Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Invest in a zafu or small pillow. Do not worry about perfection right away. Increase your sessions with time. Take classes.

Answer: A zafu pillow is a pillow specifically designed for Zen meditation. If you find Zen meditation is helpful for you, you can purchase a zafu pillow online. This can help you easily get into the right position each time you meditate. Beginners sometimes worry they're bad at meditation. You may find it difficult to clear your mind and focus on your breathing. Do not get frustrated and beat yourself up. It's very normal for meditation to be somewhat difficult at first. Cut yourself some slack and keep practicing. Eventually, meditating will become easier. Keep in mind, even people who meditate regularly never completely clear their minds. It's normal to have to stop and redirect your thinking to your breathing once in awhile. Do not feel like getting distracted means you're meditating incorrectly. More advanced meditators may try to clear their minds completely but Buddha Shakyamuni warned against too obsessed with clearing the mind.. Many Zen masters recognize that the safest way is to substitute all wandering thoughts in mind with one single yet powerful thought - Buddha Amitabha, as highlighted in The Amitabha Sutra (Sukhavati-vyuha). Start off with small sessions and build up. After you're comfortable meditating in short spurts, start adding on a few more minutes each week. Eventually, you'll be able to meditate for longer periods. There is no one size fits all rule for meditation. You may find very long meditation sessions, such as 25 minute sessions, help you relax. However, you may also find brief five to 10 minute sessions are sufficient. Experiment with different time frames until you find something you're comfortable with. It can be helpful to meditate with the assistance of an instructor. Check online to see if you can find Zen meditation classes in your area. This can help you improve your meditation technique so Zen meditation is more effective for you. If you can't find a class in your area, look for guided routines online.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Wash and dry the car thoroughly. Sand the scratched area to strip away the top layers of paint. Rinse and dry the area. Spray a few coats of primer onto the sanded areas. Apply a few coats of paint that match your car. Wax the area to seal the paint you have repaired.

Answer: If your car is dirty during scratch repair, that dirt could create more scratches. Wash your car thoroughly to remove all of the dirt and debris. You may want to rinse the scratched area a couple of extra time to be certain that it is clean. Pay particular attention to the area you will be repairing. Spray the scratched area with water, making sure to get any debris out of the scratch. Then, clean the area well with soap formulated for use on cars and rinse it all away with clean water. Wrap 2000-grit wet/dry sandpaper around a sanding pad (a holder for the sandpaper with a handle on it) and begin sanding the scratched area. Sand for 10 to 15 seconds at a time and then check the area to see if you need to sand deeper. Always sand in the direction of the scratch. You do not want to create opposing scratches, which will only add more ridges and valleys in the paint that need to be repaired. Rinse the area with water as needed to check your progress. This will allow you to better see if you have gotten to the bottom of the scratch. If the scratch is slightly deeper than the clear coat, use 1500-grit sandpaper to level the surface and then 2000-grit sandpaper to remove the scratches made by the coarser sandpaper. Avoid getting dirt or debris between the sandpaper and the vehicle. This will cause scratching. Rinse away the debris left by sanding the scratched area. Then, use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe the surface dry. Avoid using old or dirty rags since these could cause more scratches on the surface of your car. Get some sandable primer in an aerosol can. Spray the primer onto the area you have just sanded. Use a back and forth motion to spray on the paint. Then, wait 5 to 10 minutes for the primer to dry and spray on another layer. Do this a total of 3 times. Choose a primer that is close to the color of your car's paint, if possible. It will not be an exact match, but your paint will be. Next, spray on the same color paint as is on the rest of your car to the area where you applied the primer. Wait 5 to 10 minutes between each application so that the paint dries completely. To ensure that the paint will match, check with your car's manufacturer to get the same shade of paint. You may be able to purchase the paint from an auto supply store, or you may have to special order the paint from your car's manufacturer. Apply a high-quality carnauba wax to the surface of your car and then buff the area with a buffer pad or microfiber cloth. You can purchase a waxing kit that includes everything you need to wax your car, such as the wax and a buffing pad or microfiber cloth. Apply a quarter-size amount of wax to the buffing pad or cloth to start and add more if needed. Use circular motions and press down on the pad or cloth with medium pressure. Keep going until the wax is evenly distributed and the car's surface looks shiny.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Invite her to do something with you and your friends. Find something you both have in common. Extend an invitation at a convenient place.

