There’s no such thing as “Just one more time” When trying to get clean off addicting drugs, there is no such thing as “I’ll just do it ONE more time, then I’ll get help”. To quit you have to be in the mindset that you do not want this anymore AT ALL. If you’re thinking “I’ll just do it one more time then quit”. 99% of the time, you won’t quit. You have to REALLY want to quit and not do it EVER again.

When on a budget go to the Goodwill of a higher income community than your own. Goodwills are more or less a reflection of where they are located, meaning buying from a Goodwill near you is like going to a local yard sale. Where as going elsewhere can be a treasure trove. The more expensive the area the more stuff you’ll find; often people of certain wealth do not want to be seen shopping at Goodwill and will only drop items off.

Give special consideration to the advice when “wild” friends tell you not to do something risky, or when more “uptight” and cautious friends tell you to take a chance.

If you only need to withdraw $10-$20, a $0.99 ice tea at a convenience store is cheaper than most ATM fees. Most ATMs that are not owned by your bank charge a $2-4 fee. Buying something small at a convenience store and asking for cash back will often save you a few dollars. Bonus: A refreshing ice tea is your reward for saving money.

Trying to catch your dog that got out/off its leash? Try laying down. After watching someone chase their dog around for 20 minutes(the dog thinking it was a game) I walked over and layed down. The dog immediately came over to lick my face and I grabbed its collar.

Motivate people by giving them choices, even if the choices are illusory. People feel more valued or in control if they get to make choices about the task ahead. I learned from taking care of my nephew that if I ask him “What do you want for lunch?” It can turn into an endless thing about why I don’t have his favourite food or why we can’t go to McDonalds. Instead I say “Do you want pasta or toasted sandwiches for lunch?” He makes a choice and feels some measure of control even though I have maintained control over what I have to make. This can be manipulative but if you’re managing a team of people with a lot less experience than you it can be tempting to map out every aspect of how they do a job. Some jobs are highly complex and time-sensitive and have to be done a certain way. Wherever possible find areas where people working under you can make choices or use initiative safely. They are more likely to take pride in what they’re doing and take ownership of the task if they have some measure of input.

If you have a large amount of work to do in a small amount of time, break it down into groups of 20-40 minutes so you don’t get overwhelmed. Instead of focusing on everything you need to get done at once, take it one step at a time. When you’re done with that task, take a couple minute breather and go on to the next one.

Write down all your thoughts. Your mind is for creating ideas, not storing them. Whatever idea or task you have, write it down somewhere. Once you have written everything down, your mind becomes decluttered and free from distractions. Since you know that your thoughts are safely stored somewhere, it removes the incessant feeling of “I need to remember… something” in your brain. This makes you completely focus on the task at hand.

How to give a quick, impromptu speech or toast. Most people would agree that the idea of speaking in front of large groups of people can be terrifying, and so we tend to avoid it whenever possible. There are times, however, when we are faced with the task and there’s no running away: we must say a few words. The following is a template for success which you can use when it’s your turn to speak, in just about any type of gathering, formal or informal. 1. The Greeting “Good…” The greeting is the easy part. You begin by simply wishing your audience a good morning, afternoon, evening, or whatever time of day it is. **Good* evening everybody…* 2. State the Event “As we all know…” The second part is also very easy: You simply state the obvious and remind everybody what the purpose of the event or celebration is, and what you’re all doing there. **As we all know,* we’re here to celebrate the marriage of John and Kate, and to show them our support as they begin their journey of love and life together…* Now you’ve got the ball rolling, and the words are coming out easily. You look like you know what you’re doing up there, and people are listening. So now, it’s time to…. 3. Establish Common Ground “We’ve all…” It’s important to include your audience as part of the message you’re delivering. Talk about something both yourself and your audience can relate to regarding the event or celebration. **We’ve all* had the wonderful opportunity to get to know John and Kate and enjoy watching their love develop…* 4. State Why You’re Speaking “I…” Include a personal account, or tell a brief story to let people know why you specifically are talking. What gives you the right to be speaking..? **I’ve* personally been very lucky to have John as a close friend of mine, and it’s been quite amazing to watch how he’s grown as a person, and couldn’t be more pleased for him to have found someone like Kate to go about his life with…* 5. Call for Action “So let’s all…” Finally, close your speech with a call for action. This lets everybody know that you’re finished without you having to awkwardly say “That’s it!” or “I’m finished, thank you”…that is how every weak speech is concluded and makes the audience uncomfortable. You should say something like **”So let’s all* raise a glass to John and Kate, and wish them well. Cheers!” or, So Let’s all give a big round of applause to Mark for the outstanding job he’s done while working with the company”* Obviously, there are many different ways these leading lines can be used, but if you can commit them to memory and be prepared to use them next time you might be asked to speak, you will let go of all fear and anxiety, and people will be SO impressed with your ability to get up and give a confident, fluent speech in front of a group of people, while looking like you didn’t even have to prepare! Good luck, and happy public speaking!

