HOW TO BECOME CLEVER

I don't regard myself as something intellectually outstanding, but I'm striving to become the cleverest possible, it's one of my goals. It seems to me I could now define some factors allowing to become clever, at least cleverer than many around.

1. Interest to learning – pleasure from acquiring knowledge and an urge to acquiring it. Unfortunately, I have no idea, how to make it artificially, if it was absent. I have had it, presumably, from birth. Most likely, other children have the interest to learning none the less. The problem is that many schools discourage it badly, so that many children come to hate learning for the rest of life.

2. Have objectives, why you want to be clever. Apart from interest I have goals, for the sake of which I study – it is unlikely to achieve them without proper knowledge and skills.

3. Read interesting thoughtful books – not because they are required to be read in school or parents say to, but solely from your own interest. It is helpful to find a person, expert at the field, and ask him/her to recommend the best books, those written both cleverly and clear. This is much more efficient than getting through piles of rubbish on the subject yourself (in every subject there is much more trash than books of real value).

4. Ask questions. Find things to ask, and ask. First, ask others (parents, friends and acquaintances, who knows something, teachers and lecturers – each in his/her subject, etc.), then yourself. You acquire a good habit of questioning yourself, and trying to think up answers, and it makes a sign of active thinking, a feature of a strong mind.

5. Think. There is such an occupation – peeling potatoes, there is another – writing a letter, but this is one more: thinking. Special time is to be assigned for it. It requires a situation not to be disturbed (for instance, for thinking I like to lie in the warm bath or on the grass when the weather is fine and no people around), certainly, unless you have already trained to concentrate on your thoughts in any situation. More effective is not allowing your thoughts flow free, but thinking over purposefully with a goal to elaborate an opinion, find a solution and the like. You are trying not to permit your thoughts to wander aside, and whenever they do, you get them back to the topic.

6. Have solved a good lot of cute creative math problems. The benefit of studying mathematics is not only, and even is not so much in utilitarian applicability of math apparatus in everyday activities as development of logical and heuristic thinking. Solving interesting non-routine problems you acquire a habit to turn on your head, and then this acute approach remains toward all other questions along life.

7. Train up to keep attention highly concentrated. Various psychological methods and spiritual practices can be helpful in this; for example, concentration is the core of meditation. You may read some books about that, and take some training.

8. Think with a timer. Starting to think over an issue switch on a timer. It should be constantly before your eyes. This allows to control time, spent on passing a branch of thoughts and timely get back from off-topic thoughts to the main problem.

9. Think with an alarm-clock. If you have a device, which can play a sound every minute, set it up and think. Take this sound as a message "Get back to the topic". This is another tool for getting distracted less. As such a device you can use your PC with a sound card and a program of this sort. If you have Windows 98, you may download this file and place it into the system folder "Scheduled Tasks" (or I don't know, how it is named exactly in English Windows version). Turn on the Scheduler, and it will play for you every minute.

10. Think aloud. When you say aloud, what you are thinking over, your attention is less distracted from the topic, so your thinking is more efficient.

Certainly, if you are able not to be distracted without the last three techniques, you do not need them.

11. Seek company of those cleverer than yourself, with more developed personality, more competent. If we are young, most of such people are simply those elder. However, the farther we go developing, the less person's age can reflect his/her value as an interlocutor. We simply "outgrow" our surrounding, even elder in age, and then we have to pick "the best". Now a criterion may be professionalism in a field. For example, to enrich yourself in psychology, it is helpful to get a good psychologist your friend.

12. Change your image of a know-it-all sage, if you have it, for an image of an inquisitive child, ever ready to learn and listening with pleasure to people who can tell something new and interesting. When a person sees your genuine interest, hears interested questions and sees your sincere gratitude for "the lesson", it is pleasing and stimulates him/her to share everything one knows with you. And if you take the new information with some haughtiness (the most frequently it happens if the interlocutor in younger or is of a lower status), the person may lose the wish to communicate to you whatever new.

