from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditAn editor has suggested that this article be merged with: "How to SpecialBe Positive" Per the
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Do you battle cynicism, sarcasm and negativity on a daily basis? Are you ready to change your life from top to bottom? Well, it starts with a positive attitude! If you think positive, the rest will fall into place.
Steps
- First of all, admit that you have a problem. You can't change if you don't admit your faults.
- This is a VERY important step: Surround yourself with positive people! Our lives are shaped by the company we keep.
- AVOID negative influences. Even if it's a family member or close friend, do not tolerate their bad behavior. Steer clear from it so that it will not rub off on you!
- This is difficult, but you may want to consider letting go of any friend whose behavior is holding you back from achieving your goal. It could simply be time to make new friends.
- Replace negative thoughts with something positive. If you're thinking something that isn't pleasant, think the opposite. If you do this long enough, it will make a huge difference.
- Find an optimistic quote or saying and keep it in your wallet or pocket at all times for a quick reference.
- Have goals. Goals give you a more positive outlook on life. Those who are bored with their lives and feel stuck usually feel depressed.
- Listen to positive music. It's a great way to remain positive.
- Smile at strangers.
- Remember that no matter how bad you believe things are, there is still someone who is worse off than you.
- Fake it! If you don't feel positive, fake it anyway. Try this long enough and you may just start to feel positive anyway. (It really works.)
- Volunteer or help others. Helping others leads to a happier outlook on your own life.
- If you are spiritual, read uplifting bible verses, pray and develop a closer walk with God. With God, all things are possible. Good luck!
Tips
- Print these instructions and keep them with you for reference.
- Don't give up! Bad habits don't change without much perseverence.
- Hang around positive people and you will be like them. Hang around negativity and guess what...
Warnings
- There will always be someone who hates your positive outlook. Don't let it bother you. You should simply overlook these people and let them wallow in their unhappiness. They will not change until they are ready.
Things You'll Need
- Perseverence
- Optimism
- Passion and purpose
- A willingness to change
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Be More Positive. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditDo you feel
unhappy about certain things in your life? Are things going badly, and do you want to change it to the
positive? Well, you just came to the
right article, here you can read what to do.
Steps
- Find things that make you happy.
- Surround yourself with the right activities and the right friends that bring opportunities for happiness into your life.
- Many people always think of the worse but never the better view of any situation.
- Negative people and their negative thoughts will only bring un-fulfillment into your life.
- Toss their way of life aside as you would a bad piece of candy, and enmesh yourself with people who have the way to enjoy life and living and will share happiness with others.
- Don't let things down.
- If you or a loved one has a setback either in a job or in a personal situation, look for the positive in that situation instead of moaning about the negative effects.
- If your lose your job, then think about the prospect of finding a better job that pays more, has shorter working hours and can lead to a better more enjoyable daily life.
- With every negative, there is always a positive, and thinking about that will set you on the path in which you can make progress toward happiness.
- Be positive in thoughts and actions by sharing with others.
- Instead of looking at a glass as half empty, look at it and see that it is half full.
- When you feel down then help others who need help by volunteering.
- Serve at a food kitchen and see what it means to not even have food to eat.
- Help build a house for those that have no home.
- Teach English to some who do not know the language, so that they can get a better job.
- There are so many ways to to help others, so find ways to benefit others: at the same time you will feel the joy inside of you by doing this for the betterment of others.
- Make short term goals in all facets of your life.
- Instead of making huge goals for yourself make them shorter and easier to accomplish.
- For instance, if you want to lose weight, do not look at a huge amount of weight you may need to lose. Set your goal for losing only 10 lbs.
- This you can accomplish more easily, but it's much more difficult to lose 50 lbs at once.
- Keep setting the goal for only another 10 lbs -- until one day you will see the 50 lbs weight are lost.
- Remember every 10 lbs is one clothing size less and look forward to buying new clothes after that weight loss...
- Think of your possibilities for achievements in education or training that are within reach instead of far down the road.
- Find what kind of course of study you can take to begin to make progress toward your goals.
- You now must realize that each improvement in your education is progress; so do not park on a side-track, but keep moving onward along the main track.
- Find the motivation for your life in your emotional and spiritual life.
- Your conscious life is but a result of your overall efforts toward helping others and leading a positive life.
- Your subconscious life will line up with your conscious, positive thoughts and achievements as you feed you mind with the necessary ingredients for cooking-up a cornucopia of joy and thanksgiving.
- Find new life in your spirit as you find other positive people serving God with a positive mind and an enlightened spirit.
- If you do that, you will be happier as you make progress. These goals can be actually achieved. Keep that thought in mind and you will succeed.
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Keep Yourself Happy. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditThis article is a stub. You can help by
expanding and clarifying it. Notice added on 2006-05-31.
The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius once said, "our lives are what our thoughts make it."
Steps
- Realize that only a few things are in our power to control.
- What power do you have over your death? Or whether or not someone likes you? Or being laid off from work? Answer: little to none
- Can you stop the sun from rising or the wind from blowing? No. So why worry about things you cannot control. Learn to accept them. Accept them. What you can control is your reaction to events.
- With your worrying all the time, you're never having the fun that you want, or anything that you want to accomplish in life .
- "Your life is what your thoughts make it."
- Be sure that anyone that you always admired, faced, in the beginning of their life, what you are facing now. So relax and accept yourself as it is and develop it.
- Always remember that we are human and no one is perfect under any circumstances however, everything can be changed and improved as well.
- Remember that you are in control of your life. You have the power to change. Don't be afraid of change, embrace it and become comfortable with yourself and your surroundings so you don't have to worry about things.
- Do what you like to do, that will calm you down. If you are worried about something,that will take your mind off it.
