Problem: Article: First and foremost, you must decide to break the cycle of apathy. If your thoughts continually lead you toward inactivity and powerlessness, it is time to generate different thoughts. All your thoughts and actions must focus on gaining your power back and learning how to prevent the physical and emotional paralysis that it causes. Participate in activities that generate thoughts and bolster the belief that you have power over your existence, and you can create new possibilities. For example, something as simple as cleaning your living area will show you that you can improve your situation. The signs, symptoms and causes of apathy must be understood. Apathy can manifest in your behavior in ways such as loss of interest, concern and enthusiasm for many things in life. What has taken the wind out of your sails? Have you dealt with a lot of rejection? Was that compounded by your belief that no one listens to you? Have you not reached a certain level of education, work or social status, and you don't think you ever will? Do you have an imbalance somewhere within your body's systems? Only you can answer these questions. There may be physiological, psychological or sociological causes that are either singularly or collectively causing or contributing to the problem. Ask an M.D., medical doctor to run blood work to rule out conditions such as thyroid disease, hormonal imbalances, and other conditions. Apathy is a symptom of many other conditions that can be addressed and treated. Ask an N.D., naturopathic doctor to address the issues an M.D. does not address. An N.D. takes a more holistic approach to healthcare, which can be an effective addition to the care an M.D. provides. For example, an N.D. is specifically trained to address chemical and nutritional sensitivities, and allergies that may be affecting your mood and overall wellbeing. If you hear family and friends trying to "help you" get motivated, they have noticed something might be wrong. From the outside, your apathy might be viewed as laziness. You know this is wrong, but you aren't really sure what you are feeling. When you get locked into an apathetic spiral, it can be tempting to get defensive and want to push back against the people trying to help you. Learn to listen because people are concerned about you. Whether or not you choose to take their advice, at least make an effort to hear them out. It is difficult to feel wrongfully accused of being lazy, especially when you don't know how to get out of the hole you are in. You can say, "I know it might look like I'm being lazy, but in all honesty I just don't feel right. I want to find out what it is so I can feel better." Are you spending the majority of your day by yourself with little to no input from others? Spending the entire day with only your thoughts limits your perception of your life and the world. If you have negative thoughts, then you end up spending the entire day in a negative space. Spend more time with your close friends and family. Don't let yourself become isolated from others. Strike a balance between alone time and time you spend in social situations. Allow yourself to feel uncomfortable in social situations. It is normal. Anything new becomes increasingly easier to do with practice. While it's important to socialize, don't spend time with people you don't like. If you tend to get dragged down into feelings of depression and apathy around certain people, hang out with people you enjoy being around instead. Apathy is often linked with feelings of unworthiness, and can be made worse by constant comparisons to others. Focus on building yourself up rather than tearing yourself down because you think someone is more successful, more beautiful or more talented. Don't let it stop you from trying, caring and engaging with the world and your interests. You are successful, beautiful and talented in your own unique way. Remind yourself what you enjoy doing. Create a list of your joys from the past. When you feel apathetic, you start losing connections to the things that once gave you joy. It can even be difficult to remember what it was that used to get you excited. So sit down and make a list of those things. Keep the list in a place where you can see it. Did playing your guitar used to bring you joy? Pull it out of the dusty case and remember what it feels like. Were you an eager reader who always read the best sellers? Pull a book off the pile you've wanted to read and skim through it. Did you enjoy laughing with friends? Maybe your best friends haven't heard from you in days, weeks, or months. It's time to make contact.
Summary: Break the cycle. Identify the root cause of your apathy. Listen to family and friends. Examine your isolation. Determine if you are unfairly comparing yourself to others. Examine the things you used to enjoy.

Problem: Article: Beekeepers have designated colors to identify queens born in specific years. This helps you pick out the queen quickly, and to figure out if your hive will need a new queen soon. Be sure to choose the right paint color before marking your queen. Any acrylic-based paint is fine. Many beekeepers use model paint or even paint pens. White paint is used for queens marked in years ending in 1 or 6. If the year ends in 2 or 7, use yellow. Use red for years ending in 3 or 8. Green paint is used for years ending in 4 or 9. Use blue for years ending in 5 or 0. Bees can get agitated or even injured if you hold them too long, so be sure your paint is ready for marking before you pick up the queen. Keep the paintbrush or paint pen dipped and ready to go in your other hand or on a small table next to the hive. Gently pick up the queen by her wings or thorax. Be very, very careful when you pick her up--if she struggles, you can accidentally tear her wings or crush her. Some apiaries sell marking kits that let you confine the queen to a small plastic box during marking, but this isn't a requirement. If you accidentally drop the queen, you'll want her to fall back into the hive instead of in the grass or on your beekeeping suit. Keep the queen held over the hive the entire time you're working with her. Dab a small dot of paint on her thorax, immediately between her two front legs. Put on enough paint to make your mark visible, but don't use too much--you could gum up her wings or legs with dried paint. Some beekeepers prefer to clip the queen's wings instead of marking her with paint, but this is optional. If you choose to do this, pick her up gently and trim the bottom quarter of both wings with a small set of beekeeping clippers.
Summary:
Choose the correct paint color. Prepare your paint supplies. Pick her up gently by the wings or thorax. Hold her over the hive. Put a small dot of paint on her thorax. Clip the tips of her wings (optional).