I have been called the “World’s Laziest Obsessive-Compulsive” and it’s a pretty accurate assessment. All my life, I’ve looked for shortcuts and easier ways to do things. For years, I’ve collected tips, tricks and MacGyver-esque hacks to do everything easier, faster, better and cheaper.

Here, I’ll share my collection of really useful things you can do with a simple tube of lip balm.

1. Earwax Upgrade

According to Wikipedia, back in the 1840s, Lydia Maria Child recommended earwax as a treatment for cracked lips in her popular book, The American Frugal Housewife.

Child observed that, ” It is one of those sorts of cures, which are very likely to be laughed at; but I know of its having produced very beneficial results.”

I imagine that the beneficial results did NOT include people wanting to kiss you. Or perhaps even be around you.

So, the first smart use for lip balm is to save you from smearing earwax on your mouth.

Here are 30 more…

2. Fix Shaving Nicks

Dab a bit of unflavored lip balm on a razor cut to close the wound and stop the bleeding. Note: A serious cut requires more serious attention.

3. Soothe Other Wounds

Paper cuts can be surprisingly painful. Stop the sting with a dab of unflavored lip balm. Cracked, winter-dried fingertips can also be soothed with a layer of balm.

4. Cuticle Cream Stand-In

Are your cracked cuticles bothering you? Soften up split cuticles with lip balm. Rub some on before bed and you’ll see improvement by the time you wake up in the morning.

5. Wipe Out Nose Irritation

The area around your nose can get dry and irritated from frequent wiping and blowing during a cold. To fix, wash your hands and apply some unscented lip balm on the affected area with your finger.

Don’t use the lip balm directly on your skin to avoid spreading germs and infecting your tube of lip balm.

6. Balm Away Flyaway Hair

If your hair is unruly because of static electricity or maybe a bad hair day, swipe your fingers over your lip balm and gently smooth flyaway hair back into place.

See Also: 7 Hair and Makeup Looks to Try This Week 

7. Eye Cream Alternative

Looking like a raccoon with those dark circles under your eyes? Lip balm can substitute for eye cream to counter baggy and puffy eyes. Rub some on a clean finger and gently daub under your eyes.

8. Tame Rebellious Brows

Got a wild hair in your eyebrow? A dab of lip balm on your finger can smooth it back into place.

9. Erase Mascara Smudge

It’s a good idea to have a tube of lip balm in your purse during nights out. If your mascara smudges, a bit of lip balm on a Q-tip can easily do the trick. And it won’t affect any foundation or makeup underneath.

10. Prevent Shoe Blisters

Have you ever gotten blisters from new or ill-fitting shoes? If your shoe is rubbing and causing irritation, you can minimize the friction – and hold a blister at bay – by applying a layer of lip balm to the area.

11. Help When Hair-dying

If you’ve ever seen folks dye their hair at home, you’d have noticed that the scalp around the hairline sometimes get dyed too and it’s a bit of an eyesore. To avoid this fashion no-no, apply a layer of lip balm around your hairline to keep the dye from coloring your skin too.

12. Keep Fragrance from Fading

It’s quite disappointing when your favorite scent evaporates easily. To make a scent last longer, rub a bit of balm on your pulse points before you spray. This will lock the fragrance in and keep it from dissipating too fast.

Lip balm works because it is occlusive. It absorbs and holds fragrances compared to if you just sprayed it straight onto your dry skin.

13. Beat Bug Bite Itch

Are the bed bugs biting? Bed bug bites are no joke. Block the air (and the itch) from a bug bite with a dab of lip balm.

14. Windblocker

Lip balm, applied to your cheeks, nose and forehead, can serve as an effective windburn preventer in harsh, cold weather. It keeps the cold air from directly harming the sensitive skin of your face.

15. Instant Eye Gloss

No surprise here. Lip balm can be used for a beauty hack. Mix a little unflavored lip balm with your favorite eye shadow to make a dewy eye gloss. It’s a great beauty trick with hardly any cost.

16. Shine Dull Skin

If you’re having a rough day and it’s showing on your face, dab a line of lip balm along your cheekbones. It will put a shine on your cheeks and make you look dewy and healthy.

See Also: 6 Vitamin-Packed Smoothie Recipes for Glowing Skin 

17. Handy Hand Lotion Substitute

If you accidentally forgot your hand lotion at home or you’ve simply run out, lip balm can be a substitute. Spread some lip balm on dry patches of skin. Rub hands together to warm them up and make the balm spread better.

18. Unstick Your Zip

It’s happened to all of us — getting the zip of our jeans stuck. Hopefully, you were out of them when it happened.

Some folks run a candle through the zip but you can also use lip balm. Simply spread some on the zipper’s teeth. This will lubricate the stuck parts and help the zipper slide more easily.

19. Tie Up Loose Shoestrings

Are your kids’ shoelaces getting untied too often? To help shoelaces stay securely tied, rub lip balm on them. The wax will provide friction that will keep them from coming apart.

20. Shoe Shine Substitute

For a quick polish, rub some lip balm on your shoes and buff them to a shine with a dry cloth. Nobody will be able to tell the difference.

21. Ring Removal Solution

Is a ring stuck in your finger? Apart from soapy water or lotion, you can also use lip balm to provide lubration. Simply dab on the offending ring and affected finger and steadily apply pressure on the ring until it comes off.