Tips
- Just try and relax
- Try and give other people to go and do something, for they probably are thinking the exact same thing, and its only fair if you share it share it equally.
- Try reading the Tao Te Ching or other spiritual literature. The Power Of Now by Eckhart Tolle is also a good read.
- Don't worry; Be happy.
Warnings
- This advice is for common worrying. If you think this is chronic you may need to see a doctor. Depression, anxiety, and your health could cause worry.
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditBe yourself; everyone else is already taken. - Oscar WildeIt's quite possibly the most commonly used phrase in the history of advice: Be yourself. But it's such a vague adage. What do they really mean when they tell you to be yourself? And is it really as easy as it sounds?
Steps
- Find yourself. You can't be yourself if you don't know, understand, and accept yourself first.
- Stop caring about how people perceive you. The fact is, it really doesn't matter. It's impossible to be yourself when you're caught up in wondering "Do they think I'm funny? Does she think I'm fat? Do they think I'm stupid?" To be yourself, you've got to let go of these concerns and just let your behavior flow, with only your consideration of others as a filter—not their consideration of you.
- Be honest and open. What have you got to hide? You're an imperfect, growing, learning human being. If you feel ashamed or insecure about any aspect of yourself—and you feel you have to hide those parts of you, whether physically or emotionally—then you have to come to terms with that and learn to convert your so-called flaws into individualistic quirks.
- Relax. Stop worrying about the worst that could happen, especially in social situations. So what if you fall flat on your face? Or get spinach stuck in your teeth? Learn to laugh at yourself both when it happens and afterwards. Turn it into a funny story that you can share with others. It lets them know that you're not perfect and makes you feel more at ease, too.
- Develop and express your individuality. Whether it's your sense of style, or even your manner of speaking, if your preferred way of doing something strays from the mainstream, then be proud of it.
- Have a Productive Day. Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and that some days, you're the statue. People might raise eyebrows and even make fun, but as long as you can shrug and say "Hey, that's just me" and leave it at that, people will ultimately respect you for it, and you'll respect yourself.
- Believe in who you are. If you're always working to be someone you're not, you'll never be a happy person. Be yourself and show the world you're proud the way you are! Yea and don't forget that being yourself and honesty is the best policy! :-)
Tips
- There's a difference between being yourself and being rude. You might have your opinions, dreams, and preferences, but so does everybody else. You don't have to disrespect people who disagree with you in order to be yourself; they're not you.
- If fads or trends strike your fancy, don't avoid them! Being yourself is all about reflecting who you are inside in what you do, and what you like is what you like, no matter how trendy it is (or not trendy, for that matter)!
- As the famous song goes, "Life's not worth a damn until you can say, I am what I am" - when you can sincerely say it, you will know that you can be yourself.
- If you don't agree on what people express as an opinion you don't need to argue their point or be rude about it, and don't just act like you agree either because then you would acting falsely.
- Even if you are interested in something that most people aren't interested in don't be afraid or hide it, stand up and show your true inner self. People will know how confident you are.
- Don't worry about anything but being yourself and living life to the fullest!
- These tips can be internalized and appreciated by learning to give maximum priority to 1. What you like maximally 2. What satisfies you for maximum time and 3. What can be shared with maximum people. This process goes on simultaneously with your blossoming which also goes on continuously [Cf: Namasmaran: Dr. Shriniwas Kashalikar]!
Warnings
- Just because you don't care about how people perceive you doesn't mean you shouldn't be aware of it, especially in situations where being yourself might be misinterpreted. For example, you might enjoy being friendly and flirtatious, but in some cultures, that might be perceived as a sexual invitation, and you could get yourself in trouble.
- Don't lose yourself when you're with other friends. Be yourself. Don't be someone else so other people will like you because, in the end, you end up hurting other people and losing yourself.
- Keep in mind that 'being yourself' is not always the right thing to do. Would you tell a despicable person to just be himself and not change a thing? No. Most of the time when people in general perceive you a certain way, it means you don't fit in to your society. Whether you WANT to fit in or not is up to you, but you are only setting yourself up for trouble when you neglect society's ways. (That is, unless you decide to live in a cave for the rest of your life.)
- That said, obviously nobody is perfect. However, if you are outrageously flawed (for example, have a short temper) then you should look into some self-improvement rather than ignoring everyone's cues and 'being yourself.' Don't deny yourself of the truth by saying it's everyone else's problem and not yours.
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from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditEveryone has something they are good or great at.
Some people don't know what their niche is yet,but finding what you are passionate about isn't as hard as it may seem, and once you find it, it's one of the best feelings in the world.
Steps
- Grab a pen and a piece of paper. Prepare to make a list.
- Ask yourself some simple questions, like:
- What are my goals?
- If I could do one thing for the rest of my life, what would it be?
- What do I love to do?
- What would I do, even if I didn't get paid to do it?
- Dig deep within yourself, think about what you love to do with your spare time, and whether it's something you could do full time.
- Combine your talents. Maybe you have more than one talent, like doing tricks on a BMX, and you love to write. Could you see yourself writing books on BMX riding and tricks, or true stories about how those riders started out doing what they love?
Tips
- Take as long as you need to, your ideas may not come to mind right away, but in no time, you will find that you already are passionate about something, you just need to trust your instincts. If it feels right, give it a shot.
Warnings
- Don't just dive into an instinct full force. Everything takes patience, careful planning, and a lot of dedication.
- Something you do as a hobby can quickly become a grind if you decide to try to make a living at it. If it turns out that doing it full time makes you love it less, consider returning to your previous duties. Take a vacation from your "passion" activity for awhile, then try it again to see if you can rediscover your love for it.
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from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditDo you want to be one of those happy, popular people who everyone seems to
love? Now you can!
