Problem: Article: Treat yourself with loving compassion and respect. Instead of telling yourself off, speak to yourself calmly. When negative thoughts and feelings come to you, name them. Say "This is the I'm-too-fat thought," or, "Ah, here comes the 'everyone here knows more than me' thought." When you are praised, say "Thank you." If a compliment is innocent and sincere, it is impolite to reject it. To reject a compliment means missing out on the chance for a positive connection with another, and a positive affirmation for yourself. Let your friends and family affirm you. If you are feeling truly down on yourself, you can ask someone you love to tell you something they like about you. Go ahead and return the compliment. Some cruelty comes disguised as kindness. Do you have a friend who is always pointing out your shortcomings? Does anyone in your life make fun of you or criticize you in public or in private? When you are proud of something, does anyone try to take you down a notch by acting nonplussed or condescending? Try to eliminate these people from your life or spend as little time with them as possible. Accept the state you are in before you try making radical changes. If you try to fix yourself without acknowledging your inherent value and loveliness first, you may cause yourself harm. Improving yourself can be fruitful, but you have to love yourself first. Treat yourself like a flourishing garden that needs watering, pruning, planting, and general upkeep: not flood or fire. If you would like to do better in school, first tell yourself "I am intelligent, hard working, and I have dreams and ambitions. I am capable of doing the work I have set out to do." Do this instead of saying, for example, "I'm too stupid and lazy and I failed my last exam and I will fail the next one." Once you have a positive framework, you can work on your plan of action. When there is something you want to work on, you are not eliminating or hiding a flaw of yours; rather, you are learning new skills. Instead of "I'm going to stop talking so much," tell yourself "I'm going to learn how to listen better." Instead of "I'm going to stop being so judgmental," try "I'm going to work harder on understanding and accepting perspectives and lifestyles different from my own." Instead of "I'm going to lose weight," try "I'm going to work on taking better care of my body by exercising more, eating better, and reducing stress." There are a lot of images, beliefs, and ideas that one encounters in the world that may not be realistic to hold yourself or others up to. These may come from the media, from organizations like schools, or held by family and friends. If you find yourself unhappy with some aspect of yourself, you may have to confront these ideas. For example: Looking like a supermodel. Only a very tiny percentage of people can come anywhere close to looking like an actor, model, or the like. Most people are not born gorgeous, thin, and whatever the "in" look is at the moment. Even then, they usually have a whole team of make-up artists, personal trainers, designers, and graphic artists to produce this image. Being less than this is not a flawyou are just normal, which is just fine. If you are holding yourself up to a standard that is unrealistic, of course you will be unhappy. Being a perfect student. Most of education is focused on mathematics, science, and literacy. And while these are important, not everyone has these as strengths. Even brilliant people will flunk a quiz or forget a deadline occasionally. School, unfortunately, does not typically grade how good a friend you are, your artistic abilities, or how athletic you are, your ability to work hard, or your keen sense of adventure. Not being a great student is not necessarily a flawyour strengths may simply lie elsewhere. You can be a successful adult without necessarily being a straight-A student. Not as "high achieving" as other family members. You may be made to feel flawed if you just do not share a family trait that is prized by family members. But you may not be flawed; you are just different. Although a well-balanced, loving family may embrace this, it can be hard to be who you are if you just are not like the others. This may include: Athletic ability/ interest Intellect Political leanings. Faith Interest in family business Artistry
Summary: Avoid self-criticism. Accept affirmation from others. Notice if someone is trying to put you down. Love it before you improve it. Re-frame how you view self-improvement. Recognize unrealistic standards.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Target stains that remain after spot cleaning or general cleaning with undiluted white vinegar or vodka. Similar to spot cleaning, dampen a clean microfiber cloth with vinegar or vodka and blot the stain. Do not over saturate the fabric. Although the smell of vinegar and vodka may be strong when first applied, when these liquids dry the smell should disappear. These kinds of stains can be removed from many fabrics with a thin layer of paste made from a small amount of baking soda and water. Cover the stain completely with the paste. Wait five minutes, then blot the paste from the fabric with a clean, water dampened microfiber cloth. After the majority of the wine stain has been removed, use a general cleaning measure to remove anything that remains. Dampen a microfiber cloth with mild hand soap or dish soap and cold water. Lightly work this mixture into the stained fabric in a blotting motion. With a clean microfiber cloth dampened with cold water, blot the stain to remove the soap. When the stain has faded, wash the fabric as you would normally. Avoid applying heat to blood and other protein stains, as it will usually make them more difficult to remove. In some cases, you might not be able to clean blood stains that have set in the fabric of the furniture. For severe stains, you may need to use soap and cold water several times before the stain fades sufficiently. Allow the fabric to dry naturally in between applications. Specially formulated upholstery cleaner can be found at most general retailers, like Walmart and Target, and hardware stores. Each cleaner will be different, so you should use it according to its label directions. Read the usage instructions of cleaners carefully before purchasing them. Some may be intended for certain fabrics or stains. Some upholstery cleaners may use harsh chemicals that can break down the fabric of your furniture if used too often. You may need to repeat general cleaning measures after the fabric dries from its upholstery cleaner treatment. If the stain remains after the second round of general cleaning, allow the fabric to dry and repeat the upholstery cleaner treatment. Repeat this process as necessary. Professional furniture cleaners have tools and techniques that allow them to remove dirtiness from deep inside the fabric. Schedule a professional cleaning for your furniture about once a year to keep your white furniture in the best condition. If your furniture is especially old or valuable, to prevent accidental damage, you may want to only use a professional service. When a professional cleaner visits, ask them about ways you can maintain and clean your furniture on your own.
Summary:
Eliminate stubborn stains with white vinegar or vodka. Apply a baking soda paste for coffee and wine stains. Remove blood stains from your furniture. Use a suitable upholstery cleaner on remaining stains. Repeat cleaning measures as necessary. Call a cleaning professional.