Also it should not be felt to be a humiliation to address for help to people, who, you know, may give a sensible advice. If a person is cleverer than you, or cleverer in a matter, acknowledge this easily, speak about this to him/her. (Although do not consider this unchangeable, try to take over the wisdom.) Removing arrogance within yourself in this sense makes quick return. Soon you will discover that objectively there is less and less people cleverer than you. With regret, because it becomes more hard to find a one to learn something new from, and gladly, because you are respected sincerely by many and you can teach something to somebody yourself.

13. Try to avoid companies, parties, and other crowds of entertaining people, as well as hollow talks. This is waste of time, better to be spent for developing your intelligence. Of course, we can admit such things, having another objective – to set a useful (not only in material sense) contacts, have a rest, after which we can work more productively, etc. But we should clearly realize that association with shallow people and having senseless talks not only devour time, but also have a negative impact on our intelligence. First, we lose mental tonus and acquire a habit to be more stupid than we could. Second, we expose ourselves to influence of the social environment to a greater extent. As this environment usually consists of people less intelligent, than we would like to become ourselves, this influence is for the most part negative.

14. Try not to depend on conventional opinions of your social environment: family, school, work surrounding, friends, social group, society, etc. Don't be afraid to have your own standpoint, let it be different from the common. But an opinion should not be different only to "show off". It may become "different" as a consequence of active and independent thinking.

15. Fast reading. Amount of knowledge disposable is a part of intelligence. This amount, in turn, depends on amount of information absorbed within life. Human beings have limited capacity to absorb information per a given time. A very appropriate method to increase it is dynamical reading allowing to rise reading speed 1,5-5 times (depending on the person, amount of training, and text difficulty).

16. Be clever throughout the life, not only in your job. There is a lot of people, who are excellent specialist, but who acts ignorantly in interpersonal relations, managing one's own physical and mental health, housekeeping, managing personal time and money, and in other questions each of us faces. Surely, there are people, whose time as specialists costs too much to spend it away for whatever else. But for most people it makes good sense to be "a bit" a specialist in everything we repeatedly face on the life path.

17. Understanding, why people act one way, not another, predicting their reactions, and ability to influence their behavior present a good part of life wisdom. Psychology provides invaluable assistance here; it's one of things, worth spending time studying for everyone.

18. Why? What for? Why this way, not another? What for just so, not otherwise? Can it be other way? Why can't it be otherwise? Why wouldn't we try it another way? These and the like questions assist to understand things in depth, realize causative relations. Creativity and improvement of everything around are impossible without them. They are to be made about everything you face. For some reasons it is accepted in society to ask them about some sorts of things and never about others. There are algorithms and rules, which people stick to every day, but there is a few who can clearly explain, why that's to be done this way. No algorithm to be executed in life, no structure we face should remain without having been thought through. These questions are to be asked about every action, every element, their places in the whole structure and relations among them.

19. Consequences of every decision usually include both positive and negative. The more factors one can take into account, the more realistic is his/her prognosis and more successful is realization of the decision into practice. Sillier approach (but very common, I know it even observing myself:) is to make a decision only from one-side directed arguments: pro or con. Wise one chooses something not simply because it has this, this and this positive sides, but because the sum of positive side outweighs the sum of the negative, i.e. the decision is made on the basis of "pluses" and "minuses" difference.

20. Don't clutter up your head. Pick from the available information flow (books, news, the Internet, contacts, etc.) the most interesting and/or useful for your personal goals. It is impossible to learn everything, the time is limited, so it is desirable to fill it with the best things.

21. Stay open to the new till the end of life. No matter, how long you did believe in, change your old views for the new and more trustworthy, true, deep, precise, useful, etc., once they appeared on horizon. Make all the best your own.

22. Better if a decision to become clever was made before 20, although it is never late to make.

23. Lauch your own business. Not a work for someone, let it be even a bigger salary at the moment, but your own busienss. Business is a school, that brings you life experience very efficiently. Business forces you to think systematically and intuitively, to take into account a complex of factors in everything, and constantly seek for optimal decisions.