Steps
- Change your attiude..If you want to be loved, love everyone! Be nice, gentle and friendly toward everyone, even if they are not nice back. No one can ever find fault with you if you are the kindest person ever.
- Do the basics, like shower everyday, wash and condition your hair every other day, wear deodorant, brush your teeth 2-3 times a day, use mouthwash if you have bad breath, and look after your skin.
- Speak up! People admire those with opinions more than those who never have their say and let everyone else rule their lives.
- Smile, and look approachable
- Don't ignore people or talk about them behind their backs.
- Be helpful! Lend people things, help them with homework or chores, offer to help with their shopping... be there and be willing to help.
- Have time to listen. The greatest thing you can have for everyone is time! Listen to peoples problems, and do your best to give solid, good advice.
Tips
- Smile
- Don't shout at people, or say they are stupid if they don't understand something straight away.
- Be patient with everyone.
- Treat everyone as you would like to be treated.
- Try to be funny. People ALWAYS love someone that can make them laugh. If you need help with this see How to be Funny However, know when NOT to be funny, like when a person needs consolation. In that case, offer advice.
Warnings
- Don't be a pushover. Even though you are being nice, friendly and gentle, do not let people walk all over you.
- Some people just don't love everyone. Don't let it get you down if some people still hate you. There are many more good friends out there.
- Don't be a seeker. If you accept, love and respect yourself uncnditionally appropriate people not all would love you and make you happier person.
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from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditLife is short, and we all need to step back and realize how great it really can be. This guide will hopefully help you to
love your life and everything about it.
Steps
- Be optimistic. Think of life in the best way possible, look at the glass as half full, and find the better side of every situation. You would be amazed at how much more there is to life than the negative.
- Live every moment to the fullest. Don't waste a single second being sad, bored, or lonely. Get out there and dance, and sing as if no one was around. You never know how much longer you have to do so.
- Be selfless. Give more than you receive, and share with others. Do less for yourself, and more for the people around you. Also when you do the right thing you get a fantastic feeling inside.
- Laugh often. This is possibly the most important point in this how-to guide. Laughter is the number one most important thing in life. Laugh much, and smile often.
- Live in the present. Forget about the past, as there is nothing you can do about it. Don't worry about the future, as what is to come is to come, and if you forget to live in the moment, you would be surprised at how quickly time can slip.
- Be yourself. Be outgoing, and live up to your own standards, not anyone else's. Who cares what others think about you? Who cares if you can't sing, can't dance, or if your clothes don't match. Do what you want to do, and be who you want to be.
- Be kind to everyone. Kindness is the key to unlocking your own happiness and joy. If others notice your kindness, they will gratefully return it. Make as many close friends as you can, and help them when they are down, as you never know when you will need them to catch you.
- Stand there. Sometimes just standing somewhere quiet or peaceful and get thinking about what you have achieved, what you are about to achieve, or what you want to achieve, and sometimes just sometimes it will hit you... a feeling of utmost respect for life.
- Do what you enjoy If you have always wanted to learn something, or feel like improving on something you already do, go for it! Don't let anyone stop you from doing what you love, and if you feel comfortable doing it then don't hold back. If you do your going to regret it.
Tips
- Be yourself, be yourself, be yourself. It is extremely important. Don't try to be someone your not because eventually people will see you for who you are and won't like you anymore plus why hang out with people who don't like you for who you are
- Love yourself!
Warnings
- Don't let others put you down. When someone else feels the need to say something negative to you, its their problem not yours, just keep on livin'.
- Don't dwell on self-pity.
- The only one who is going to take care of you is you.
Things You'll Need
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from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditNeed that inspiration to write? Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing again.
Steps
- Never wait for an idea to strike you. This is usually a waste of time. Instead, try some fun writing exercises which keep your brain working, thinking, making connections, and so on.
- Listen to people talk. In other words, eavesdrop. Listening in on a conversation you know nothing about can give you a great idea. You can make up ideas about what happened before, and what is going to happen.
- Play Spark the Image. This is an easy game. To play, start off with any word or object of your choosing. Envision your object, and try to think of the first thing that pops into your head that associates with your object. Do the same for the next word/object that you think of. For example, you might run through the following: yellow -> duck -> goose -> Mother Goose -> rhymes -> poetry -> Edgar Alan Poe -> Alan, your cousin -> your other cousin -> your family -> family dinner -> childhood, and so on. Use this as a quick warm-up.
- Freewrite! Pick a subject and keep writing about it for two minutes. Write as fast as you can and do not stop for anything, even punctuation, grammar, spelling, etc. Review your work as you're bound to find something! Even if you don't pick a subject first and start out with how boring your day was, you'll get yourself warmed up and writing, and you might just let your mind wander to something that turns out useful.
- Make a "What if..." list. Give yourself a scenario of about ten different problems that you might run into. Try to write up to three pages, focusing on adding at least two of these situations into the piece.
- Return to saved things! Read the story that you wrote in first grade about the time you lost your mitten. Read all the writings you saved. When you go back to it, you might find something inspiring.
- Have an open-minded spirit! When you have an idea, try to stick with it. If it turns out it's worthless, as least you tried.
- Play the "Name Their Story" game. This is also easy to do. Observe a stranger somewhere, such as at the mall or in a bus station and tell (imagine) his or her story using whatever clues you choose. It might be based on clothing, general demeanor, hair color, or the types books of the person is carrying under his or her arms. Whatever the outcome, it can spark some surprising observations and get your writing flowing. You can do this with an object, too. Find an item that attracts your attention and imagine where it might have been.
- Think of issues that you feel are important. These are easier to write about because you will probably know more about them than other things.
