मंगलवार, 11 सितंबर 2012

How to Improve Yourself: Why Books and Seminars Aren’t Enough

Woman running outdoors Woman running outdoors

How to Improve Yourself: Why Books and Seminars Aren’t Enough

Posted on October 18, 2011 With 0 Comments By
I’ll admit it: I’m a self-help book junkie. I love reading about how to improve my memory, be more resilient in times of stress, and impress people in only 90 seconds. Now, you may not have the same addiction to self-help books as I do, but if you’ve ever read one in an attempt to change or improve something in your life, chances are you’ve faced this truth: reading a book usually isn’t enough. It’s great to get that knowledge and that outside perspective, but it’s not enough. Reading a book about dieting won’t lose that 30 pounds for you. Neither will a workshop or seminar, or even speaking directly to an esteemed guru. So how can you improve yourself, then?

Learn

“But you just said that reading wasn’t enough,” you may be thinking. I did. In most cases, it isn’t, but it’s still an important step. For many of us, learning something new can be the catalyst to get ourselves to take some kind of action. You have an epiphany, and suddenly the motivation you could never find is there, or you find some new trick that makes dieting (learning a dance, overcoming your fears) so much easier. For some of us, though, learning becomes an excuse to not have to take action. It’s easy to tell yourself, “I’m doing everything I can. Look at how many books I read and how much research I did!” Don’t use that as a reason not to act. In the days of the internet, there’s always something more you can learn, more articles you can read, but there comes a point when you have to move on to the next step.

Think About What You’ve Learned

For me, there’s a huge difference between speeding through a self-help book and taking a few minutes now and then to think about what I’m reading. Like anyone else, I find it hard to motivate myself sometimes (even if we’re talking about a goal I really want to achieve!), but sometimes just letting my mind mull over new information is enough. Suddenly, I jump up and write an article, clean my room, or step on the treadmill. But I never get that reaction if I don’t set the book down for a second and allow myself to think. The next time you’re researching how to achieve your goal, step back and just think about it for a few minutes. Let your curiosity take over, and your imagination might just do half of your work for you. Now, wouldn’t that be nice?

Try Everything

Once you’ve read a few books, you probably have some ideas about where to start. If you’re trying to treat your diabetes, you may have come across some foods that you should and shouldn’t eat, or maybe you found out about a revolutionary new treatment that’s showing promise. Don’t just stand there; give these things a shot. In the case of a health condition, it’s a good idea to discuss these things with your doctor first, but don’t let your doctor dictate your treatment. Patients who are more involved in their treatment do better and recover more quickly from illness than patients who simply obey their doctors’ commands.
This doesn’t just apply to health conditions, either. If you’re trying to overcome a phobia, actively seeking out ways to beat your fears will get you more relief than assuming there’s only one way to do things (or worse—thinking that there’s no solution for you). Don’t lose hope when your first try doesn’t pan out. Different things work for different people. Just because something didn’t work for you doesn’t mean nothing will. If you really want something, be creative. There are a million different things you can try, and it’s likely that something will eventually pay off. How many times have you heard a story about someone who tried everything, then just as they were getting ready to give up, they finally found the one thing that changed their life? If you stop before trying everything, you may miss that miraculous solution.

Get Support

No man is an island, and neither is any woman. You may think you can handle things on your own, and maybe you can…but that doesn’t mean you have to, or that you should. If you’re struggling, reach out to someone you trust, whether it be your mom, your spouse, or your best friend. Tell them what you’re trying to do, and see if they have any suggestions or want to join you in your journey. If you’re trying to get in shape, ask a friend to be your workout buddy. If you’re sick, ask someone to go to the doctor with you and hold your hand. You might be surprised at how much better you feel or how much farther you can run with a friend by your side.

Go Get ‘Em, Tiger

Now that you’ve learned how to approach self-improvement, it’s time to start working toward your goal. The takeaway from this article is that, although it’s a great idea to learn from those who have traveled your path before you, it is not a replacement for learning and experimenting for yourself. An experience is worth a thousand books. Just reading this article won’t change your life, just like simply watching an exercise video won’t make you buff. It’s what you do with the information you have that matters. It’s being willing to take charge of your life and deciding that you’re ready to make a change that makes the difference. And a little help along the way doesn’t hurt.

