Avoid such unnecessary phrases as I believe, I feel, and in my opinion. There is no need to remind your reader that what you are writing is your opinion. Self-Reference is another form of qualifying what you say a very obvious form.

I believe, that you do not have to do the job alone. There is within each one of us a "life instinct," which is forever working toward health, happiness, and all that makes for more life for the individual.

This "life instinct" works for you through what I call the Creative Mechanism, or when used correctly the "Success Mechanism" built into each human being. New Scientific Insights into "Subconscious Mind" The new science of "Cybernetics" has furnished us with convincing proof that the so-called "subconscious mind" is not a "mind" at all, but a mechanism-a goal-striving "servo-mechanism" consisting of the brain and nervous system, which is used by, and directed by mind. The latest, and most usable concept is that man does not have two "minds," but a mind, or consciousness, which "operates" an automatic, goal-striving machine. This automatic, goal-striving machine functions very similarly to the way that electronic servo-mechanisms function, as far as basic principles are concerned, but it is much more marvelous, much more complex, than any electronic brain or guided missile ever conceived by man.

This principle suggests several things:

• Don't write a sentence that gets you nowhere.
• Don't ask a question only to answer it.
• Don't merely copy the essay's directions.
• Don't write a whole sentence only to announce that you're changing the subject.

If you have something to say, say it without preamble. If you need to smooth over a change of subject, do with a transitional word or phrase rather than with a meaningless sentence.

Discovery of the self-image explains all the apparent discrepancies we have been discussing. It is the common denominator the determining factor in all our case histories, the failures as well as the successes.

The secret is this: To really "live," that is to find life reasonably satisfying, you must have an adequate and realistic self-image that you can live with. You must find your self acceptable to "you." You must have a wholesome self-esteem. You must have a self that you can trust and believe in. You must have a self that you are not ashamed to "be," and one that you can feel free to express creatively, rather than to hide or cover up. You must have a self that corresponds to reality so that you can function effectively in a real world. You must know yourself both your strengths and your weaknesses and be honest with yourself concerning both. Your self-image must be a reasonable approximation of "you," being neither more than you are, nor less than you are.

Since the object of your essay is to convince your reader, you will want to adopt a reasonable tone. There will likely be no single, clear-cut "answer" to the easy topic, so do not overstate your case. Occasional use of such qualifiers as fairly, rather, somewhat, and relatively, and such expressions as seems to be, a little, and a certain amount of will let the reader know you are reasonable, but overusing such modifiers weakens your argument. Excessive qualification makes you sound hesitant. Like wordy phrases, qualifiers can add bulk without adding substance.

Step one: know what you want

You must know what you want in order to get what you want. Yet this most basic first step is missed by the majority of people. You must know what you want as specifically as possible. This is the magic first step.

Daydreaming about your future will not bring you what you want. Waiting for life to work out the way you've always expected won't bring you what you want. The only way t o get what you want is to decide, with clarity and focus, exactly what you want to create.