Article: All of your current desires ultimately stem from who you are as a person, and where you've already been. Before you get on to imagining goals for the future, it's important to have a strong idea of where you already are in life. Set some time aside to ponder who you are, and what you've already done at this point. Would you say you're satisfied with the way your life has turned out? What aspects are you most or least satisfied with? Is there a significant gap between your potential and the life you're currently living? Asking yourself these questions will give you a clearer shot at pinpointing your goals. It's helpful to actually write a few paragraphs about yourself. Frame this as a sort of freewriting exercise. Don't try to edit or micromanage your writing. Give an earnest portrayal of where you're at, including the status of your work, school, hobbies and personal life. Don't be afraid to be extremely personal with it-- no one ever needs to read it but you. After having analyzed your current life, it's not a far stretch to envision the things you'd like to see done differently. Think about the life you have, and use that as a springboard to imagine your ideal life. What would be different? Break down your dream life into aspects-- work, love, social etc. Write a sentence at least for each applicable aspect of your life. Mapping it out as a thought web is helpful as well. The difference between your real life and your ideal life should be the basis for the goals you have for yourself. For example, for describing one aspect of your life, you might write: "I would like to see myself making music on a regular basis and playing concerts for a group of adoring fans." A more practical example might be: "I would like to see myself gain a position at my company where I'm doing work that satisfies and properly challenges me." When you write something down, you make it clear and more defined. If you're already looking to manifest your desires, it's likely you already have some goals in mind. If not, look to the distinction between your real and ideal life as a foundation for your goal making. Putting your goals on paper will make them tangible and concrete. You can write as many goals as you desire, so long as you keep your own human limitations in mind and don't bite off more than you can chew. While you're pursuing these goals in the future, it's a helpful trick to post your goal list somewhere you'll see it every day, such as your refrigerator or next to your bed. Draw out a map if you're more of a visual type. The outline of goals need not look like anything in particular; what's important is that your goals are clearly stated and defined. Looking at the circumstances of your life is not usually enough. If you want to find a realistic way to manifest your desires, you need to look at what you have got to offer yourself. Just about everyone has got something they're particularly good at. Write down a list of five things you at least consider yourself 'better than average' at. Cross-reference your existing skills with the goals you have. Will any of them directly help you fulfill your goals? If not, you'll have to work on learning skills that will. Fortunately, skills and passions tend to line up more often than not. If you want to be a great painter, for instance, you will gladly take the time to hone your skills. It is helpful to write the applicable skills next to the goals you have listed. Some of these will be obvious, but it's a good idea to think of indirectly beneficial skills as well. For instance, a musician requires good musicianship to succeed, but he'll also most likely require teamwork and a keen business sense to get ahead in today's industry. Goals left by themselves are intangible. In order to make your dreams a reality, you will need a clear, and above all, realistic gameplan to reach them by. Everyone is used to having wild dreams, but a real achiever will keep the practical means in mind while thinking about his desires. At the visualization stage, it is enough to write a couple of sentences on how you're going to reach each of your goals. For example, if for one of your goals you have written "I would like to act in movies", something you might write as a method would be: "I am going to start sending my resume and talent info to agents, take bit parts and get my name out there." If you're having trouble finding a specific method to reach a given goal, it's possible your goal isn't specific enough. For instance, writing a goal as vague as "Be successful!" is going to leave you in the dust when it comes to thinking up tangible methods. Rather, try to focus it in so that you might better grasp a means of reaching it. Possible changes could be "Be more successful with musical performance" or "Be more successful in my personal relationships." Above all, be realistic about what you're trying to do. Simply willing something to happen isn't going to make your dreams come true. The most successful people are always ambitious, but never set their sights too high to be possibly achieved. Thinking up big goals without making them tangible will make you feel good at first, but you'll quickly lose focus once it becomes clear there is no proper way to reach them. This can be a bit of a tightrope act. Though you want to be realistic with the goals you're setting yourself, you don't want to be so unambitious that the goals fall short of what you actually desire. Goals that don't push you out of your comfort zone are not going to give you a sense of satisfaction when you reach them. Set your sights just out of reach; that way, you'll have to push the envelope to reach them.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Reflect on your life thus far. Visualize the life you want. Set your goals down on paper. Note your existing talents and skills. Outline methods to achieve your goals. Be realistic.
Article: Some people also develop redness and irritation from using baking soda on their underarms. If this happens to you (or even if you just want to try another method), then this recipe is for you. Begin by gathering the necessary ingredients. You'll need a digital kitchen scale to measure out the ingredients. This recipe calls for: 30g coconut oil 20g Shea butter 10g carrier oil (your preference of almond, castor, or avocado oil all work well) 10g beeswax 15g arrowroot powder 15g food-grade diatomaceous earth 1 vitamin E capsule (400 IU) 10 drops of essential oil If you have a double boiler, you can use it to melt these ingredients together, or you can simply place all of them in a heavy, heat-safe jar and place the jar in a pan of boiling water. Use low heat and stir everything in evenly. The beeswax will take the longest to melt, but have patience. Once the beeswax finally melts and you stir it in, remove the mixture from the heat and give it a couple of minutes to coolup to five. Before the mix hardens and begins to solidify, mix in the rest of the ingredients (break the vitamin E capsule to add it). Whisk all of the ingredients together well to ensure an even distribution of the materials. If you've never tested the essential oil you've chosen on your skin before, then try a drop or two on your underarm first and wait several minutes to make sure that it doesn't irritate your skin at all. This recipe will set into a roll-on solid deodorant fairly quickly. Once the final ingredients are whisked in, you can pour it into a storage container of your choice. A shallow jar will do. You can simply rub some of the deodorant onto your fingers and then apply it to your underarms as needed. If you prefer the familiar, roll-on stick form, then you can pour the mixture into popsicle molds and place them in the freezer for an hour before removing them. Wrap each individual stick in wax paper or parchment paper before storing them to help avoid having them melt together.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Gather the ingredients. Melt the coconut oil, Shea butter, carrier oil, and beeswax together. Remove from heat. Add the arrowroot, diatomaceous earth, vitamin E, and your chosen essential oil. Pour the mixture into your chosen storage container.