Top 10 Items for Any Office Survival Kit

Man in suit with Superman shirt
The office can be a dangerous place. Things spill, buttons pop and wounds happen. Rather than having to MacGyver something out of Scotch tape and plastic forks from the office pantry, pick up the items on this list so you’re prepared for anything your workplace throws at you.

1. Deodorant

You’re a busy person, always on the go, running from meeting to meeting. What happens when all that sweat wipes away your morning antiperspirant? Just reach into your desk and reapply – your coworkers will thank you.

2. Tide Pen

Throughout the day, you eat a lot of clothing-unfriendly foods – chocolate, pasta and coffee immediately come to mind – and at least once between the hours of nine and five, you’re liable to spill something on yourself. Enter the Tide pen, the miracle tool you’ll never be without again.
Just press the pen over the stain, rub the cleaning solution around a bit and wait for it to work its magic. By the time the spot dries, your stain (and sense of panic) will be gone.

3. Sewing Kit

It happens – you pop a button or split a seam and you’ve got a presentation to give in 10 minutes. If you’re prepared, you’ve already bought a cheap sewing kit at the local drugstore and stowed it away in your top desk drawer for such an occasion.
Trust me, $7 now will save you a lot of time and tears later.

4. Hair Brush

This one follows the same logic as the deodorant, especially during winter when you’re always going in and out of places wearing a hat.

5. Lint Roller

You might have pets, or someone’s new “fur” coat is starting to shed at the office. Either way, you need something to get the fuzz off your back and a lint roller in the desk does just the trick. You can find them at most grocery stores for a few dollars from brands like 3M and Smartek.

6. First Aid Kit

Do you really want to be scrambling around the office when you cut your finger on an envelope, or accidentally staple your thumb to a packet of papers (not that that’s ever happened to m- you know what? Let’s move on)?
Your local drug store or pharmacy is sure to have one in the $8-$10 range, complete with bandages, gauze, antibacterial cream, tweezers and everything else necessary to treat those office battle wounds.

7. Eyeglass Kit

We’re not just talking a tiny screw driver and a few spare screws, here. You should always have a magnifying glass, microfiber lens-cleaning cloth and a spray bottle full of lens cleaner, as well.
Always spray the cleaner on the cloth, then wipe the cloth on the glasses. You never spray directly on the lenses themselves. This technique can also be used for computer screens and touchscreen phones.

8. Pocket Notebook

Meetings crop up all the time, either in the office conference room or out at lunch. Don’t panic trying to find something to write on for those occasions, pick up a cheap-o notebook for fifty cents at the corner store, or invest in a set of three Moleskine Cahier notebooks for a more professional note-taking look.

9. Spare Umbrella

You don’t remember rain in today’s forecast, right? Well, it happens and you don’t want to get caught out in the cold without any protection. A compact umbrella that’s easy to store in a desk and/or your bag can save your bacon (and your hair) when the clouds open up. Just remember to put it back in your desk drawer the next day so it’s there when the weather unexpectedly changes again.

10. Twenty Bucks

A ten, a five and five ones should be stowed away in a secret compartment in your desk for emergencies. Maybe you forgot your lunch and you need to grab something nearby – use the ten. Someone’s collecting donations for a ill coworker? Put the five in the jar. Or maybe your stomach’s bothering you and you need a bottle of ginger ale? Grab a few singles and head to the vending machine.
When you’ve used any (or all) of your emergency funds, be sure to replensih them for the next impromptu occasion. In fact, many Moleskine notebooks have special compartments in the back of them to store things like money and index cards – you could check off two items on this list in one shot.

3 Easy Steps to Improving Your Mood

Woman stretching in wheat field
Everyone feels down from time to time. We’re human, and with positive emotions comes the possibility of negative emotions. It’s just part of life. But sometimes that negative mood can disrupt your life and cause you intense distress. When that happens, it’s time to make a change. Whatever unpleasant mood it is that you feel most often, it’s something you can change. If you follow the three steps outlined below, you should be on your way to feeling better before you know it. (Actually, you’ll definitely know it!)

