Problem: Article: The messages you tell yourself determine your perception of yourself, as well as your ability to accomplish your goals. If your inner dialogue is negative, you may become the greatest obstacle to your own success. Look for the following types of statements: "I'm not good enough." "Everyone knows I don't belong here." "I'll probably just fail again." "Everyone else is ahead of me/doing better than I am." "I waited too long/wasted too much time." Notice when your inner voice feeds you negative messages. When this happens, replace that thought with a positive message. Over time, the negative messages should diminish. As an example, you might notice this negative thought: "I'll never be able to finish a race that long." You could replace that with, "Everyone starts somewhere. If I work hard, train smart, and stick to it, I can accomplish my goal." It's normal to have fears, but they can hold you back if they're left unchecked. You need to figure out what you're afraid of so you can confront it. Question the reasons behind your fears, then face them head on to challenge their truth. Ask yourself questions like these: What am I afraid will happen? What in my past has made me afraid to put myself out there? Why do I think I will fail? What will happen if I fail? How can I overcome my fear? Trying to suppress your feelings won't make them go away. Instead, they'll just bubble beneath the surface waiting to explode. Let your emotions come and acknowledge how you feel. Then, release them. For example, you may notice you feel sad about losing a competition. Say to yourself, "I'm sad right now because I really wanted to win." Allow this feeling to pass. Don't let someone else's life become your measuring stick for yours. You'll always come up short because you only see the highlights in their life, not the daily struggles. No one's journey is the same as yours, so you can only compare yourself to you. Use the past version of you as your measuring stick. As long as you're improving upon yesterday, you're on the right track! For example, don't compare your life to what you see posted on social media. People usually post only their best moments and may even misrepresent how well they're doing. It's not a fair comparison!
Summary: Confront your inner dialogue that holds you back. Counter negative inner dialogue with positive self-talk. Determine the source of your fears about failure or success. Acknowledge your feelings without letting them control you. Stop comparing yourself to others.

Problem: Article: When you see your crush, grab his gaze and hold it. Smile at him. Hold that look for a few seconds and then look away. Repeat it again and if he's interested he'll mirror your cues. Use the flick technique: Meet his eyes, let your gaze fall to his mouth, and then lift them so that your eyes meet his again. Pair that with a coy grin. When you know he's watching you, play with your hair a little. This lets him know that you notice him noticing you. Fake it till you make it. The more you allow yourself to relax into the situation and feel comfortable with it, the more confident you will seem. Confidence is an aphrodisiac for men so use it generously. Don't fidget with or hide your hands as its often a sign of nervousness. Place them on your hips or leave them out in the open to promote better posture and signal to him that you are open. Keep your chin up and eyes level at all times, even as you walk to project confidence. Take care of your appearance. Groom with products that leave you smelling good and feeling good: like conditioners, lotions, fragrances, etc. Pay attention to the details. He'll remember you from your back and forth looks. Comment offhandedly about something in class or make a joke. This takes the pressure off an initial one-on-one encounter and can feel a lot more organic than the individual approach attempt. If you're feeling brave, approach him directly. If not, make approaching him more comfortable by setting the scene. The setup will provide the icebreaker you need to get the conversation going. Bump into him and apologize frantically. Place your hand in your hair and laugh at yourself for running into him. Drop something, like a book or a pen, as you walk past him. He will either run after you to return it to you or you can retrieve it yourself and explain that you are clumsy.
Summary: Send cues of interest. Be confident. Approach him with his group of friends. Create an opportunity.

Problem: Article: Regular rainfall is usually sufficient, but if the season is a dry one, water the chickpeas twice a week during the flowering and pod formation stages. Avoid "overhead" watering. Water can get on the flowers and pods, causing them to break off prematurely. Pouring water over the plant can also invite mildew to develop. When you water the chickpeas, water them directly at the soil level. Once the pods mature and the plant begins to die back on its own, cut back on watering the plant. Once every one to two weeks should suffice. Doing so encourages the drying process, which you'll want to the plant to go through before the harvest. Once the weather warms up, you should add a light coat of mulch around the stems. Doing so can retain an adequate amount of soil moisture, which is especially important if your plants are receiving full sun. Mulch can also help prevent weeds from invading the plant bed. You can add a little aged compost or similar organic material to the soil around the chickpeas mid-season. As before, though, you should avoid adding nitrogen-rich fertilizers. Chickpeas work with microorganisms in the soil to produce their own nitrogen, so they receive all the nitrogen they really need. Any excess nitrogen will cause the leaves to grow bushier and may dampen the eventual yield. When removing weeds or adding anything to the soil, you need to work carefully to avoid disturbing the plant's root system. The root system of a chickpea plant is quite shallow, so working too close to the base of the plant can cause damage to its roots. You should also avoid handling the plants when they are wet since doing so can cause fungus spores to spread quickly. Chickpeas are vulnerable to attacks by a range of different pests. You should avoid pre-treating the plant for pests, though, and instead wait until you spot pests before taking action against them. Adult aphids, leafhoppers, and mites can be controlled with a blast of water from the hose or insecticidal soap. After noticing adult pests, look for eggs and crush them between your fingers. Alternatively, simply cut away any leaves with egg cases on them. For notably bad infestations, try a natural and food-safe pesticide containing pyrethrins. You should also keep the garden free of debris to reduce the number of pests. These plants are also vulnerable to a few different diseases, including blight, mosaic, and anthracnose. Plant disease-resistant varieties when possible. To avoid the spread of disease, keep the planting bed free of debris and avoid handling the plants when they are wet. Remove diseased plants and discard them to prevent the disease from spreading. Burn them or put them in the trash, but do not use them for compost.
Summary:
Water regularly. Mulch as needed. Fertilize with caution. Handle the chickpeas carefully. Manage pests as you see them. Keep an eye out for signs of disease.