INPUT ARTICLE: Article: No self-hypnosis or mantra will manifest itself in real life if you don't actually mean it. In order for this to be effective, you have to believe in yourself and your actions. And why not? If you do mean it, it could work. If the first time doesn't seem effective, don't write it off automatically. Some things take time to get used to and to get good at. Come back to it in a few days and revisit the experiences. You may be surprised. Open your mind. You have to believe there is a possibility of this working in order for it to work. Any skepticism on your part will impede your progress. If you need proof you're in a trance, there are exercises you can do! Anything that can be seen or felt in your body can work. Try these ideas on for size: Entwine your fingers together. Keep them together throughout your trance, telling yourself that they are stuck together -- almost as if they're covered in glue. Then, try to take them apart. If you find you can't...proof! Think of one arm getting heavier and heavier. You don't need to consciously pick one; your brain will do this for you. Imagine a book on top of it, holding it down. Then, try to lift it up. Can you? Whatever it is you're working toward -- be it confidence, weight loss, positive thinking, whatever -- visualize yourself in the situation acting as you'd like to react or being as you'd like to be. If you want to be thinner, imagine yourself sliding into your skinny jeans with ease, modeling in the mirror, smiling at your beautiful body. The endorphin rush alone will be worth it! Many use hypnosis to get over certain issues like shyness. You don't have to attack the shyness head on; something related will do. Simply imagining yourself going about the world with your head high, smiling, and making eye contact can be the first step toward a more extroverted you. In other words, some people like music to help them enter hypnosis. There are a bunch of hypnosis tracks available online that are just for this purpose. If a certain scene -- water, the rainforest, etc. -- would help, you have it at your fingertips! Timers can be helpful, too. Some find that getting out of the trance is difficult and they lose track of time. If you don't want to accidentally spend hours hypnotized, you can use a timer. Just make sure it has a soothing tone to get you out of it. Find a goal of yours you'd like to achieve and concentrate on it during your relaxed state. Think of the person you'd like to be and be that person. Hypnosis is great for a deep, deep meditation, but it's better in that it can be used for a bigger, better purpose. Many people find that they emerge more positive and with a sense of purpose afterward. Take advantage of that possibility! There is no wrong way to go about this. Whether it's kicking a bad habit, having focus in your work life, or just changing your thinking, hypnosis can help. Getting rid of the stressors in your life is an integral part of being the person you want to become and this will help. And the more you do it, the better and more natural it'll feel.

SUMMARY: Mean it. Test yourself physically. Visualize situations. Use outside things to assist you. Use it to better yourself.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: When you show your boat to potential buyers, you want it to look as roomy and spacious as possible. You also want a buyer to be able to imagine his own gear on the boat, to really make it his own. Leaving your own things in the boat will add clutter and make it hard for the buyer to imagine the boat as his own. Be thorough and scrub every inch of your watercraft before you try to sell it. A dirty boat might turn off potential buyers, and even if the buyer is still interested it will be difficult to get your asking price. Try to make your boat look brand new, and your potential buyers will be impressed. Clean any carpets and upholstery on your boat. Nothing makes a boat look worse than shabby floors and seating. Wipe down the cabinets, lockers, and every other storage area onboard your boat. If you let a professional take a look at the boat, he can tell you about any repairs that the boat may need in the near future. Making those repairs in advance can help you get a better price for your boat. However, some boat brokers recommend holding off on replacing electronics, as sellers typically don't get a very big return on electronics upgrades. If your boat's coat is faded or scratched, it may need some minor touch ups, or even a whole new coat. Pay special attention to the bottom (if it's painted) and the outboard and stern drive skegs. If painting the hull, stick with basic boat hull colors like white or dark-blue. Buyers don't want any funky surprises when they see the boat's colors. No one wants to buy a rusty boat. Even if it's just a few minor spots, treating the rust beforehand can make your boat much more appealing to potential buyers. Use a spray-on rust converter to treat the rust. Apply a coat of paint over any rusted areas that need to be painted. You'll want the coat to look sleek and waxed when you take pictures and show the boat to interested parties. Some boaters recommend using spray-on furniture wax for a short time shine, but you can also buy wax that's made for boats that will stay on longer and look sleeker. Even a clean boat can start to smell a little stale if the windows and hatch are shut for a few days. Open things up and let the cabin air out. If an interested party comes to view your boat in person, he'll notice the difference.

SUMMARY: Remove your gear. Clean the boat. Consider having the boat appraised. Repaint the boat. Treat rust spots. Give it a wax coat. Air out the cabin.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Pick your snake up by the middle of the body and support it with both hands. When holding your snake, hold it away from your face. Pet it in the way the scales go; they don't like it the other way around. Do not handle a snake after it's eaten for 48 hours. Wash your hands after handling your snake. When your snake's eyes glass over it's time for it to shed. Your snake should not be handled at this stage; as they may resort to self-defense, wait until after the shed. Corn snakes do not require misting or a humid hide to have a good shed. However, if they get stuck shed or they don't shed in one piece it's best to mist and provide a humid hide then. After a few days, your snake's eyes will return to normal and a few days after that the shed will happen. You may want to measure and laminate the shed as a record.

SUMMARY:
Handle your snake with care. Know when snakes shed.