Self-improvement Articles write an article

WIth my college career about to come to a close, my most palpable fear is that I will lose touch with my treasured college companions after graduation. I'm a little dramatic, but I don't want to wake up in 20 years and realize that my old friends slowly became mere memories.  So, thanks to my tendencies to over-plan, I've figured out little ways to make sure I stay connected to my nearest and dearest for...

Do you sometimes feel that someone doesn't really listen to you when you speak? Do you sometimes walk away from a conversation feeling that you didn't quite understand what the other person was saying? Listening is one of the most natural skills humans have in communicating, but more often than not we hear what's being said without actually listening. Incorporating some active listening techniques into your daily life can do wonders to test understanding, prevent misunderstanding, reduce tensions, gather more information, and most importantly,  build trust between you and...

Have you ever flipped through a magazine and found a promising new weight-loss program that "really works," or thumbed through a self-help book that promised "10 Steps to a Happier You!"? We live in a culture obsessed with self-improvement, and Americans tend to gobble up self-improvement strategies that boast positive results sooner rather than later. Though some good advice exists in the mainstream media, a lot of it is likely to be a hoax. So how can you tell the better advice from the bad? Here are some quick questions to ask before you start expecting to lose 30 pounds in two days.Does the article, book, or ad ...only give positive examples (such as stories of...

For many of us, Pokemon was that crazy fad about a decade ago that swept the nation, absorbing child audiences with its GameBoy, cartoon, card game and merchandise manifestations. But for some of us who were and remain true geeks, Pokemon is one of the most entertaining, enjoyable video games we've ever encountered.I'm one of those.Yeah, I admit it. I still play Pokemon. After a long hiatus, I've recently re-discovered my passion for a video game based in a fictional world inhabited by highly intelligent, elementally enabled creatures who can be minimized and stored in a little magic ball. Ok, ok, so I'm a geek. But it's a ton of fun. And Pokemon is more than just a kid's game - it has some valuable life lessons to offer, too!Lesson #1: It pays to be well-rounded. In the world of Pokemon, every creature has different strengths and weaknesses. And if all your Pokemon are strong against earth but weak against fire - well, you have a problem when life pitches you a fire Pokemon opponent. In real life, the metaphor applies; you can rely on having just ONE skill or talent. You should really strive for balance and variety in your self-development!Lesson #2: Save early, save often. In the Pokemon world, this is so your machine doesn't crash 30 seconds after you spend two days trying to complete a challenge - losing all your hard work in the process. In real life, it applies to money. Save money now, so your bank account doesn't get totally demolished by unforseen circumstances. A penny saved is a penny...

Whether you're finishing high school and heading to college, or finishing college and being forcibly booted out into the real world, graduation (coming sooner than you'd think!) is a time of transition. It's tough to figure out what's coming next; how your life will change, the choices you'll have to make, and how you'll balance your old friendships and your future at the same time. Will you make new friends? Will you be lonely? Are you choosing the right job? What are you going to major in? How do you KNOW?!Nobody has all the answers, of course. But the books below are a few of my favorites, and they may help you reflect on the new challenges and opportunities that await you once you've walked across the stage.The Remains of the Day by Kazuo IshiguroThis story is one about passion, integrity, and responsibility. I found it made me reflect on my own...

In the article "America’s Best Community Colleges," Cascadia Community College was ranked  No. 2 by Washington Monthly magazine’s (it's a...

Goal setting is an
important part of learning and mastering any new skill set.  If you don’t set goals, you will never
reach them!  The following tips are
designed to help you set effective, achievable, measurable goals.  Please see your instructor if you are
having trouble formulating goals.

Own Your Goals:

Make sure your goals are yours, not goals other
people have for you.
Don’t set a goal that you are ambivalent about;
only set goals you truly want to reach.

 Think Positively:

Word your goals in positive terms. 
For example, “Learn to execute smooth front
crosses 90% of the time by the end of the year” is a much better goal than
“Quit messing up front crosses”.

 Quantify:

Make goals concrete, measurable, and within a
specific timeframe.

 Prioritize:

Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many goals.

 Put Them In Writing:

Writing them down makes you more likely to
remember them.
Your written goals provide a good record of
your success.
You can always modify your goals if you need
to.

 Be Realistic:

Goals set too low will not offer a sense of
accomplishment.
Goals set too high are frustrating and demoralizing.

 Break Them Down:

Each goal should have as many steps as
necessary to help you achieve small successes.
Short term goals should lead to achieving long
term goals
Each goal should have a path that will get you
from where you are to where you want to be.
Include details in your goals, not
generalities.

 Review Them Frequently:

Remind yourself of your goals frequently.
...

The question I am most commonly asked is how does hypnosis work?The simple answer is hypnosis is nothing more than a state of deep relaxation where the skeptical part of our mind is distracted, and we are more easily able to change our belief systems.That simplistic answer doesn't explain why it works.When we speak of hypnosis, people often think of stage hypnosis, where people do all sorts of amusing things in front of a crowd, at the direction of the hypnotist. However there are a multitude of uses for hypnosis besides mere entertainment. Hypnosis can be used to improve performance, overcome anxiety, win the battle over addiction, or even to control bodily functions.When we use hypnosis in a more utilitarian way, we are taking advantage of the natural tendencies of the human brain. The state of being in hypnosis is nothing more than a slowing of the brain waves, something that naturally occurs many times a day. We enter this slow brain wave state when...

       We all know the basic items we should carry in our wallets; medical information, indentification/drivers license, a little cash, credit card etc.  Here are a list of things that I've found to be very helpful in my everyday experiences:1. Band-Aids    This is the item that actually prompted me to write this article.  A few hours ago at work, I slipped and sliced my finger.  I happened to be very high up in the theatre's lighting grid atop a ladder and started spurting blood.  Without dropping the expensive light fixture, and not coming down from the ladder, I was able to patch my finger up with a Band-Aid from my wallet.    Band-Aids are a must.  Even if you are careful and not accident prone, most likely someone you run into during the day is and will be extremely grateful for your help.  Also, in a real pinch, the adhesive strip works as a piece of tape.2. Antiseptic wipes    These along with the Band-Aids are essential for proper First Aid.  Careful though, after a while these will need to be replaced regardless of whether they are used or not.  I've found that keeping them in a wallet over the time span of several months causes them to dry out. This is probably due to the fact that I keep my wallet in my back pocket and sit on it for about 6 hours a day causing tiny openings in the packaging.  I imagine if you carry your wallet in one of your front pockets this wouldn't be a problem.3. Moist Towelette     These are the wipes that you are given at bar and grille restaurants when you order a platter of wings.  Great at the table, but even better...

“When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”
 
How many times have you heard that one? Countless, I'm sure. It always seemed like one of those goody-two-shoes Pollyanna-style homilies that made me want to gag. I picture some terminally cheerful June Cleaver type in a flowered apron and perfect teeth clutching a pitcher of yellow liquid clinking with ice and adorned with lemon slices.
Thing is, I was thinking about the theme of this article, which is creativity, and remembering some examples of how creative thinking got me out of what could be described as a bad situation, and this old saw took on some new teeth, so to speak. What it's about isn't as banal as it sounds. What it's about is getting past the self-pity and looking at things in a different way.
Here's what I mean. I'm a furniture artist. That's one of the things I love doing. When I first started doing it, I would come up with these glorious ideas, sketches and concepts about what I was going to make and then I'd try to make it. Thing is, I was also learning about wood, learning about tools and learning about furniture. (This is what you call your true 'learning experience') So I'd have this idea about what I wanted to make and how I was going to make it, but I had no experience about whether it would actually work. So, often...