- Get outside. Go to the nearest park, and bring your notebook and pencil. Eavesdrop on others and observe persons' actions. Take notes. When you get home, write about what you say, using your notes.
- Think of something you are passionate about.
Tips
- Most stories start with a good character - make a couple and put them together into the same story.
- Work on dialog, an area that most writers struggle with. It can often help your writing become much more realistic.
- Keep a voice recorder handy. Record your thoughts in the most possible words to best describe the tone or color of the idea. Later, listen to and revise your flow of your words to best express this tone/color, so that a third person would be able to comprehend it easily.
- Carry around a small pocket notebook to jot down ideas, characters, opening sentences, or anything at all that makes you think, "Hey, that's pretty cool!"
- To be a writer, you must be a reader first. Love reading!
- People watch! Go to an area that you're fond of (airport, mall, or just in school or work) and watch the people around you. Don't make judgments, but attempt to look into their past. This is very useful for character development.
- Keep a notebook or a few index cards handy. Your mind may be better at creativity and free associating when you're doing something else, like walking somewhere. Be ready to grab those ideas as they wander past.
- You can use your cellphone to make tiny notes, observations etc about people, places and objects if you are unable to carry a notebook with you.
Warnings
- Never plagiarize another person's writing. This can lead to legal issues and will also destroy your reputation as a writer of any caliber.
- Typing and/or writing can lead to Repetitive Stress Injuries [RSIs] or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome [CTS].
- Too much writing can cause damage to fingers. Write in moderation.
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from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditYou'll be able to find anything and everything from useful things like free soap, free subscriptions, free deodorant, and free hotel stays to things as farfetched as free land in the USA.
Steps
- Search, search and search...and you won't be disappointed! Google, Yahoo and the other search engines will become your best friends in your quest for Freebies..
- Find general free offers at sites such as The Free Site, and About.com, which lists links to many freebie sites featuring books, phone services, and kids' stuff...and at Totally Free Stuff, which features freebies, samples and free stuff recommended by website visitors.
- Find targeted free items from your list. Start with the most farfetched; Free Land at http://www.ownapieceofamerica.com, then free soapsuds at http://www.thefreesite.com and even free magazine subscriptions at http://www.favoritefreebies.com/free_magazines.htm
- Talk to others. So many people search for free things on the Internet that they're busy most of the time telling everyone else about their finds via Forums. Try http://www.heyitsfree.net/forums/
- Look up Open Source software. Almost all of that is free.
Tips
- IMPORTANT! Make a list and check it twice to make sure the "free" offers are really Free and not certain type of "affiliate offers" that require you to complete forms and even require you to supply a credit card number to pay partial costs or handling charges if you want to receive your "free" item.
Things You'll Need
- A Web browser, I recommend Firefox
- A Frugal Mind
- A Lot of Free Time
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from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditOratorical Contests and certain classes will often ask for impromptu speeches to be made. With this guide, even those with the most absolute stage-fright will succeed.
Steps
- Get used to talking in front of other people. The truth is that even the most calm of speakers still shake when they get up there. Sitcom-Stars still get nervous on live episodes.
- Remember your audience. Always make eye-contact with them. Not only will this help the audience not fall asleep, but it will also make you more confident. If your eyes fall upon that one teenage boy who's goofing off and totally not listening, ignore him.
- Try and get the audience involved. If you've ever had to listen to someone who mumbles through the whole thing, doesn't look up, and is just plain boring, you know how horrible that is. Try and get your audience pumped up.
- Try and twist your topic. If you get a topic about something that you can't relate to, try and morph it into something that's only vaguely related, but still related enough to make sense.
- Incorporate Humor. Everyone loves to laugh!
- If you're facing a more serious impromptu speech, you have to be confident about yourself. Chest out, back straight, eyes ahead. It will give you an air of significance and make you a little intimidating, as well.
Tips
- Be passionate about whatever your topic is. You have to embrace what you're talking about with arms wide open.
- Take advantage of an eager audience. Remember, once you have the audience, you have the judges/teachers.
- Try to read lots of books on a wide variety of topics, that way you'll have loads of examples to incorporate into speeches
Warnings
- Make sure there's nothing about your appearance that could possibly embarrass you. Have a trusted friend (or better yet, a mirror) tell you if you have anything stuck in your braces/teeth. Make sure there's no toilet paper on your shoe, etc.
- Be careful to not say something offensive. Not only can it harm you standings in competition, it can also make you look like a bad person.
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from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditMore than ten ways to entertain your child or others' for $10 or less.
Steps
- Tell a story. Read a favorite book or make up a story together.
- Tell a joke. Learn a simple magic trick.
- Sing a song together.
- Blow bubbles. Mix two quarts of warm water with 1/4 C. Dawn or Joy dish washing liquid and 1 Tbsp. Glycerin and then use funnels, canning jar rings and anything else you can find for bubble blowers. Turn the backyard into a bubble festival.
- Visit a neighborhood park, the library, a pet store, a Japanese garden, a berry patch or a children’s museum. Take along a picnic.
- Keep a collection of interesting rocks, dried flowers, pennies or a jar of worms. Put six worms in a jar half-filled with soil. Cover the soil with some old leaves. Keep the jar in a cool place and wrap with dark paper to keep the light out. Unwrap the paper to peer at the worms. Keep the dirt moist by sprinkling with a few water drops every few days.
- Grow. Plant fast growing scarlet runner beans seeds. Grow a sweet potato vine. Put the narrow end of a sweet potato in a glass of water and wait three weeks. Keep the water clean, change as needed. Once the potato sprouts move it to a sunny window.
- Build a play house of cardboard boxes, a fort made of card tables and blankets or sheets or a ramp for toy cars with an ironing board.
