INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Look on the bright side of things. Instead of saying to yourself, "Well, that article didn't turn out the way I wanted it to," you should say, "The article wasn't perfect, but I did my best and I'm proud of that. Others will surely appreciate my hard work." Stay aware of your own negative thoughts. When you think, "I'm so dumb," stop yourself and envision that thought as a red balloon. Picture the words written on the side of the balloon. Imagine yourself letting the balloon go. Watch it float up into nothingness, never to return. Then, imagine hundreds of blue balloons descending, each with a positive mantra written on it, such as, "I am a winner." Because of your parents' favoritism, you might be short-tempered and/or aggressive. Your temper might interfere with your ability to form friendships with others. Learn to take control of your emotions and don't let them control you. Before you say or do something out of anger, think about how you'd feel if someone said or did the same to you. Breathe in slowly through your nose, then exhale through your mouth for slightly longer than it took you to inhale. Find a positive outlet for your frustration and anger. Go for a run or ride your bike. Take up a martial art. Any kind of exercise is a good way to blow off steam. Look for alternatives to violence, yelling, or other angry reactions. In the end, these reactions will not solve the problem or situation that inspired them. If someone said something rude to you, for instance, express your feelings in a mature way. Say, "I don't like the way you're treating me. You owe me an apology." If your parents spend years acting as though your other sibling(s) are smarter, funnier, or more interesting than you, you might start to believe them. Learn to identify self-defeating or critical thoughts and feelings and challenge them wherever possible. The quickest way to disprove the lie that you have nothing of value to offer is to pursue your hobbies and interests. Whatever it is you love doing, continue doing it. The more your practice, the better you'll get. After about 10,000 hours of practice doing something, you will have attained mastery in that particular hobby or skill. Having an exceptional talent can increase feelings of confidence and self-worth. Provide encouragement for yourself. Every day when you wake, look in the mirror and say, "I have a life worth living and many people like me." Surround yourself with friend who care about you. Lean on them for support when you're feeling blue. Children who are bullied or neglected by their parents are vulnerable to exploitation by others who give them the attention and validation they crave. Stay away from gangs, terrorist organizations, and cults, especially those that adopt a family-like structure. As a child of parents who treat your siblings better than they treat you, you might be lured by promises of love and affection. However, these arrangements are always temporary and designed with an eye on future benefits for the one who offers the apparent love and affection. Remember, real love is given selflessly, without any expectation of anything in return. If your parents treat your sibling much better than they treat you, you might come to see your sibling and your parents as part of a united conspiracy against you. However, it is important to recognize that your parents alone are responsible for their behavior. Your sibling has nothing to do with their attitude toward you. Maintain a positive, healthy relationship with your sibling. If your sibling is old enough to understand what's going on, talk to them about how your parents are mistreating you. Seek their advice and encourage them to speak up on your behalf. Children of parents who show favoritism to another child often have a hard time in school. Find a well-lit, quiet place to study. Do all your homework each night, and use a daily planner to schedule time for yourself to review for tests, write essays, and complete important projects ahead of time. Stay organized. There are many apps available for your phone and tablet to help you better manage your time and keep track of your assignments. The Complete Class Organizer and iHomework are among the best. Attend all your classes and take notes in each class. Ask questions when you are confused or don't understand something. . Depression -- a persistent feeling of sadness and a lack of energy -- is a common side effect in children who were regularly treated poorly in comparison to their siblings. A common course of treatment will combine antidepressants with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is a therapeutic method that helps you confront your negative thoughts directly and identify counterexamples to construct a logical case against feelings of depression. CBT helps you focus on your feelings and experiences in the here and now in order to develop healthy coping mechanisms to change your depressive thought patterns into more positive ones. If you believe you have depression, consult a therapist to help you get on the road to recovery.

SUMMARY: Stay positive. Manage your emotions. Rebuild your self-esteem. Form healthy relationships. Don't blame your sibling. Keep your grades up. Confront your depression

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: In a broad sense, "sin" refers to anything that falls short of the holiness of God. The easiest to spot are usually actions, but sins can also include thoughts and attitudes. Certain actions are considered sins, but the desire to perform those actions is sinful, as well. For instance, wanting to commit adultery is a sin just as actually committing adultery is. Temptation is not a sin, though. If you're put in a compromising situation with someone you find physically attractive, you may feel tempted to act on that attraction. Actually acting on that attraction and committing adultery as a result, or imagining the act of committing adultery even without doing it, is the sin. Simply feeling tempted to do so is not. Even though mankind was created in the image of God, the fall of Adam and Evethe first humanssignified the fall of all humanity. As a result, humans are sinful by their very nature. In other words, you don't have to be taught how to sin. Sin is already firmly fixed inside of you at the very core of your being from the time of your birth. When Jesus died on the cross, He carried the sins of humanity with Him. Christ's sacrifice canceled out the debt of original sin. In the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were used as a way to repent for the sins of flesh. Even these sacrifices were imperfect, though, so the stain of original sin still remained. As both Son of God and Son of Man, Jesus became the "perfect sacrifice," capable of freeing the human soul from the chains and punishment of original sin. " Accepting Christ and being freed from sin does not mean that you will never do another wicked thing ever again. Christ's sacrifice freed your spirit from the shackles of sin. Your fleshincluding your body, mind, and heartwill still have to deal with everyday sin. Your soul can be free from sin even though your body still sins. Being free from sin on a soul level should mean that you also seek freedom from sin on a physical level, though, even though it can never be permanently reached.

SUMMARY:
Define sin. Accept the sinful nature of humanity. Understand the significance of Christ's sacrifice. Know what it means to be "free from sin.