Category: Lifestyle

The Trick To Making A Friend In Five Minutes

Start a Conversation
The very first thing you must do to make friends is to get into a conversation with the person who is a potential friend.  In order to do this, the chances are that you are going to have to be the one to speak first, even if it makes you uncomfortable. Keep in mind that the other person is probably feeling the same way.

Ask Open Ended Questions
The easiest way to get into a conversation with somebody is to just ask a question. Not the type of question that can be answered yes or no, but an open ended question that keeps them talking. You also want to show a lot of genuine interest in what they say. Here is an example of a simple yes or no question that is best to avoid. “Does the bus usually get here on time?” Now, here is an open ended question. “Why do you think people paint graffiti on buses?,” or “how do you manage to stay so fit?” You can ask about their clothes, jewelry, hairstyle, or perhaps their opinion of a new movie.

Show Genuine Interest
You must listen with interest. You can interrupt with an occasional question. Surprisingly, the person who does all the talking will always consider their interested listener to be a great conversationalist. Finally, be pleasant and make a sincere effort to like the person your talking with. One tip is to pretend you are speaking for the first time to a family relative you have never met. The other person will pick up on this genuine friendliness too in the way you speak and your body language. Don’t be afraid to show your smile. Smiling is a great way of showing that you want to be friends. Also, don’t be a “know it all” type person. Sometimes it is better to say “I don’t know,” rather than disagree.

Keep Trying
Every encounter will not turn into a friendship, but keep at it and before you know it you will be looking for a little peace and quiet from all your new friends.

Do you have any good tips on making friends? Please share them in the comments below.

The Trick To Lowering Your Blood Pressure

Imagine that you are walking down a dark street at night. Suddenly there is the sound of running footsteps in back of you. You are not sure of what is about t happen. Your pulse speeds up, your breathing quickens and deepens, your blood pressure increases to have more blood flow to the muscles. For the moment your are in what is known as the fight or flight mechanism of the nervous system.

Now imagine a voice calls out to you from the direction of the running feet and says, “Slow down, I just want to return your wallet. You left it on the store counter when you were here.”

Your pulse and breathing begins to slow down. Your blood pressure decreases and there is probably a smile on your face. The only thing that has really happened is a change in your perception of the situation.  It is of course agreed that the change in perception was justified. But this little story does illustrate the importance of perception in maintaining normal blood pressure.

There are many causes for high blood pressure. Some are purely physical and others are based upon wrongful perceptions a person has of the world and people around them. These misconceptions are often based upon fear and anger. It is of course possible for the problem to be a combination of he physical and the psychological.

A very rewarding way to lower blood pressure through psychological means is to use the concept of being  non-judgmental. What is meant by this is that you do not have to agree with what is said, but you accept it as the other persons point of view. Since it is their point view there is no need for any anger. Being non-judgmental has the additional benefit of allowing you to remain stoic , when given bad  restaurant service as an example, thereby avoiding a rise in blood pressure.

The Trick To Suing For Being Wrongfully Fired

Being fired is mentally traumatic for almost everyone.  After all we spend at least one third of our day working or preparing for work. Adding to the trauma is that suddenly you have to look for other sources for money.

The various State Legislatures have tried to even things up  and give the employee some rights when they are wrongfully terminated. Here is how things work, but keep in mind you really need an Attorney to explain them to you because they vary from State to State.

If you are what is known as an employee at will the boss can let you go for almost any reason as long as the reason is not illegal. An employee at will is a person who is working for the company but doesn’t have a written contract with the company. The courts however very often find a contract between the parties based upon the conduct of the company.  When you are a contract  employee you can only be fired for good cause.

Keep in mind, that even if you are an employee at will you can’t be fired for any of these illegal reasons: Race, Nationality, Religion, Sex, Age, Sexual Orientation, Retaliation, Refusing to Commit an Illegal Act, (in a few States) Pregnancy, Medical Condition and Disability. Being fired for any of these illegal reasons may net you a pretty penny.

If there is a manual governing hiring and firing procedure it must be followed by the employer. Issues of vacation pay and severance packages are always negotiable.

The Trick To Saving Money On Auto Insurance

You can save up to 30% of what you’re currently paying for auto insurance by following certain rules. The average auto policy in the United States runs  just over $800 per year, So considerable savings are possible  and if your policy is more costly the discounts are proportionately higher.

The first rule is never renew your existing policy without checking the cost of other policies found in the market place . There are websites that will give you a quote or insurance brokers who will do likewise. Keep in mind that what you are looking for are brokers or websites that handle many different insurance companies. Each policy holder has their own unique driving situation and each insurance company has their own preferences. The idea is to put the two parties together with as inexpensive of a policy as possible.

The second rule concerns discounts. Many insurance companies will give the policy holder a discount for certain things that they have or have done. The insurance company must be told about these matters, but in most cases it is necessary to actually have to ask for the discount. Discounts range from 5% to 20% of the premium. Although the discounts  are  additive  the companies usually put a cap on the total that can be used. You may find that some have already been figured in, but it is worth checking.

Discounts: Anti-theft Device on Auto, Marriage Discount,  Advance Degree Discount, Children have good grades 3.0 or better Discount,  Low Mileage Discount(driving limited to 5000 to 8000 miles per year),  Clubs such as AARP, AAA, GEICO, Unions,  etc.  Discount.,  Driving Classes Discount, Paying premium upfront Discount, Paying premium by automatic check Discount, Homeowner Discount, Bundling auto policy with other policies Discou.t

The Trick To Good Health Using Honey

Scientists at the University Of Wales, in the U.K. were amazed when they discovered the health giving properties found in honey. It is true that honey has been used for centuries., it is also true the stories about its benefits were thought to be wishful  old wives tales. Contemporary research is rapidly changing its mind about honey.

In tracking a group of over 700 men for a 25 year period it was discovered that those who used honey had a much lower mortality rate  than the group who did not use honey. Other beneficial effects were found such as honey  having excellent antimicrobial qualities and very useful as a wound healer.

Other treatment areas such as the flu,  digestive upset  and generally improved health,  are claimed for honey,  especially when made into a tea and mixed with cinnamon. (4 cups water,  4 teaspoons honey, 1 tea spoon cinnamon). Drink 1/4 cup at a time 3 0r 4 times a day.  According to the literature it would be a good idea to eliminate the cinnamon 1 week out of a month. It should also be realized that these claims have not yet been evaluated medically.