- Explore. Take a walk on the lookout for bugs, flowers or anything that catches your eye. Lift rocks. Peer into puddles. Take along a magnifying glass, eyedropper, small plastic spoons, ice cube tray, tweezers, flashlight and jars with lids.
- Camp. Pitch a tent in the backyard and sleep outside. Look up at the stars. Gaze at the moon. Imagine. Tell stories. Giggle.
- Play with water in wading pools, washtubs or sinks. Paint with water on the sidewalk, patio, fence or house. Make mud pies or sandcastles. Mix half a box of cornstarch with a cup of water to make a fun cornstarch goo. Use funnels, spoons, cups, scoops, buckets and bottles.
- Make finger jello, frozen bananas, frozen orange slices or easy “ice cream” sandwiches. Combine plain or vanilla yogurt with peanut butter to a good consistency for spreading. Mix well, spread between two graham cracker squares. Store in containers and freeze.
- Give a child an hour of your time for free time fun. They’ll keep you busy. And love you for it!
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Sources and Citations
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Entertain Kids. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditIndividuality is how one expresses him or herself. Once you learn
how to be yourself, let others know!
"Be yourself, everyone else is taken!"
Steps
- "you can be whatever you want to be but don't change yourself for society"
- "mirror, mirror on the wall, you are great JUST as you are"
- Be true to yourself - the loreto way.
- Know exactly who you are. Figure out your likes and dislikes, and what's unique about you.
- Make a list of the things you like. You can make this fun, and no one has to see it but you. Be completely honest with yourself.
- Mold your life around what you like. It's alright if you like to make other people happy, it's good to be able to bend a little for other people. However, don't wear something to make someone else like you. Don't do the 'cool' things if you don't like them.
- Decorate your room the way you want it to be. If you want certain colors on your walls, buy some paint and get started! Whether you want to hang paintings or posters, or if you want to put flowers or a collection of yours on your shelves, make sure your room reflects you as a person.
- If something unique catches your eye, and you like it, buy it! This could be a pair of earrings, an unusual handbag or just an item of clothing that you think shows your personality well, don't be afraid to wear it.
- Make your clothes as individual as you. Make a boring t shirt into something of your own by applying beads, sequins, badges, fabric paint, buttons, chains, ribbon, sewing detail, eyelets, iron on images and much more!
- If you don't like current fashions, make your own! Put together pieces of clothing that you wouldn't normally consider as a combination. Layer your clothes and accessories, and if it looks good, wear it!
- Don't be afraid to put your personal touches into an outfit. You could be wearing a fashionable dress, but it would be individual if you added the necklace that was passed down from your grandmother, an special pair of shoes or a pair of earrings that mean something to you.
- Wear clothes that you like. Don't feel pressured to wear something just because its fashionable. If you like a certain style of clothing or certain colors, wear them with pride. Ignore what everyone says, because as long as you like them, it does not matter what they think.
- Be happy with yourself and what you like and your personality is what makes you you no one is alike so you are the only you there is.
- Make your phone individual! You can buy stick on gems, rhinestones or just stickers, or you could buy a cool phone charm, phone case or phone holder. If you can, put songs on your phone that you like and have them as your ringtone. Or if your phone has the feature, make your own ringtones! You could have a picture of you and your family or friends, or a pet, as your wallpaper. You could also do this on your computer.
- Customize things to make them your own. Put stickers on your school books (if you are allowed), decorate your bedroom with fairy lights or charms, or brighten up a boring bedroom wall with a notice board filled with pictures of all the people and things that are special to you.
- Listen to the type of music that you like, and not whats popular. If you like a certain type of music, such as rock, listen to it and don't be afraid to tell people that you listen to it.
- Say what you feel and be honest. If you lie, you aren't showing your true feelings and letting people know how you truly feel. Tell people your dreams, your likes, dislikes, no matter how weird it feels.
- Check yourself in the mirror before going out. This may seem vain, but if what you see doesn't make you smile, then it's not worth it. If you find yourself adjusting your clothing constantly, it's obviously not something you're comfy in. Doesn't matter what it is, it needs to make you feel good when you see yourself!
Tips
- Make changes gradually, don't change everything in your life at once.
- Be yourself—not anyone else.
- Prioritize, figure out what is more important to you
Warnings
- Think about making a change, will it affect your relationship with someone else? What is more important to you... friendships could be lost.
- Changing too much at once can cause an overload of stress...relax.
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Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Express Your Individuality. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditWe are presented with a plethora of alternatives. Critical thinking helps us analyze each alternative and choose one over the other. Colleges are paid good money for developing our critical thinking skills. Whether it be for critiquing a wikihow article, considering a business proposal, or analyzing a poem, these simple steps will help you:
Steps
- Understand your own purpose: Criticism, especially artistic, is subjective. What do you want to achieve by your critique? Do you want to evaluate an artistic work, or an objective business proposal?
- Understand the purpose of the person whose work you're analyzing: Most criticism goes off its target simply because the critic doesn't take into account what the writer or painter wants to convey. The writer may aim for and hit the branch, while you may think he has actually missed the bird on the branch. Has the writing or painting succeeded in accomplishing its original purpose?
- Know the alternatives: Research works related to the one you're reviewing. Criticism can only be done by a standard: A thing is higher or lower in relation to something. Find out about contemporary writings and similar endeavors in past ages. If you are evaluating whether to buy a car from someone, find out how much other options like buying second-hand, or renting a car will cost you. If you can find nothing related, let the standard be your own vision of how the project should shape up, or how the originator of the proposal wants it to shape out.
- Learn logic: Study how an argument is constructed, what premises are, and how the conclusion is reached. Then study the fallacies of logic, and practice pointing them out in your daily life.