1. Focus on the mood you want to have, not the one you’re currently feeling

When you’re feeling sad, lonely, or anxious, you usually want to stop feeling that way. You start to think about how bad it feels, and about how much you wish you were in a better mood. You may even start to think about how anxiety is affecting your blood pressure, how this funk you’re in is probably going to affect your ability to get motivated and find a new job, or how you’ll always feel lonely.
What you should do, instead of concentrating on the offending feeling, is to concentrate on the feeling you’d like to replace it with. If you’re sick of feeling lonely, don’t mull over the nights you’ve spent alone in your apartment. Instead, think about what it will feel like to be surrounded by love and friendship. Imagine how you’ll react to your newfound friends. Picture how you got there. Concentrate on how great it feels to share a laugh with a friend.
This is a bit like the law of attraction, except less touchy-feely. It may sound a bit silly or ineffective, but it’s not. The brain is a powerful organ. I don’t pretend there are any magical powers associated with thinking positively, but it can open your eyes to see opportunities you otherwise would have missed. Its power is also backed up by numerous studies that prove things like the simple fact of smiling, whether you’re happy or not, can cause you to feel happier.

2. Take action; don’t be passive

Once you’ve visualized how you want to feel, what it will be like, and what it takes to get there, it’s time to take action. Being passive is one of the quickest ways to make yourself feel powerless, and powerless people are not happy people. Taking action, on the other hand, gives you control over your life and makes you feel good about yourself.
Taking any action, no matter how small, can have a positive effect. It’s best to take an action related to the mood you want to achieve, though. For example, if you’re feeling sad and you force yourself to do your homework, it won’t have nearly the same effect as if you’re feeling sad and you decide to call a close friend. Unless, of course, you were sad about the fact that you weren’t doing your homework.
The great thing about taking action is that it forces you to stop thinking so hard about the “what ifs.” Instead of letting your thoughts race until you feel even worse than you did to begin with, you’re cutting them off and replacing them with something much more constructive, like thinking about what you can do better…and then doing it. If you’re truly focused on creating the best possible resume you can, you won’t be thinking about the fact that you’re unemployed. You’ll be thinking about the job you’re about to have.

3. Repeat until it becomes habit

Forcing yourself to think happy thoughts instead of sad ones doesn’t come naturally to many of us. Sometimes we actually enjoy feeling bad for ourselves—we feel like martyrs, sacrificing ourselves for the cause, or something equally ridiculous. The truth is, nobody benefits from us ragging on ourselves. It takes practice to change an ingrained habit, though, and your mood is no different. If your bad mood is just an occasional occurrence, you can skip this step, but for many of us, we keep ending up in these same destructive moods, over and over again.
You’ve probably been thinking this way for years, so it’s going to take some time for your mind to get used to thinking differently. Some studies have shown that it takes about 21 days to change a habit. If you can turn your negative or unhelpful thoughts around for three weeks in a row, you may be on your way to drastic change.
There are many tools you can use to help yourself along. One such resource would be the book Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman. When Panic Attacks is a great book to read if your mood problem is anxiety. Both of these books share specific strategies for disputing your negative (and often false!) thoughts and replacing them with more helpful ones. Reading isn’t enough, though. Remember to make conscious changes in the areas that are bothering you. Then keep practicing until it comes naturally.

Top 100: Inspirational Quotes to Live By

Man standing on edge of cliff
Good quotes are often powerful words of wisdom that inspire, educate and even motivate a person to take action. They usually share common themes such as:
  • Positive thinking leads to positive outcomes
  • Failure is a stepping stone to success
  • Help yourself by helping others
  • Determination, initiative and persistence are the foundation of success
And yet these lessons of life are typically condensed into 1-2 lines. Therefore we thought it’d be a great idea to come up with the ultimate list of 100 inspiring quotes to live by.
1. “I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me.” - Dudley Field Malone
2. “If the facts don’t fit the theory, change the facts.” - Albert Einstein
3. “The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.” - Bill Copeland
4. “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” - George Eliot
5. “All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them.” - Walt Disney
6. “Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
7. “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” - Milton Berle
8. ”An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” - M.K. Gandhi
9. ”Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” - John F. Kennedy
10. ”I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” - Thomas Edison
11. ”It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” - Aristotle
12. ”It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.” - Howard Ruff
13. ”It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” - Vince Lombardi
14. ”Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” - Sun-Tzu
15. ”Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” - Albert Einstein
16. ”Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.” - Benjamin Franklin
17. ”Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em.” - William Shakespeare
18. ”That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” - Friedrich Nietzsche
19. ”The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in your pocket.” - Will Rogers
20. ”Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” - Will Rogers