Answer: An easy way to start hanging out with a girl is by introducing her to your existing group of friends. Determine if she has things in common with you and your friends by making chit-chat and asking about her interests. If it seems like everyone shares common ground, invite her along to your next group outing. Say: "We're all going out tonight if you want to join us." "My friends and I are going to see that new movie. We'd love for you to come too." "Hey, we're cooking out tomorrow. Do you want to stop by?" Plan something the girl you're interested in likes too, so the more likely it is she'll hang out. Make small talk and be observant when you interact with her to find out about the things she likes. If you both like basketball, invite her and at least 3 to 4 more friends to watch the next big game. Start talking about some of the things you like to do in order to start asking her about what she likes. Say, "I can't wait to get on a boat! Have you been to the lake yet this season?" Say, "My video game skills are hurting. I have to practice. Are you a gamer?" Say, "Soccer is a high-energy sport. Do you like watching it?" Whatever girl you want to hang out with will appreciate a venue that is convenient for her to get to. Find out the areas she frequents and ask her to hang out when you're nearby with mutual friends or acquaintances. Ask her what she likes to do on the weekends to get more of an idea of where she hangs out. You can also ask something along these lines: "Midtown has such cool shops and restaurants. Have you been down there?" "Have you been downtown lately? They have some really good bands that play on the weekend." "I went hiking a while back and got so sore. Have you been to the state park south of here?"

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Treat people with respect. Act calmly in conflict. Avoid being defensive. Own your shortcomings. Make requests.

Answer:
Treat those around you with respect, with both your actions and your words. Respect builds trust and support in a relationship, whether it be with your parents, siblings, friends, or romantic partner. A good way to learn respect is to first treat yourself with respect. Don't feel pressure to do anything just because everyone else is doing it, but respect your mind, body, and spirituality enough to listen if one of them is telling you not to participate. Learn what it feels like to respect yourself, and make sure you treat others with the same respect. Say "please" and "thank you" often. Even if you're in an argument, refrain from name-calling. You can disagree with someone while still being respectful. Think before you speak and hold off from saying anything that can be hurtful. Say, "I appreciate and respect your opinion, even though it differs from mine." Treating other people respectfully shows maturity in how you interact. It may be easy to retaliate when in an argument and unleash your anger, but keep your cool. Keeping calm in stressful situations has positive long-term health benefits, such as less inflammation in the body. Being calm and thinking about something positive can help when stressful events occur. By not raging but choosing to keep calm, you show others that you are able to handle your emotions in a mature way. When you feel anger coming on, take a couple deep breaths and connect with your body. Feel where the anger comes from and listen to what it is telling you. Allow your rational mind to determine how you want to handle the situation. If you struggle to respond calmly, ask for a time out. Say, "This is important and we need to talk about it, but I am so angry and I need to cool down. Can we talk about this after I've had some time to think?" When things get heated, resist the urge to defend your views. Don't be a brick wall, but be intentional to listen to other people's opinions, even if you fiercely disagree with them. There are no two people on the planet that will agree on everything. Be respectful and listen, just as much as you want the other person to listen to you. Listening to what other people have to say and not acting defensively shows that you are mature enough to handle conflicts. You may disagree on clothes, texting, boys/girls, or friends with your parents and you may not find common ground. If you want your parents to understand you, make sure you understand them, too. If you feel defensive, don't fight back, but speak your feelings. Instead of saying, "You're calling me a liar! I'm not a liar!", say, "It's important that people are truthful with me, which is why I'm hurt that it feels like I'm being accused of lying." Don't blame other people for the problems in your life. Recognize that you have choices in how you act and react. All relationships are interactional, meaning that you both contribute to how you feel and what happens. It's much easier to blame people for how bad you feel, but recognize your role, and take responsibility for your actions. Reflect on what actions you took that contributed to the situation, and own up to them. Even if someone does have shortcomings, it doesn't mean that you can blame her for your problems or how you feel, or treat them as less than you. If you've let somebody down, let them know. Instead of blaming external things, say, "I'm sorry I didn't show up on time. That was my fault and I didn't allow enough time." Plan for how you'll do things differently in the future: "Next time, I'll leave ten minutes earlier so I can get there on time." By owning your own mistakes, you show others that you are humble and can admit fault, a very mature action. When you want something, don't be demanding. Imagine how you would react if someone was always demanding things of you: you probably would not like it. Instead, make requests. Make your case and then explain your request. It's the toddler in the shopping cart that yells at her mommy to buy the chips. You're better than that. If you want a dog, don't whine until you get one. Ask your parents for a dog, and show that you will take responsibility for it by walking, feeding, and taking care of it. Show your maturity by making a request and following through with actions. Instead of saying, "I deserve it!" or "Why aren't you giving me what I want?", say "I would like to tell you that I really want something, and I would like you to hear me out."