- Learn the critical jargon: Every field has different critical jargon. For example, in poetry terms like alliteration, enjambment, and the trochaic meter, show that you know what you're talking about. These terms will help make your critique more concrete, and give you hotspots on which to focus your critique.
- Use the GBI technique: The lateral thinking psychologist Edward de Bono states that we should list the Good, the Bad and the Interesting points.
- Don't just say you don't like it, say why you don't like it, and add suggestions to make it better.
Tips
- Don't be absolute, yet don't be timid in your criticism: Try to avoid absolutes like "never", and use them only when you're completely sure. However, at the same time, be assertive in your criticism. Think how much less motivating this saying would be: "Slow and steady, in certain cases, wins the race."
- Use libraries and the Internet, to find out information on the topic you're critiquing. An uninformed critique is sometimes worse than one merely executed badly.
- Ask for other people's opinions. They most likely will offer a new perspective which could change your approach. Consider people both from different age groups and different occupations.
- Practice critiquing, as you'll get better at it. Take notice if others critique your critique.
- You can something critique much, much better if you can actually do it. Only a writer can properly analyze another's works, for example.
- Read other people's critiques in newspapers and books, and learn from their mistakes and strengths to improve your own style.
- Be diplomatic. Your aim is not the person himself, but the proposal he puts forward.
Warnings
- Give criticism in a non-offensive way. People get defensive if something they pride themselves on gets attacked. Prefacing criticism with praise usually works well.
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from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditIf you're reading this you're probably really bored and, at the moment, have no one to be with. Whether you long for a girlfriend, or miss your family and friends, this guide can help you cope with living alone. Keep in mind that humans are indeed social animals, but that doesn't mean that we can't be perfectly happy outside of society too.
Steps
- Be happy. Live a life of optimism. Happiness comes from within regardless of your situation, so don’t use any excuses, such as being alone.
- Do everything you would normally do with a partner or friend. Many times it isn't the partner or friend you are missing, but the activities and hobbies you shared. Take yourself out for a date. For example, if you would have gone out to dinner or to a movie on a date, then take yourself out to a movie or to a nice restaurant. Don't hold yourself back.
- Learn something new.
- Learning is the most important aspect of living alone. It helps to keep the boogieman away, and also gives you something to talk about when you do have to actually enter society.
- Learning is also incredibly more efficient when you don't have social responsibilities like family to take care of, or a girlfriend or boyfriend to entertain.
- Learning isn't just exclusive to books (although they are a great source of knowledge). You can learn to do anything by just practicing. Enrolling in classes is fun and also helps with the social life - you will meet new people in your classes. If you're not so much into the meeting people, the Internet is a great way to learn pretty much everything (That's what this site's for!).
- Consider learning: Indoor Activities: A Foreign Language, Painting, Yoga, Art Appreciation, A Musical Instrument such as piano or flute. Outdoor Activities: Gardening,Fencing, Tennis, Golf. Or Combination - things you can do indoors and out: Photography, Drawing.
- Get a pet.
- Humans need affection, without it they become bitter and hate the world around them. Pets are always a source of affection and will give loads of it endlessly.
- Pets also provide someone to talk to. No, it's not weird that you talk to your pet, it's weird if you don't. Just be cautious that your pet doesn't talk back. If so, seek professional help.
- If you are aloof and self-sufficient, tropical fish, hamsters, budgies or finches are great choices. If you like a little interaction, but not a lot of maintenance, try a cat. If you want to be very hands-on, spend lots of time and get lots of feedback, a dog is for you.
- Read.
- Now may be the time to catch up on some of your reading. Not only is it fun and enjoyable, but it's also self-education and a way to round yourself as a person.
- Consider spending some time with classics such as "Moby Dick," "A Christmas Carol," "Romeo and Juliet," "The Martian Chronicles," or "Tales of Mystery and Imagination."
- Or choose a genre to explore: Sci-Fi greats include "Stranger In a Strange Land," "Fahrenheit 451," and the "Dune" series. Horror: "Salem's Lot," "The Stand," and "Dracula." Fantasy: "Lord of the Rings," "Chronicles of Narnia," and "Harry Potter." Or just regular fiction: "East of Eden," "To Kill a Mockingbird," or "A Farewell to Arms."
- Poetry is cool, too, and nothing makes you look cooler than when someone says, "Oh my God, you actually know that by heart?" Great poetry: "Charge of the Light Brigade," "Ulysses," "She Walks In Beauty," "How Do I Love Thee," and Shakespeare's Sonnets - #29 is great!
- Join an on-line community.
- One of the most popular online societies is that of World of Warcraft, but there are several on-line multi-player games that will welcome you with an abundance of online buddies.
- Don't limit your online activities to just games. Join forums or chat rooms to meet new people also. Take whatever you're interested in and find other people like you.
- Think. Be introspective. Contemplate or ponder things.
- Above all, contemplation is one of the most important self-building things you can do. Think about what makes you you. What do you believe in? Why? Are there any things that don't seem right to you? What do you believe at face value (or accept as a matter of faith)?
- Philosophy is a great way to improve your thinking and reasoning skills. It will give you interesting topics that will stretch and bend your brain to help you understand your view of reality. Keep in mind that just because someone believes in something it doesn't mean you have to if you don't like it.
- Philosophers: Socrates, Plato, Nietzsche
- Exercise.
- Now is the time to get that body you've always wanted. Instead of just pigging out on junk food and sitting in front of the TV all night, do some push-ups or sit-ups.
- Rediscover the fun to be had in simple exercises. Riding a bike around your neighborhood becomes less work and more fun as you do it.
- Be consistent. Exercise takes willpower and diligence. Make a schedule and stick to it. Keep it easy at first and you will discover your limits. Or, join a gym and create new friends there.
