INPUT ARTICLE: Article: One of the main ways to build bridges instead of walls is by recognizing shared humanity. That means, we all have much more in common than not. Find a way to relate to others and you'll limit judgments. If you catch yourself criticizing or judging others, find three things you have in common with that person or the situation. For instance, your partner didn't stand up for themselves at work. Rather than judging them as weak, think about three different times when you had trouble speaking up for yourself. Acceptance is necessary for overcoming a judgmental attitude. Acceptance implies letting a person be who they are; not trying to change them. When you are able to recognize that another person is humanand all humans make mistakesyou can choose to accept the person. Acceptance also implies lack of total control. When you judge, there's an underlying desire to control others, or make them into who you would like them to be. Acceptance means allowing them to be who they are, and recognizing that you have no power to change them anyway. To demonstrate acceptance, you might remind yourself "I am not in control of who she is. Her behavior does not reflect on me. I can help her by being loving and accepting." Sometimes we get stuck in the mud of flaws and refuse to see the good in others. Counteract this negative tendency by purposely identifying the positives in those around you. Do this daily. Start a practice of listing 10 positive strengths about yourself and others each day. This helps you train your mind to see the good rather than the bad. Your judgments of others often come from an inner need to avoid your own flaws. People who judge others are also often very judgmental of themselves. Don't use others' problems to cover up your own, or place yourself on a pedestal. If you notice yourself being judgmental, remind yourself that you are flawed, too. Therefore, you have no place to judge. Increasing your self compassion will help you gain a natural compassion for others. You might repeat silently, "I am human. I make mistakes, too" when you find yourself judging others. If you catch yourself being judgmental, try to override the habit by immediately apologizing. When you apologize you reinforce the action as being inappropriate and you extend an olive branch to those you judged. An apology can be simple and straightforward. Say, "I'm sorry, Charlie. I judged you just then and I shouldn't have. I hope you can forgive me. I'm working on overcoming my judgmental tendencies." Work on your openness and honesty. By being candid about your judgmental nature, you can usually take note of it and help decrease it.

SUMMARY: Focus on similarities, not differences. Accept others' flaws. Celebrate others' strengths rather than dwelling on faults. Recall your own shortcomings. Apologize to those you judge.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Believing that you're going to do well on the test will actually help you get there. Even if you think you won't do well on the test, don't let yourself hear it. Instead, just say "I got this!" It's sort of a "fake it till you make it" idea, but it can work! Take a piece of paper and write positive stuff like "I will ace my test!" on it. Try smiling before the test, even if you have to force it. Studies show that making yourself smile, even when you don't feel like it, actually raises your mood. You could also try to think of something funny, like imagining your teacher slipping on a banana peel or walking in the room dressed like Hello Kitty. before and during the test to stay relaxed. Deep breathing increases your oxygen levels. Getting plenty of oxygen means you can think more clearly. And when you think clearly, you're primed to do your best on the test! Breathe in slowly through your nose for 10 seconds. Exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat several times. Take a minute to see how many questions there are, and if there are separate sections on the test. This will give you an idea of what is in store and will help you to manage your time better. It also prevents any nasty surprises with only a few minutes left. Take a close look at every question before you attempt to answer it. Read each one twice if you have time. If you are taking a multiple choice test, read the entire question before looking at any of the answers. Don't waste time hunting for an easy question to begin with. Just go through the questions one by one. If there's one you can't answer, or just seems hard, skip it and go to the next one. Come back later to any questions you didn't answer, if there's time. If you're really nervous, however, do some easy problems first to build your confidence and calm yourself down. If you skip any questions, mark them with a star so you'll know which ones to come back to if you have time at the end. If you go back and change your mind several times, you are likely to make a mistake due to self-doubt. Many tests are also designed to include trick questions, and getting bogged down can just make things worse. Usually 1 or 2 of the question choices are clearly wrong, so take those away. Now you should have 2 answers, creating a greater chance of you getting it right. Now go over everything and find the best answer out of the 2. The key to multiple choice isn't thinking "Which one is right?" but instead "Which of these are not right?" and eliminating answers until you have only 1 left. Try to save time at the end of the test session so you can go back and check your answers. Make sure you answered all questions, never leaving one blank. Guess if you have to. It's worth a shot! Also, a final look through is a good time to catch any obvious mistakes you might have made. You might remember something more to add to a question as well.

SUMMARY:
Get pumped for the test. Take deep breaths Glance over the entire test before you begin. Read the test questions carefully. Go through the questions in order. Go with your first answer, then check later. Use the process of elimination if you're stuck on a multiple choice question. Review your answers thoroughly when you are done.