The bowline knot may be the most useful knot, because it it secure and can be tied and untied easily. You can do it in 4 simple steps

When punishing children it is good practice to inform them what they did is wrong, why it is wrong, and what they can do better. If you can’t articulate these things, then you should examine why you are giving out a punishment in the first place A lot of parents do not understand the difference between their emotional response to a misbehaving child and the lesson needed to actually fix the misbehavior. Consistent punishment without context breeds children fearful of trying anything new or angering peers. It is a slippery slope to child abuse.

If adopting an animal from a shelter, expect a few initial behavioral issues. My new dog keeps going to the bathroom in the house: First thing to consider in this situation is, where was the animal living while at the shelter? some shelters may keep their animals in runs or cells and often these animals don’t get walked. That creates a habit of the animal being used to using the bathroom inside. Proactive walking really helps correct this problem! Take your dog out often in the first few weeks and then start to dial it back gradually. Our kitty was so friendly and playful at the shelter, now she just hides all day, I don’t think that we’re “connecting”: Your kitty was so happy and playful because she was somewhere she was accustomed to. Imagine, you may have shared a room with a friend, had a set schedule. All of a sudden you were taken, probably put in a cardboard box (also DONT LEAVE CATS IN CARDBOARD CARRIERS!! Cats are sensitive to over heating and it could have life threatening implications. Bring your own well ventilated carrier when adopting) went for a scary ride and were dumped out into a strange environment alone and away from everyone you knew. Give kitty time, she’ll get into a rhythm with you. The best thing you can do right now is provide a clean litter box, fresh water and proper feeding at set times. DONT DRAG KITTY OUT FROM UNDER THE BED, this only enforces the need to find a better spot to hide. New Fido does nothing but bark non-stop all day: FIRST OFF, this complaint usually comes from apartment dwellers. If you’re adopting a dog make sure beforehand that your lease allows pets. Don’t just get a dog then when your land lord shows up to say you have to get rid of it claim that it’s a service dog/your just watching it for a friend. Fido is alone! Fido used to be in a place where there was a lot of commotion and all this silence is weird! HOOMAN WHERE DID YOU GO?? Dogs are pack animals, and when they’re alone they feel vulnerable. Long walks and playtime before you have to leave for an extended period of time are good remedies to this. Leave a TV on on a low volume to shield all the scary outside noises. In my personal experience crate training was a great tool, but don’t get one too big or too small (big enough to stand up without ducking the head, and and turn around in). This method was recommended to me by my vet and just happened to work, but it may not work for you. Professional consultation about a dogs excessive barking habits is never a bad idea. All relationships take work! Why does my new pet act so lethargic? They were so full of energy when we first met! It’s what I liked about her!: What are you feeding her? Is it the same food she was eating at the shelter? Sudden changes in diet can trigger upset tummies and more negative consequences. Food changes should be done gradually, consult your vet on the best way to do this if they start showing signs of stomach upset. It also has to do with the stress of being in a new environment, all these knew sights and smells are exhausting to process! Our new pet doesn’t get along with our existing ones: This. One. Is. huge. How would you feel if your s/o, roommate brought home some guy named chad and was like “oh yea, chad lives here now.” Dogs (even though they’re pack animals), and cats can be very territorial. This behavior may have only shown up when you caught kitty- hair standing on end making those hilarious guttural meowing noises; kitty doesn’t understand that this new kitten is “pet of the family now” and not the evil outdoor neighbor cat. Even though you’re in the same household, introductions should be done gradually. Giving each animal an opportunity to sniff and item that has the others scent on it, allowing them to sniff though doors etc. if your bringing a new dog home to your existing dogs, consider taking them to a dog park or anywhere fenced in that’s not your house. This gives them the chance to interact and also escape each other if they feel really threatened, and it’s not on territory that your dog may be trying to defend. Make sure interactions are positive, this doesn’t mean that they get along every time- but that the animals get praise for not being aggressive.