When you have found right information, identify key points and requirements specified by company. Start by selecting positions that you match at least 75% of key requirements. Rate their requirements (based on your interpretation) from most important to least important then match their top two or three requirements to your significant accomplishments, even if this requires selecting skills that you do not consider your most valuable.

Does this person have skills we need to meet requirements of this position?

When you answer this question in your cover letter, you lead reader to your resume, and one step closer to landing job you really want. Your cover letter should match, but not repeat, word-for-word information detailed in your resume. Reword relevant accomplishments that you have chosen to highlight in your letter.

If you're like me, however, you may find it difficult to just switch gears, or your negative thoughts are too random to prepare for in advance. I find it much easier to work with second choice. Start playing with thought until mood or energy around it lightens up. There are a number of different ways you can do this. You can visualize thought (the easiest way to do this is to put it in a word balloon, like in comics). Make it big. Make it small. Make it tall and narrow, or short and wide. See it close up, then far away. Add color to it. Take color away. Add sound. Just play with it!

What works well for me is to say it out loud, using funny voices, changing pitch and rhythm, slow, fast, drawing out different words. I find is that after a while, I'm smiling at how silly whole thing is. And negative thought? It just loses its juice. It stops controlling me once I start controlling it. I am constantly amazed at how effective such a simple thing is, that it's possible to start enjoying every thought I have.

'There's nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.' -- William Shakespeare

-------------- Adapted from work of Dr. Christian Almayrac, as described in book 'The Enlightened Smoker's Guide to Quitting' by B. Jack Gebhardt.