21. ”To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.” - George Washington
22. ”When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt
23. ”Do not worry if you have built your castles in the air. They are where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” - Henry David Thoreau
24. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
25. “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
26. ”I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right.” - Albert Einstein
27. “Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.” - Albert Einstein
28. ”Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” - Mark Twain
29. “People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” - Apple Computers
30. ”You must be the change you want to see in the world.” - M.K. Gandhi
31. “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan
32. “If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today.” - E. Joseph Cossman
33. ”Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” - Henry Ford
34. ”Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” - Truman Capote
35. ”Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.” - Roy Goodman
36. ”In between goals is a thing called life, that has to be lived and enjoyed.” - Sid Caesar
37. “The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.” - Richard Bach
38. ”The only thing worse than a man you can’t control is a man you can.” - Margo Kaufman
39. “To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.” - Elbert Hubbard
40. ”We see things not as they are, but as we are.” - H. M. Tomlinson

41. ”The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” - Chinese Proverb
42. ”Vision without action is daydream. Action without vision is nightmare.” - Japanese Proverb
43. ”If you keep saying things are going to be bad, you have a chance of being a prophet.” - Isaac B. Singer
44. “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” - Jimmy Johnson
45. “When I hear somebody sigh, ‘Life is hard,’ I am always tempted to ask, ‘Compared to what?’” - Sydney Harris
46. “The only people who find what they are looking for in life are the fault finders.” - Foster’s Law
47. ”I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.” - Winston Churchill
48. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” - Winston Churchill
49. ”Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.” - Voltaire
50. “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” - Abraham Lincoln
51. “Don’t go through life, grow through life.” - Eric Butterworth
52. “Positive anything is better than negative thinking.” - Elbert Hubbard
53. ”Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.” - William B. Sprague
54. “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” - Albert Einstein
55. “I know for sure that what we dwell on is who we become.” - Oprah Winfrey
56. “In any situation, the best thing you can do is the right thing; the next best thing you can do is the wrong thing; the worst thing you can do is nothing.” - Theodore Roosevelt
57. “Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.” - Charles F. Kettering
58. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain
59. “There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” - Dr. Denis Waitley
60. “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” - John Wooden

61. “Cause change and lead; accept change and survive; resist change and die.” - Ray Norda
62. “Defeat is not bitter unless you swallow it.” - Joe Clark
63. “Don’t let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was.” - Richard L. Evans
64. ”A mind is like a parachute, it doesn’t work if it isn’t open.” - Frank Zappa 

65. “If you want to make your dreams come true, the first thing you have to do is wake up.” - J.M. Power
66. “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” - Thomas Jefferson
67. “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.” - Dennis P. Kimbro
68. “Winners lose much more often than losers. So if you keep losing but you’re still trying, keep it up! You’re right on track.” - Matthew Keith Groves
69. “An obstacle is often a stepping stone.” - Prescott
70. “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” - Helen Keller
71. “The real opportunity for success lies within the person and not in the job.” - Zig Ziglar
72. “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” - Napoleon Hill
73. “Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.” - Ray Kroc
74. ”Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” - Vince Lombardi
75. “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” - Zig Ziglar
76. “If not us, who? If not now, when?” - John F. Kennedy
77. “Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” - Dale Carnegie
78. “The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs… one step at a time.” - Joe Girard
79. “Some men see things as they are and say why – I dream things that never were and say why not.” - George Bernard Shaw
80. “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him.” - Sidney Greenberg

81. “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” - Bill Cosby
82. “The man who has confidence in himself gains the confidence of others.” - Hasidic Proverb
83. “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” - Peter F. Drucker
84. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” - Wayne Gretzky
85. “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” - Dr. Seuss
86. “I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” - Pablo Picasso
87. “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
88. “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” - Robert Brault
89. “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” - Albert Einstein
90. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” - Benjamin Franklin
91. “Many of life’s failures are experienced by people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” - Thomas Edison
92. “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” - Confucius
93. “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” - Winston Churchill
94. “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
95. “Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind.” - Theodore Roosevelt
96. “You make a living by what you earn; you make a life by what you give.” - Winston Churchill
97. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” - Lao Tzu
98. “What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight – it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower
99. ”Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great makes you feel that you, too, can become great.” - Mark Twain
100. ”Every truth passes through three stages before it is recognized. In the first, it is ridiculed. In the second, it is opposed. In the third, it is regarded as self evident.” - Arthur Schopenhauer

12 Tips To Help You Grill Like A Pro

Hamburgers on grill
Grilling outdoors has become an instinctive part of the human condition for thousands of years since the invention of fire and the dawn of humanity. Today, there are still very few things as enjoyable and satisfying as preparing a meal outdoors using live fire. Unfortunately, grilling is also somewhat of a lost art as many traditions of grilling were lost when industrialized societies adopted indoor kitchens. Our passion for barbecue remains, but we have to re-learn the techniques of outdoor cooking to suit today’s generation of grills.
Here are a dozen tips that you can use to cook like a pro. The first three have been popularized by Steven Raiclen,  “The Professor” of  the Barbecue University books and television show.