- Go outside. It's a big world out there, and you're only seeing a small fraction of it. Forget the people, just enjoy what life has to offer. Once you do that, then people will want to know and be with you. Frankly, you won't have a choice but to have friends!
Tips
- Be careful of who you trust. Don't be too eager to meet someone you just met on-line. Try to always meet in a public place and it's best to bring along someone you trust.
- Keep your mind as active as possible. It will help you cope with the fact that you are alone and will also help you improve yourself.
- If you're going to go out, make sure your neighborhood is safe. If not go to a safer neighborhood.
- Have fun, don't let the little things get to you.
- Let go. Don't think about being alone, just accept it.
Warnings
- If you're bored, you may be boring. You may have nothing to talk about at parties or gatherings, or may feel ill at ease contributing to other social situations, and therefore find yourself alone a lot. By making yourself more interesting, you'll also find more things to interest you. Be careful about making a change that doesn't fit your personality. Being honest with yourself and true to your own individuality is more important.
- Online communities, and especially online games such as World of Warcraft can become very addictive to some people. Learn to balance your new interest with other things that are both important and enjoyable in your life. If you find that participating in such a community or game is becoming addictive, stop immediately and reevaluate your situation.
Things You'll Need
- A willing attitude
- An open mind
- An explorer's heart
- Courage
- Will
- Persistence
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Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Enjoy Being Alone. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditNegative thoughts are not reserved for just a few people or situations. Everyone is plagued by negative thoughts at one time or another.
However, once you begin thinking about what you're "thinking about", you've already taken the first step to controlling negative thoughts.
Steps
- Make the decision that you're going to be the one to decide what your thoughts are and will be. You can control what you think about. This means making a daily effort to consciously program positive thoughts or affirmations into your mind.
- Surround yourself with positive people. Have you ever heard the saying, "birds of a feather flock together"? It is the same with both positive and negative people. If your current list of friends does nothing but tear others down, complain, and generally be negative, it is going to be very difficult for you to get over being negative in that environment. You may, very well, need to make some new friends.
- Refuse to accept negative stuff when you hear it from others. If you're making progress and you hear someone spilling out a bunch of negative stuff, simply tell yourself that it's not what you think, it's not what you believe, and it's not what you accept about yourself or anyone else.
- Change your language. The words 'should', 'could', 'might', are out. For example change "I might go and fix the car" to "I WILL go and fix the car". That way you're talking action and making a promise you are more likely to stick to.
- Think for yourself.
- Use your initiative instead of waiting for people. You can waste a lot of time waiting for others to act.
Tips
- Get fit. Having and sticking to an exercise plan can be very helpful.
- Remember that actions speak louder then words. Rather than just talking, be willing to take some action.
- Your life will go nowhere if you sit around doing nothing all day. Have some ambitions and goals and work toward them. Plan what you want to achieve in your day. Then make sure you follow through.
Warnings
- Not everyone is going to like that you want to be positive. For whatever reason, some people enjoy being negative, and you may find yourself fighting an ongoing battle for awhile until you make new friendships.
Related wikiHows
Sources and Citations
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Eradicate and Stop Negative Thoughts. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditAn editor has suggested a title change:Save Electricity In accordance with the
title policy, titles should be the most concise, most commonly searched way to describe the content. To
suggest a new title, change this template or comment on the
discussion page. Notice added on 2008-04-13.
Well thought out and intelligent energy saving can not only be useful to the welfare of world, but useful in holistic health promotion.
Steps
- Switch off the mains while leaving the house as sometimes accidents occur due to electric iron, geyser etc in spite of auto stop arrangements.
- Switch off the computers when leaving the working place so that radiation dose can be beneficially reduced.
- Switch off the television sets and neon signs in public places as they can distracting [and hence harmful] to the drivers
- Switch off the AC in cars and other places when not required as extra use of AC can be harmful.
- Switch off the water coolers as extra cold water can be harmful.
- Use stair case in stead of elevators. This can reduce the chances of infections [in closed chamber of the elevator] and improve the health due natural cardiovascular workout!
- Walk to your office or for errands. This would save fuel and in turn electricity.
Tips
- Understand that this saving is not restricting your freedom, but this a way to be fair to yourself, the nature and rest of the world.
Warnings
- Do not get obsessed by the thought of saving but discuss and popularize the idea of saving electricity and its relationship with your health and welfare of the world!
Sources and Citations
- Stress: Understanding and Management: Dr. Shriniwas Kashalikar
- Conceptual Stress: Understanding and Management: Dr. Shriniwas Kashalikar
- Namasmaran [Marathi and English]:Dr. Shriniwas Kashalikar
- These and other books avaialable on www.superliving.net and scribd.com for free download.
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Save Electricity. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditIf you have a lot of pictures and mementos just stashed away in a box on your shelf, then it is time to check them out. These pictures usually reflect your hobbies, your youth, vacations, or photos of loved ones. It is time to get the boxes down from the shelf, and create a
scrapbook !
Steps
- Organize the photos and mementos. A scrapbook can contain pictures, movie tickets, programs, anything that will lay flat when the book is closed.
- Separate by date, or vacation site, or holidays, depending on the photos found.
- Count them to see how many you have in order to determine the size of the book you will need to buy.
- Buy a scrapbook based on your theme, or just a regular inexpensive one, and mark it to reflect the theme. You will need stamps, cut-outs, stickers, scissors and glue. Construction paper is colorful and often cheaper than "specialty" papers made especially for scrapbooks.
- When you get ready to begin, carefully measure and "plan" each page before you start gluing. You can write your plan down on a piece of paper, so you will not forget how you want to layout each page.