24. Never become satisfied with the achieved level. Regard the permanent process of knowledge and skill rising all through the life as a norm, try to mine a pleasure from it.

How To Look Sexy

1. Get clean. Start with a good shower every morning, or a bath at night. Feeling and looking clean is crucial. Wash with a nice smelling body soap. Get out and pat yourself dry with a towel, and rub in some rich body lotion. You need to be soft and able to cuddle at all times (do not neglect your hands, elbows, and feet). If possible try to layer matching scents on your body, such as soap, lotion, powder, and perfume (ie. vanilla, citrus, rose, etc.)
2. Practice good dental hygiene as well. Get a check up and have your teeth cleaned often. Invest in a good toothbrush, waterpik, and mouthwash. Always keep mint gum, mints, or breath spray on hand.
3. Get groomed. Work with what you've got. But keep it neat and tidy! Trim finger and toe nails weekly, remembering to clean under the nail. No fancy nail polish colours are needed, but a simple beige colour can play down any nail discolouration. If you choose to sculpt your eyebrows, tweeze weekly to avoid going back to square one. Once every 2 or 3 weeks, have a pampering day, including a manicure, pedicure, facial, and bubble bath, even if it's just a spa day at home.
4. Style your hair. Make a trip to the hair salon. A new cut or style will make you feel sexy and confident. Having a change of hair colour is nice, too. Go for something natural and not too dramatic. Deep condition your hair at least once a month. In the mornings, flat iron your hair or put it in a messy bun, depending on your style. Adding extensions or a wig can radically change an everyday look from "ho-hum" to "wow" to turn a few heads.
5. Create winning skin. Do a steam facial everyday for up to 10 minutes, to open up your pores and get rid of blackheads and acne. to do this, Get a bowl of boiling water, and a towel, and just sit with your face in the steam, using the towel as alittle tent/mini sauna over your head and the bowl.Caution: doing it for longer then 10 minutes, will just stress out your skin, which will just make it worse! Wash your face right away afterwords with a cleanser made for your type of skin. Then rinse and splash your face with cold water to close your pores, making them smaller and preventing dirt going back into them. An alternative to this is to use a facial scrub to get rid of flaky, dead skin cells.
   
   
   • Optional: Put on a self-tanner lotion for the face (2 shades darker is perfect for pale skin types) Put a dime size on each cheek and one on your forehead. Blend into your complexion. Wait until dry (about 2 minutes) and wait about 30 minutes until you see results. The great thing about self tanners is that they last all day and you don't have to reapply it like make-up! For darker skin tones, use a bronzer on the cheeks and lids for a more natural sun-kissed glow with lip gloss on the lips.
6. Show your style.
   
   
   • Invest in a good pair of curve-hugging jeans. Dark denim looks good on all body types. Jeans are the ultimate sexy accessory when paired with a tank top or baby tee. Up it a notch and add some strappy heels.
   • Pick some clothes that flatter your figure and that you feel comfortable in. There's no point picking the latest fashions if you don't feel comfortable in them! Pick clothes that make you feel like you!
   • Wear lace-up flats or sneakers. Flats are cute and comfortable--two characteristics that you rarely ever find in the shoe department!
   • Wear jewelery that excites you. Find colourful, fun, bright chunky necklaces and bracelets, but if you wear lots of pearls and beads, don't wear a shirt that has a pattern or a picture on it. Wear a monochromatic top with lots of multi-coloured jewellery.
   • Black is sexy. It hides fat rolls, creates curves and makes you feel like a goddess.
   • Sexy undergarments like thongs might make you feel sexy. Be sure that you're old enough if you going with the thong. Make sure to find your proper size to prevent visible panty line (or visible bra cups!) Don't be afraid to wear or buy a thong, it's just underwear! Who's going to know that you're wearing one? Just make sure you get the low-rise thongs (this means your thong will stay in your pants!)
7. Wear make-up. Just make sure not to go overboard -- subtle is sexy. Accent one feature at a time! For example, one day, put on lip-liner, bold red lipstick, and mascara. For another day, wear subtle pink or clear lip gloss, and wear eye-liner to make your eyes stand out.
8. Get in shape. Create a workout plan. Crunches/Lunges equal flat, hard ab muscles, lunges equal toned legs, and squats equal a toned backside. Running or jogging works all muscles of the body and increases your stamina. Plus, the hormones your body releases while exercising carry on through your evening activities to contribute to your new sexy attitude.

