Article: If you're feeling lost, try taking in the wisdom of others. Many people find inspiration and new life direction in the works of people like Joseph Campbell and Alan Watts. Both of these men wrote lots of great books, but you can also find their inspiring words online in interviews (try searching YouTube). While they might not be up your ally, you're sure to find someone that inspires you if you book. Try the inspirational or self-help section at your local library! Traveling is one of the most powerful transformative experiences you can undergo. In traveling to distant places where you're outside your comfort zone, you'll be forced to take on challenges and actively be alive (often proving to yourself that you can in fact do those things still!). Traveling doesn't have to be as expensive as you think, either. If you travel on your own instead of with a touring company, buy early (usually 4-6 months ahead of time), and go places in the off-season, you'll find that it doesn't take too much saving to get away for a little while. If this is very scary for you, start by traveling to local areas before moving on to distant lands. Music can be incredibly inspiring for many people. It is one of the most powerful tools for reaching directly into the soul and making you feel a deep and powerful connection with the singer or composer. For some people the most transformative music is classical music (we recommend Beethoven's Piano Concerto #5, 2nd and 3rd movements). For other people, more modern music is helpful. Some people find traditional folk music, like Celtic music, to really wake them up. Experiment and find something that works for you. There's an often intangible feeling of connection to the greater human spirit that you can tap in to and harness. For everyone, the medium that creates this feeling is different. Some people read poetry. Some people volunteer. Some people raise children. Find something that makes you feel connected to the greater experience of being human and then take your own approach to capturing that feeling. Take inspiration and create something, a painting, a song, a dance, that lets you express that you too are human and are a part of the great beating heart that is this planet and universe. When we're living a life that gives us purpose and lets that purpose be realized, that is when we will feel most inspired and awake to possibilities this world has to offer. Everyone has something to offer: either something to offer the planet, something to offer others, or some other purpose to serve. Find what you're good at, find what makes you happy, and do it. If you keep living for the sake of living, rather than living for the sake of making your existence mean something to the universe, then you will always find yourself feeling lost and without inspiration. Embrace what you can offer and stop thinking only of the hurdles!
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Read and listen to inspiring works. Travel to places old and new. Listen to inspiring music. Create and embrace a feeling of connection. Find your purpose.
Article: You should start every summary with the author and the article's title. This lets your reader know that you're summarizing what someone else has written. For example, you can start with something like "George Shaw's ''Pygmalion'' is a play that addresses issues of class and culture in early twentieth-century England." Without looking at your notes, write a first draft that includes the main point of each section in your own words. A summary shouldn't just repeat what the original author said, so using your own words is very important. If you absolutely must use the original author's words, put them in quotation marks. This tells your reader those words aren't yours. Not doing this is academic plagiarism, and it can get you in a lot of trouble. Make sure you format the quote correctly! As you write, make sure you're only summarizing the original piece of writing. You shouldn't be inserting your own opinions of the piece or of the events the piece covers. Instead, summarize what the original author said and retain their tone and point of view. For example, you might think that Hamlet spends a lot of time thinking and not a lot of time acting. You can say something like, "Hamlet is a man of thought, rather than action," instead of saying, "Why doesn't Hamlet do something once in a while?" You want your reader to know that you're summarizing another person's arguments. So you should occasionally use phrases like "the author argues," or "the article claims" when you're presenting those arguments. This reminds the reader that it's not your piece, but someone else's. In fiction pieces, you can say something like "Shakespeare's Hamlet then spends a lot of time brooding on the castle ramparts." This tells your reader you're talking about Shakespeare's play, not inventing your own story.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Start with the source's information. Work from memory to write the main point of each section. Present the material using the author's point of view. Use language appropriate to a summary.