INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Look at yourself in a mirror and time how long you can maintain eye contact without blinking. You can also have a staring contest with someone else to test your ability. Having full command over your eye movements will help you maintain steady eye contact with the other person during the hypnosis. Do this by looking at a close object, like a pen or pencil and then a distant object in the room. Hold the pencil close to your face. Focus on the pencil. Move from focusing on the pencil to an object that is further away, like a picture on the wall or a doorknob. Return to focusing on the pencil. Then focus on the distant object. Continue practicing this to improve your focus flexibility. This is your ability to see objects and movements on either side of you without having to turn your head. To improve this ability: Sit in a busy scene outside on a sidewalk. Or sit in front of a TV or computer screen that is playing a busy scene. Try to look at the busy scene with your head turned to one side. Then, look at the scene with your head turned to other other side. Try to see as much of the scene as possible on either side. Make sure you practice from the left and from the right.

SUMMARY: Try to maintain eye contact for long periods of time without blinking. Practice your ability to focus with your eyes. Improve your peripheral awareness.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: . Ultimately, it's best to avoid spending too much time worrying about death and dying. Instead, fill each day with as much joy as possible. Don't let little things get you down. Go outside, play with friends, or take up a new sport. Just do anything that will take your mind off dying. Instead, focus your mind on living. Many people with the fear of death think about it daily. It means that you have a lot of things you want to do in life. Let the fear work through and ask yourself, "What is the worst thing that will happen today?" Today you are alive, so go and live. Surround yourself with people that make you happy and vice versa. Your time will be well-spent and well-remembered when you share yourself with others. For example, you can rest assured that your memory will live on after you die if you help your grandchildren develop happy memories of you. A gratitude journal is a way for you to write down and acknowledge the things you're thankful for. This will help keep your focus on the good things in your life. Think of good things about your life and cherish them. Take some time every few days to write down a moment or thing that you're grateful for. Write in depth, savoring the moment and appreciating the joy you've received from it. Avoid getting involved in bad situations or doing things that can raise your chances of dying. Avoid unhealthy activities like smoking, drug or alcohol abuse, and texting while driving. Staying healthy removes some of the risk factors that can lead to death.
Summary: Live life to the fullest Spend time with your loved ones. Keep a gratitude journal. Take care of yourself.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: To learn from teachers, you must pay close attention. Start by turning off what your brain is saying. You may be thinking about what you had for lunch or what your best friend said. Try to push those thoughts away and put your attention on what the teacher is saying. You may want to turn your head slightly toward them to remind you to listen. As you listen, try to put what the teacher is saying in your own words. That's called summarizing, and it helps you remember what's being said. It can help to take notes. Write down what the teacher is saying in your own words. Don't try to get every word down, as you won't be able to keep up. Just get down the big, important ideas. Everyone has questions, even smart girls! In fact, the smartest people often ask the most questions because they want to learn. If you don't understand something in class or you want to know more, don't be afraid to put your hand up. Someone else probably has the same question, too, so you're helping your classmates out! Working hard is a big part of being smart. If you're not getting a concept, practice it for a little bit each day until you get it. By continuing to work on it, you'll eventually have that "Aha!" moment where things become clear. Set aside time each day to work on the concepts you don't understand, even if you've already moved on in class. If you're having trouble, don't be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes, it just takes someone explaining something a little differently for you to get it. You could talk to your teacher, a friend who understands the material, or your parents. You could even go online to see if you can find a tutorial to help you understand it better. Reading is essential to your learning process. It's how you'll be able to absorb information in many subjects. That means that the better you're able to read and comprehend, the easier you'll be able to pick up new ideas! It doesn't really matter what you're reading, as long as you're reading. Read comic books, novels, picture books, and magazines, or whatever else you like! It can be scary to say what you're thinking at times, but if you use a soft, mumbling voice, people won't take you as seriously. Speak up in a strong, confident voice! You'll feel more confident, and you'll convince other people of your sincerity, too. Try practicing in front of the mirror. Work on saying things in a voice people can hear, saying your words clearly and distinctly. When you work your brain muscles more, you get better at solving problems. Try to put your smarts to work outside school by building things, figuring out how things work, and trying to repair things that break. You can take that problem-solving right back to school! For instance, maybe your kid sister broke one of her favorite toys. Look around the house to figure out if you can find a way to fix it! Don't try to fix appliances on your own, as electricity is very dangerous!

SUMMARY:
Listen by clearing your mind and focusing on the teacher. Ask questions when you have them. Put in the hours to learn the subject outside of school. Read as often and as much as you can. Speak up to show your confidence. Grow your thinking skills outside of school by finding problems to solve.