1. Keep It Hot

Always preheat your grill to the highest possible temperature. This burns off all remaining residue from your last meal while generating conductive heat for searing meats.

2. Keep It Clean

After pre-heating your grill, use a wire brush to further prepare your grilling surface. If you have done an adequate job pre-heating your grill, all the leftover material will flake off very easily.

3. Keep It Lubricated

One of the keys to great grilling is to keep your food from sticking to the grates. The simple solution is to lubricate the grilling surface just before using it. Use a folded cloth or a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil. Next, use grilling tongs to drag the oiled fabric or paper across the bars of the grate. Another alternative is to use one of the grilling sprays that are marketed for use specifically on outdoor grills.

4. Get Great Grill Marks

A stunning visual presentation is a surefire way to impress your guests. When cooking meats, rotate each piece 90 degrees halfway through cooking on each side. In this way, you can ensure a beautiful cross-hatched pattern of great grill marks.

5. Use A Liquid Filled Drip Pan

There are two ways to cook over fire, directly and indirectly. When cooking indirectly, always use a disposable foil drip pan underneath the food. Be sure to fill the pan with some kind of liquid. As the fluid boils, it creates humidity that keeps your food moist. The liquid will also catch drippings in order to prevent flare ups. Hot water will work fine, but using beer or wine will add extra flavor to your food. Pre-heating the liquid ensures that steam will be created sooner rather than later.

6. Keep A Spray Bottle On Hand

To prevent flare-ups when cooking under direct heat, keep a spray bottle filled with water nearby. Even a nice water gun will work in a pinch.

7. Smoke Equals Flavor

The ability to use smoke is one of the critical factors that separates outdoor cooking from indoor food preparation. There are several keys to utilizing smoke when cooking. First, find the right species of wood as each variety produces its own distinct flavor. Always use hardwoods such as oak, hickory, or mesquite as soft woods like pine can emit a toxic residue. Other great sources of smoke include fruit woods such as apple and cherry. Next, soak the wood pieces for at least an hour before placing them directly on the coals. Make sure to remember to replenish the wood at least once an hour. Finally, don’t bother to smoke any meats for more than three to four hours as the outer layers will already have absorbed as much smoke as possible.

8. Never Cook Fish Directly On A Grate

Fish cooks great on a grill, but only if you take special precautions. Fish is delicate, so it cannot withstand sticking to a hot cooking surface. To get around this issue, use a fish basket, which is a device that allows you to hold your fish in a separate container away from the grate. When it comes time to turn the fish, you can easily flip the entire basket as the fish is held on both sides. Finally, cooking on a cedar plank is a popular way to grill salmon without having it touch the hot surface of the grates.

9. Go Beyond Meat

Meat is great on the grill, but for some reason, most guests will want something else with their meal. Fortunately there are great recipes out there for grilling bread, vegetables, and even dessert. For example, pita bread cooks up nicely in seconds on a ordinary grill, corn and potatoes are very common, and a rotisserie grilled pineapple makes for a spectacular dessert.

10. Stay Safe

Follow some basic rules to keep your outdoor cooking from becoming a hazardous duty. Avoid using lighter fluid for starting charcoal as newspaper underneath a chimney starter works better and is inherently safer. Never use gasoline or any other type of motor vehicle fluid. Close off the valve to your propane tank when it is not in use. Keep young children away from grills, and always use gloves when handling anything that has come in contact with the grill such as a rotisserie, a skewer, or a fish basket.

11. Don’t Puncture The Meat

Some people test for doneness by sticking a fork in their food, or in the worst case scenario, cutting into it. Never do this, as the juices will drain out of the meat. Instead use an instant read meat thermometer to confirm the proper temperature. These devices can be purchased at any supermarket for under $10 and are essential equipment for any aspiring grill master.