How To Be Photogenic

Steps

1. Wear clothes with colors that suit you. Certain colors complement certain skin tones, while others tend to bring out the worst. Also take into consideration your hair color. You may have a feel for which colors you look best in, but if not, do some research (check out the external links below) and some trial-and-error.
2. Hide your blemishes. The bad thing about photographs is that because they are simply frozen images of one angle in an instant in time, they can't show all your good attributes. The good thing about them is that you can easily hide certain features you don’t like. If you've got a unsightly look on one side of your face, for example, don’t show the camera that side.
3. Determine your best angle. Beyond the obvious hiding of blemishes, finding the right angle for your face can be a bit more difficult. The best thing you can do is experiment using a digital camera so that you can immediately see the results of each pose. It will very quickly become obvious which angles are most flattering for you, and you can then use that angle as much as possible in the future. The classic model's pose is to arrange your body 3/4 toward the camera with one foot in front of the other and one shoulder closer to the camera than the other. This isn’t the best pose for everybody, however, and it can look a little ridiculous when used in a family photo right next to Uncle Bob.
4. Get rid of a double chin. Tilt your head down slightly and try to position yourself so that the camera is a little above your eye level. This will hide a double chin fairly effectively. You can also put one hand under your chin as though you’re resting your head on your hand (keep the thumb side of your hand out of the camera’s view, if possible). Don't actually rest any weight on the hand, however, or you will push the skin into an unflattering position. Also try resting your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
5. Stick your neck out. One trick models often use is to present a 3/4 pose to the camera (turn your head so that 3/4 of your face is exposed to the camera, as opposed to a full frontal shot) and then lift your neck and slightly tilt your head down, as though you are a turkey sticking its head out (without actually thrusting your chin out). This improves facial definition and helps ameliorate wrinkles and flabby skin.
6. Relax. Many people end up looking odd in photos because they freeze into odd facial expressions with a “say cheese" type of smile on their face. If you're used to having bad pictures taken of yourself, you probably get nervous in front of the camera, and this can make things even worse. If you know a picture is about to be taken, take a deep breath and exhale naturally, relaxing your arms and shoulders. As you exhale, smile or strike whatever pose is appropriate. Don't hold your breath, either in or out, otherwise you'll appear as though you're tense or suffocating. If you see the photo coming too late, don’t panic and try to strike a pose. Keep doing what you're doing and try to ignore the camera. It may not turn out perfectly, but you’ve got a better chance than if the camera catches you quickly trying to change your facial expression. The more comfortable and relaxed you appear, the better the photo will turn out.
7. Think happy thoughts. An unnatural, forced smile can make you look stiff and, frankly, weird. When people are smiling and waiting for a photo to be snapped, their facial muscles can get caught in all sorts of strange positions. To remedy this, try to time your smile so that you don't have to hold it for too long. Also, imagine something really funny (don't be afraid to laugh a bit, even) or think of someone—your spouse or child, for example—who makes you happy. By doing so, you’ll get a genuine smile. If you don't like your smile or your teeth, try a more subdued, closed- or partially-closed-mouth smile. Regardless of how you choose to smile, the happier and more relaxed you are, the better.
8. Smile with your eyes. Nothing projects happiness and beauty like smiling eyes: a happy, somewhat mischievous expression of the eyes. To achieve this effect, imagine that the camera is a person you have a crush on walking into the room. This will create wider open eyes and a relaxed smile. Chances are you unconsciously do this all the time; the trick is to be able to bring it out on demand, so practice the smiling eyes in front of a mirror.
9. Maintain your posture.Listen to your mother—remember how she always told you not to slouch? Good posture can dramatically improve your appearance in pictures. Sitting or standing up straight will make you look healthier and more alert and, if in a group setting, more attractive than your slouching companions. Just remember to breathe normally and relax your shoulders. Especially if you usually have bad posture, it may be difficult to stand up straight and not look stiff, so practice this in the mirror.
10. Get a better photographer. Professional photographers generally know how to bring out the beauty in people. You can't always choose your photographer, but sometimes you can. If you're going to put up a shot for an online dating service, consider enlisting a professional. If you need headshots for modeling, get the best professional you can find.
11. Edit or enhance photos. If you've tried everything, but you still can’t seem to get a good picture of yourself in any environment, try slightly altering your digital photos. Changing the lighting effects or filter effects, for example, can dramatically improve the appearance of your complexion.
12. Fake it till you make it. People are often photogenic because they like having their picture taken. They are therefore relaxed and happy when the camera appears. If you cannot muster up genuine love of the camera, pretend you like the camera. Imagine the camera is someone you love, a long lost friend, an old flame, your child at age three, or whatever you need to look at the camera lovingly. Try it—it really does work.

