INPUT ARTICLE: Article: In order to become truly present, evaluate all of the things that have traditionally kept you from being so. Perhaps while at work, you get sidetracked when thinking about your children and you begin to worry about them or feel anxiety. Or maybe you feel other negative emotions often like guilt or frustration. Make a list of the emotions you are most prone to and then burn it or toss it in the trash. Though being present requires your full focus, you should still not completely shun any negative thoughts or emotions that you might have. Trying to ignore a thought is the surest way to keep it in the forefront of your mind, so give your negative emotions a moment or two, think about them, write them down, and then refocus on the task at hand. You might think to yourself "I acknowledge that I am still upset about my fight last night with my mother, but I cannot do anything about that right now. I need to work on preparing for my presentation and I will call her later when I have more time." Question any negative thoughts that you might be having and evaluate whether they are important enough to take you from the task or person at hand. Many times, your negative thoughts might not be rooted in reality, so do your best to delegitimize them when you can. Work to gently redirect yourself to the reality in front of you. For instance, you might be worried that someone will break into your home. But if there have been no break-ins in your neighborhood lately or you have a home alarm system, then perhaps this fear is not worth bothering with at the moment. Learn to differentiate between what is a priority and what is a distraction. Make a list of everything that you need to do the day before you need to do it and rank them based on what you will complete first. Complete each task one at a time. Make time for yourself and for your family each day. One small thing that you can do at work is to prioritize emails first and then move on to larger tasks that will take more time and energy. Though social media has helped to advance and inform society in multiple ways, it can also be the single most distracting habit that you might have in your life. When you truly need to focus, turn off your cellphone, or at least put it on silent. Consider deactivating a few of your social media accounts or disabling email on your phone. Consider making it a family practice that no one has their phones on at dinner. One way to ensure that you are practicing mindfulness is to follow the things that you enjoy and love. Take a job that interests you, ask the girl you've been crushing on for a while on a date, and explore your hobbies. Create a life that is worth staying present in.

SUMMARY: Evaluate your tendencies. Accept your thoughts and emotions. Question your thoughts. Focus on what is important. Turn off your phone. Follow your passion.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You shouldn't argue with your parents every time you disagree with them, if only because this strategy will make it harder for you to win when the argument is about something that is really important to you. Weigh the benefits versus the costs. If the topic of the argument is significant to you, it might be worth the effort and the possible consequences of engaging in an argument with your parents. However, if there are minimal worthwhile results, it might be best to let this one go. For example, if your mom hates it when you play your music loudly, the only real benefit of having an argument about this is that you might get to play your music at a louder volume, and maybe only for a short period of time. It will also be perpetuating a behavior that your mom doesn't like and will lead to more arguments in the future. But if your parents have a problem with your significant other and they don't like you spending time with him/her, this might be an instance in which planning an argument is worth it because there are more possible benefits on the line for you. Causing a scene in public will only embarrass your parents and make them less likely to hear what you have to say. Make sure that your argument takes place at home or in a private space so that they are comfortable having the conversation with you. If you start an argument with your parents in public, they will view it as a very immature thing to do and it will not be a good way to begin the argument. Some people get embarrassed when they think others know their business or are listening to them talk. This is not a good way get your parents to hear you out. Give your parents the courtesy of conducting your argument in private. They will probably not listen to you if they are upset. People are more likely to hear what you say to them and really consider your opinions when they are in a good mood. If you start an argument with your parents when they are already upset, they will probably brush you off or respond even more negatively. Give yourself the best possible chance by starting your argument when your parents will be receptive to what you have to say. You might even try putting them in a good mood by doing things you know will make them happy like cleaning your room, doing your homework, or spending time with them. Of course, don't immediately bring up the argument after trying to get your parents in a good mood. That will be too obvious and they will think you only did the nice things for selfish reasons to get something that you want. Before you begin an argument, make sure that you have fully considered the entire situation. Try to think about it from your parents' point of view so that you can predict what they will say in the argument. That way, you can prepare your side of the argument, but you can also think objectively about your position. This can also help you see if you are being unreasonable. Try thinking about how you would feel if someone was treating you the way you are treating your parents. There are always two sides to every story and a good arguer knows that they need to consider both sides.

SUMMARY:
Pick your battles. Keep the argument private. Choose a moment when your parents are in a good mood. Put yourself in your parents' shoes.