12. Let It Rest

As tempting as it is, never serve your meal hot off of the grill. After your meal is fully cooked, take it off of the grill and let it sit. The thicker the cut, the longer it needs to rest. A nice steak needs about 5-10 minutes while a big brisket might need a half hour or longer. If you want to preserve the temperature, cover the food in aluminum foil and place a folded dish cloth on top of that for additional insulation.
Grilling is an incredibly fun way to cook a meal, but a poorly prepared dish can leave you and your guests disappointed. While grilling is a relatively simple form of food preparation, these few strategic tips can make all the difference.

6 Quick and Sneaky Ways to Make Your House Look Clean (Even When It’s Not)

Housewife cleaning the floor
Unexpected visitors really have a lot of nerve. Not only do they disrupt your schedule but they are also rude enough to drop by without giving you ample time to clean your house.
While you might generally keep your house fairly neat and clean, there is always going to be a bit of clutter, dust or grime at any given time, and that time usually hits when unexpected guests call to say they are five minutes away. Six quick and sneaky tips can work to make your home appear clean and cozy in a jiffy.

1. Shiny Spots

Making the bright shiny silver things around the house as bright and shiny as their supposed to be is a very quick and easy way to make it appear as if your whole house gleams. Think about it. If you see a dingy stainless steel sink or, worse yet, a grimy broiler handle beneath the oven, you don’t really pay it much mind. But when you see that broiler handle so dazzling bright that it reflects sunlight, you automatically think, wow, this person keeps a really clean house. They even clean the broiler handle.”
The same could be said for your home if you simply wipe a damp rag over the silver stuff and then dry it off before it makes those horrendous streaks. People will be so blown away that all your silver things shine, they will fail to notice the carpet needs vacuuming, the shelves need dusting or that you haven’t washed your windows since you put on that political sticker that says, “We Like Ike.” If you do an exceptional job on the bright shiny silver things, their brightness might even be blinding enough to hide any other disarray even if others are looking for it.

2. Windows and Mirrors

Windows and mirrors, with our without Eisenhower stickers, are automatically going to get people’s attention. They, too, should be shiny and gleaming if possible. A quick trick for cleaning mirrors is always a splash of water or window cleaner wiped dry with a single sheet of newspaper. Newspapers prevent those streaks that can make even the cleanest mirrors look like they belong in a haunted house.
Cleaning windows is a bit trickier, since they annoyingly come with two sides that require your attention and no quick fix — unless you have a tablecloth or a large skirt lying around. Large tablecloths and wide, full peasant-type long skirts work well as an impromptu window dressing that adds interest and texture while drawing attention away from the griminess of your windows. Simply strategically place a few thumb tacks through the edges of the skirt or tablecloth so it drapes artistically around the window and, voila, the effect is so dashing no one notices the filthy glass. This particular step can be avoided, of course, if you have existing window treatments you can close to hide the dirty panes, citing a headache for your reason of needing to be in the dark.

3. Clutter Cache

Even the best-kept homes can look like a scene from Sanford and Son if you have clutter clogging it up. It really doesn’t matter if everything is dusted, polished and situated neatly in a proper place, the whole house looks like a garbage dump. Creating a clutter cache, or a large, readily-available hiding place to stash all your clutter in a jiffy is the answer you seek. Clutter caches can be a large box, bin, laundry tub or any other storage-type container you can easily put out of the way once its full of all your clutter.
To make the most of such a cache, opt for decorative containers that match the room’s décor. Try sweet wicker baskets for the bathroom clutter, fashionable fabric-lined bins for the living room junk and a large ceramic or terra cotta planter to hold all the newspapers and magazines from your kitchen table. Certain furniture items make natural clutter caches, such as those ottomans that open up for storage, those roll-top desks that contain so much unused space and the oven and dishwasher, provided you remember you stuffed all your stuff inside and do not turn them on.

4. Hiding Spots

Similar to the clutter cache, hiding spots serve the same purpose of concealing your junk, just on a much larger scale. A hiding spot goes one better. The best ones are large enough to hold a clutter cache – just in case you’re stuck with a clutter cache that doesn’t have a lid. Many nooks and crannies built right into the home make great hiding spots, with closets as the most obvious.
One exceptional hiding spot is the bathtub or shower stall, either of which is usually large enough for several clutter caches, a bicycle and any unwanted visitors. An opaque shower door or curtain is a must to hide whatever you’ve crammed in the stall or bathtub or it will blow your whole scheme. Other effective hiding spots are in, around and under furniture, beneath couch cushions, and under bed and bedding.