HOW TO BE HEALTHY

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• Above all, don't smoke. Cigarette smoke is a toxic cocktail of around 70 cancer-causing chemicals and hundreds of other poisons. Smoking is the single biggest cause of cancer in the world. In the UK, smoking accounts for one in four cancer deaths and kills five times more people than road accidents, overdoses, murder, suicide and HIV all put together.

• Eat at roughly the same times each day. This might be two, three or more times but a routine encourages a reasonable weight.

• Watch your portions. Don't heap food on your plate (except for vegetables) and think twice before having second helpings.

• Try to have five portions of fruit and vegatables a day. A portion is about 80g of fruit or vegetables. This is roughly equal to an apple, orange, banana, or similarly-sized fruit or two serving spoons of cooked vegetables such as broccoli or carrots.

• Eat foods with reduced fat. Choose reduced fat versions of foods such as dairy products, spreads and salad dressings. Cut fat off meat.

• Eat foods with reduced salt. Too much salt can increase your blood pressure and your risk of heart disease and stroke.

• Eat healthier snacks. If you're hungry between meals, choose a healthy option such as fresh fruit or low calorie yogurts instead of chocolate or crisps.

• Look at food labels. Choose food with less far, sugar and salt content.

• Think about how you eat. Eat your meals at the table and it will help you focus on the amount of food you eat. Eat slowly because it takes time for your body to register how much food you've eaten and how full you are. Don’t eat while walking, but wait until you get there and take time to concentrate on what you are eating.

• Think about what you drink. Water is good (but two litres a day is rubbish). Semi-skimmed milk is good too. Many soft drinks (including fizzy and sweetened soft drinks) contain a lot of sugar. Alcohol is high in calories.

• Walk every day. The aim should be to do around 10,000 steps which equates to around 60-90 minutes of walking. Using a pedometer on a belt is a good way to monitor this. On the way to or from work, shops, or meetings, leave the car or public transport a bit short of your destination. In the office, use stairs rather than the lift (or elevator, for my American readers).

• Don't sit around too long. Break up your sitting time by walking around at regular intervals. At home, do a chore. At work, visit a colleague.

• Limit exposure to the sun. Between 11 am and 3 pm, it's better to be in the shade. When in the sun, wear sensible clothing and use appropriate sun factor lotion. Never burn.

• Get enough sleep. The amount varies by individual and age, but most people need seven or eight hours a night. It's important to go to bed at a regular time and get up at a regular time. There is some evidence that people who take a short nap during the day lower the risk of heart disease.

• Be happy. Happiness helps healthiness, especially mental health. For many tips on how to be happy