Tips
- Some craft stores sell scrapbook-making kits to help you get started. If this is your first time making a scrapbook, this may be the way to go.
- Scrapbooks can be found in various styles and colors at most stores, Supermarkets, craft stores and online stores
- As you get more acquainted with scrapbooks, you will want tools that save you time and frustration. Two very useful tools are the Xacto knife and a pair of tweezers.
- Using 'other' crafts like little leaves, creative paper and pop up sticky can really enhance your photos.
- Make one photo the stand out photo that grabs your attention.
- Add some writing, especially dates and a BIG heading.
- Acid-free and lignin free products can keep your pictures from turning yellow.
Warnings
- Scrapbooks can be addictive. Once you make one, you will want to make more. The more you make, the more items you will want to put on the pages for decoration and detail. Have fun, enjoy and show your "books" to anyone who wants to see them.
- Be careful you don't the cut the only copies of your family photos. You can get color prints of them instead.
- If you are using the only copy of family photos get another print made of it. It costs a bit more than colour copies - but photos can be made from originals and look the same.
Things You'll Need
- Scrapbooks
- Photographs, memento items
- Scissors, glue, stamps, decorative stickers
- Anything else that you would like to see on the page
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Sources and Citations
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Start a Scrapbook. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditWhether you're looking for your very
first job, switching careers, or re-entering the job market after an extended absence, finding a job whittles down to two main tasks: understanding yourself and understanding the job market.
Steps
- Make looking for work a full time job. Devote 40 hours a week to this endeavor. Sometimes it takes luck to find a job, but you have to put yourself into the position to be lucky by putting in the legwork. Remember that "Chance favors the prepared mind" (Louis Pasteur).
- Analyze yourself. Write two lists. First, a list of all your talents. Secondly, write a list of every task you remember doing. Don't just include jobs, include unpaid internships, volunteer work, civic involvement, extracurricular activities etc. Using the task list, decide what skills you enjoyed using the most. Review any personal factors that may be holding yourself back from your dream job. For instance, some people are night-owls so classic 9-5 jobs may not fit their biological clocks. It is important to add these factors into what kind of job is good for you. Some circumstances will greatly affect how you search for a job:
- Review the opportunities. Investigate various career paths, both in books and in real life. Look at what everyone is doing and ask yourself if you think that's something that you would enjoy doing and that you could be really good at. Think about what you really want from a career and how hard you're willing to work to get those benefits. For example, are you willing to move if you find your dream job in another state?
- Decide on a career field. Construct a list of potential jobs within that field that best match your experience, skills, and interests.
- Write a resume. Even if the kind of job you're looking for has an application process where a resume isn't necessary, the process of writing a resume can help sort your thoughts and prepare you for an interview. Having a written record of your work history makes filling out an application much easier, too.
- Get your wardrobe in order (power suit, shined shoes, etc.). Get a manicure, a haircut, a tan. Start going to the gym and lose a few pounds and start to feel stronger. Cover your tattoo. Do whatever it takes to look or dress like the people already working at the place you are considering as a place to work. Be prepared for the interview - no white socks with dark suits (unless you are in the fashion industry)!
- Develop your personal elevator pitch. This is a good time to rehearse how you will answer the question of all questions - "Why should I hire you?"
- Research companies, agencies, organizations or non-profits that could or will meet your needs and create a list. You can check the yellow pages, online jobs searches, government sponsored employment lines, and or ask around within your inner family and social circle. You can also make yourself available to recruiters or headhunters. Tell everyone you know you are looking for work, and explain what kind of work you're interested in. Call everyone you know and ask how they/their family/their dogs are doing. Slip in the fact that you are job searching and get their ideas (and any leads). Job opportunities often do not come from the usual routes like classified ads, employment agencies and unemployment offices.
- Apply for jobs that match your needs.
- Cold call. Locate a specific person who can help you (usually the human resources or hiring manager at a company or organization you're interested in). Call that person and ask if they are hiring, but do not become discouraged if they are not. Ask what kind of qualifications they look for or if they have apprentice or government sponsored work programs. Ask if you can send your resume indicating what field you want to go into. Indicate whether you would accept a lesser job and work up.
- Reflect after each phone call on what went well and what did not. You may need to write out some standard answers on your list of skills so you can speak fluently. You may need to get some additional training to break into your chosen field. None of this means you cannot get a good job it only means you need to become further prepared to do so.
- Another option is to apply for an unlisted job by writing a letter, although phone calls tend to get a quicker and more reliable response.
- Show up at interviews with a good attitude, eagerness to work, and an eagerness to learn. You can demonstrate how interesting and individualistic you are later on when they get to know you. Thank the interviewer for their time. After each interview, try to figure out what mistakes you might be making during interviews and avoid making them. Little mistakes can cost you.
Tips
- Realize that you may have to work your way up. For example, if you want to become an apparel buyer, work for a company that manufactures or sells such goods.
- Remember you are doing some HR workers a favour when you present yourself and they do not have to go out and find workers like you. If you get a snotty person, be happy you don't have to choose to work for them.
- It's also possible that your true calling is to be self-employed or an entrepreneur, in which case your task is not so much to find and get a job, but to create a job. Most people who work for themselves, however, often started off with a "day job" that paid the bills until their preferred income source could take over.
- 80% of all available jobs are not advertised
- Pay is not everything, it is good to have a high paying job but even better to enjoy because if you enjoy it you are more likely to stick with it for a long period of time and when you go to switch careers it will demonstrate that you have commitment and employers like to see that.
Warnings
- If you're doing a thorough job search, you will get rejected. If you're not getting rejected, you're not putting yourself out there enough. And if you don't learn to see rejection as a chance to improve your approach, then you'll have a very difficult time getting a job.
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Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Get a Job. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
