when we see a lot of flowers at once, we forget the beauty that each has. Look at one flower closely. Notice things about it that you never saw before.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary -- Be mindful about the world around you. Be positive and live happier. Meditate. Use positive affirmations throughout the day. Get in touch with nature. Be thankful. Stop and smell the roses--literally.

Switch to Classic View to make sure all the icons are showing. Uncheck the box to "Use Sticky Keys" if you would like to turn Sticky Keys off. Check the box if you would like to turn Sticky Keys on. If you chose to leave the Sticky Key box checked, you can choose to turn Sticky Keys on and off with the shift button. Follow the next step to do so. Select the box labeled "Use shortcut." When you return to the desktop or other applications, you will be able to turn Sticky Keys on and off by pressing Shift 5 times. Additionally, you can select the box to "Turn Sticky Keys off if two keys are pressed at once." This still gives you the option to use Sticky Keys, but once you try to do a modifier/letter combination, Sticky Keys will stop working. Check the "Show Sticky Keys status on screen" to keep a Sticky Keys status bar on your desktop.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary -- Click on your Start button on your Windows operating system. Select the Control Panel from the list of options. Choose the Accessibility application. Select Accessibility Options in the application window. Choose the keyboard tab. Go to the "Settings" option. Close out the Accessibility application to return to the main screen.

Gather all of your monthly loan statements and create a list with the following information: The lender The amount you owe Your monthly payment The length of the repayment period Whether the loan is federal or private People consolidate their student loans for different reasons, and the reason matters for purposes of how you consolidate. Consider the following: You want to consolidate because you are overwhelmed with paperwork. In this situation, you can consolidate some loans through the Department of Education. You won't lower your interest rate at all. Instead, the new consolidated loan will be a weighted average of the interest rates on all of your loans. You want a lower interest rate. You'll need to pursue consolidation with a private lender. A lower interest rate will decrease the amount you pay each month. It will also reduce the amount you pay back over the life of the loan (unless the term of the loan is longer). You want a lower monthly payment. Generally, you should consolidate with private lenders. However, if you consolidate with the Department of Education, you can seek income-driven repayment plans or extend the repayment period, both of which will lower your monthly payment. Some of the more popular lenders include SoFi, CommonBond, and Citizens Bank. Typically, you'll need a credit score in the mid-600s, so pull your credit score. Check the interest rates offered by each lender. Fixed rates range between 2-9%. Variable rates might be initially lower, but they can zoom up in the future. There are many people who can help you decide which consolidation path is right for you. Talk to your current lender and discuss your options. Consider asking the following questions: "Are all of my loans eligible for consolidation?" Most federal loans can be consolidated with the Department of Education. However, private lenders set their own rules. "If I consolidate my loans with the Department of Education, do I lose anything?" For example, you might lose any credit you have earned if your loans are currently on an income-driven repayment plan. "Can I consolidate if my loans are currently in default?" Gather your student loan information. If you are applying for a private loan, you'll need information about your financial history: job history, current income, educational background, etc. To consolidate with the Department of Education, go to www.studentloans.gov and use your Federal Student Aid ID to log in. You'll pick which loans to consolidate and choose a servicer. You'll also pick a repayment plan, which can run from 10-30 years, but income-driven plans are available also. To apply with a private lender, you should submit information about your financial background and your student loans. They will make a decision based on this information and your credit history. Your financial difficulties might be temporary. If so, consider different options that will give you some breathing room. There's no reason to consolidate if you don't need to. You might seek deferment or forbearance, which will allow you to suspend payments on federal loans for a period of time. Contact your lender. You might also qualify for income-driven repayment plans on federal loans. Although you can choose these plans after you consolidate, you can also choose them without consolidating. On these plans, you might only pay 1-2% of your disposable income. As your income increases, you can pay more.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary --
List your student loans. Identify your goals. Find private lenders. Ask questions. Apply. Consider other options.