5. The Great Rug Sweep

Sweeping things under the rug is a trick so old it’s even used as a phrase to describe hiding things you are supposed to deal with. It’s stuck around and remained so popular because the practice works. If you pull up a corner of any rug at any given time you’ll find dirt, grime and flattened dust bunnies that get trapped beneath it anyway There is really no harm in adding a bit more from time to time.
This sneaky trick works especially well as a quick fix if you’ve lost or broke your dustbin or accidently drop something that scatters while you’re at a friend’s house for dinner. Please note the trick does not work on wall-to-wall carpeting that’s been installed with nails and tacks. Please also note it will only work for a limited time until the rug starts looking lumpy or rising up and hovering above the floor like a possessed Ouija board.

6. Creative Redecorating

Creative redecorating is the finale of last-ditch efforts to get your house spic and span before that doorbell doth ring. Creative redecorating involves the movement or adjustment of furniture, rugs, wall hangings and other large objects to hide a major flaw you can’t fix in the few minutes you were allotted. Prime examples of creative redecorating include moving the coffee table to the left to hide the juice spill on the white carpet or moving the armchair against the wall to hide the crayon artwork from this morning of which your child is so proud.
Other quick fix methods work best if you have a ready stash of more tablecloths, large peasant skirts or sheets with patterns that don’t have that obvious bedding look. In addition to hiding grimy windows, such large swatches of fabric can cover tables that need dusting, couches that need steam-cleaning and even work to cover a clutter cache you could not stash. Simply throw a decorative piece of fabric over the clutter cache, place a few books and a candlestick on top and you’ve created a makeshift end table. Your guests will be amazed at the immaculateness of your home and you will – guaranteed – be amazed at your level of creativity.

7 Tips to Help You Fall Asleep (On Time)

Man sleeping on pillow
Most adults suffer from sleep disorders at some point in their life. Sleeping problems are often the product of stress or depression. Other times, they are the result of something much simpler.
You can fight insomnia by practicing good sleep hygiene. Getting into a good system will help you sleep soundly and be well rested to take on each day.

1. Try to sleep during the same hours each day

Going to sleep or waking up at different times every day throws your body completely out of whack. Your brain is hardwired to a 24-hour schedule. When you go to sleep during the same hours each day, you set your circadian rhythms. When you change your sleep patterns, you confuse your body. You’ll be more likely to wake up during inopportune times and it will be harder for you to get to sleep. Be as consistent as possible. Even changing your schedule for a couple of days can throw you off for as much as a week.

2. Keep your body free of toxins

Many substances need to be taken in moderation, if at all. Caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and sugar can all lead to insomnia. If you consume any of these substances, do not do so within a few hours of going to bed. Some people find drinking coffee keeps them awake, even if they consume it early in the morning. Get to know your own body. If you seem to have an issue with stimulants, you may want to remove them from your life completely.

3. Don’t become dependent on sleeping pills

Many people turn to sleeping pills as a quick solution to insomnia. Sleeping pills often work well for a brief period of time. But after you have taken them for a while, you build a tolerance to them. They cease to be effective unless you take larger doses. When someone has to go without sleeping pills, they often don’t know how to cope. They probably don’t need pills at all, but the chemical or psychological dependence has tricked them into thinking they can’t sleep without them. Worse, pills can have dangerous side effects if you use them consistently. Develop good sleep practices and there should be no reason to become dependent on pills.

4. Give yourself some downtime before going to sleep

Some people get caught up with working long into the night. This is especially a problem for college students who need to cram for exams. You will have a hard time sleeping if you’re burdening your mind before bed. Take a few hours to relax before going to sleep.

5. Exercise

Exercising is a good way to get your body tired and release a lot of the stress you are dealing with every day. A good 30-45 minute workout in the morning or afternoon can help you sleep much more effectively at night. Another option is to exercise three hours before going to sleep. This will help to trigger alpha brainwaves so that you will drift off more easily when you lie down. Be careful not to workout just before sleeping though. Your body will become stimulated, making sleep more difficult.

6. Avoid unnecessary naps

Napping during the day may be necessary when there’s a serious sleep debt you need to pay off. However, unnecessary napping can throw your sleep cycle off, making it harder to fall asleep again later that night. If you need to take a nap, do so at least 8 hours before you plan on going to sleep in the evening.

7. Only use your bed for sleep and sex

You need to condition your brain to see your bed as a special place where you only go to sleep. Avoid eating, reading and watching TV while lying in bed.