22. Clean and Defog Glasses

One down side of glasses is how they can fog up in warm or cold weather (or when you’re drinking soup!). A handy trick is to coat the lens of your glasses with lip balm and then polishing with a cloth. This will keep your glasses from fogging up.

23. Remove Sticker Gunk

Remember that gunk that gets left behind on stuff when you remove stickers and price tags? It’s very annoying and it ruins the look of a perfectly new item. It’s hard to get out just by rubbing it off with a finger too.

Instead, apply a layer of lip balm on the offending sticker gunk. Wait 10 minutes, then wipe away the lip balm and dissolved residue.

24. Lubricate Drawers and Windows

Apply lip balm to the tracks of sticky drawers and windows to get them to open and shut more easily. This hack is good for anything with tracks and sliders.

25. Rust-proof Exterior Bulbs

Outdoor lights exposed to the elements have a tendency to rust. To keep this from happening, coat the threads of light bulbs with lip balm before twisting into place. The balm will provide a waterproof seal that will hold off rust, and will make the bulb much easier to unscrew when it needs to be replaced.

26. Keep Knives and Other Tools from Rusting

Knives and tools may rust especially if left unused for long periods of time. Rub lip balm onto the blades of knifes or onto scissors, clippers – whatever you want to protect from oxidation.

27. Sink Nails and Screws Easier

Coat nails with a little lip balm to keep them from splitting wood when hammered in. A dab on screws helps them go in easier.

28. Protect a Pet’s Paws

Winter ice, snow and salt can cause irritation to your pet’s paws. Put some lip balm on the pads of your pet’s paws before they go outside to protect them.

29. Repair a Scratched CD

Do you want to listen to an old CD but it’s scratched? No worries. Apply a little lip balm over the scratched area to keep it from skipping.

30. MacGuyver a Candle

In a pinch, you can open a lip balm container and insert a match stick into the wax. The matchstick will absorb the wax from the lip balm and keep a flame burning for a little while.

 

 

 

The post 30 Brilliant Uses for Lip Balm appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Most people love to talk about how many friends they have or how social they are. If you ask how many of those same friends care about them, people aren’t as comfortable talking about that.

It’s nice to believe that you can meet someone once and then call them a friend. But meeting someone once is not always a sign that you can rely on them to care about you.

The world is a big place and everyone is just doing their best to make sure that their needs are satisfied. It isn’t easy to think about other people when your main goal is to look out for yourself.

People have different desires and wants. You’re not always going to be their top priority, and you might not even be someone that they want to know. When you met them, they might have just wanted to be social, or they wanted to speak to someone else but they couldn’t.

You might be hit with this fact when you are in a tough part of your life and you are looking for people to support you, but you realize that you don’t have many people to turn to, if any at all. It’s often said that it’s better to have a small circle of close friends than a large amount of friends you barely know.

So how do you know who cares about you?

Define What “Care” Means First

In order to know who cares about you, you actually have to define what caring about you means.
This sounds obvious, but just as everyone has different wants and needs, everyone’s definition of care will differ.

Do you want friends who enjoy being in your company or friends who support you in your struggles? Do you want friends who are there for you when you are upset or friends who can always be counted on for help when you need it?

There’s no right or wrong answer for what a caring friend is. But if you never define what you’re looking for, no one is going to fit that definition, and thus you won’t ever be satisfied.

See Also: The ABC of an Epic Friendship: 26 Simple Ways To Be the Best Friend Ever

Start By Talking To A Small Group Of Friends

With your definition, you can now start seeing which friends do care about you. Start small and talk to a few friends first.

Don’t start asking every single friend if they care about you. That’ll just worry them that you’re letting insecurity and paranoia affect your thought processes. Plan to talk to a few friends first so that you can establish a friend base for yourself and feel more confident.

Look At The Friends That Talk To You First

Out of all the friends that you know in the group, who are the friends that approach you for a conversation first?

This shouldn’t be taken lightly. Anyone that approaches you for a conversation on a consistent basis is doing their best to be a part of your life. This is someone making the effort to reach out to you, something people would not do unless they geniunely thought about you and your well being.

Look At The Conversations You Have

Now it’s time to look at the main factors. Do you enjoy the conversations that you have with a friend? Are they extremely short and brief? Or does it look like one person doesn’t want your friendship, but wants something else from you?

This isn’t going to be easy, and you’re going to have to be as honest as you can. As much as you want to believe some people could be great friends, if you haven’t been having nice conversations with them, or if you barely speak to each other, this isn’t a person who is likely to care.

What Have Your Friends Done For You?

People act for the people they care about. It’s that simple.

Think about the people who have talked with you when you were sad, about people who went out of their way to do something for you, or people who invited you out to do something. If someone takes time out of their schedule to make time for you, that’s a sign that a person cares about you. After all, it’s easy to receive, but hard to give.

What Have Your Friends Asked Of You?

Good relationships are all about reciprocal giving. If you have felt the need to be kind to your friends and help them, that’s great.

How about things that friends have asked you to do for them? Have they been reasonable? Have your friends ever asked you to do something that made you feel uncomfortable, or something that was against your values? Did they respect you as a person, or is their respect fragile?

There’s nothing wrong with friends asking favors from each other, and in fact, it’s good to help a friend out. The last thing you want however, is a friend making you do things that you’re not comfortable doing, or a friend whose respect is only earned if you do something for or with them.

Those aren’t people who care about you, they just want you to fit in or else they don’t care about you.

Have They Followed Through With Promises?

If you’ve made any agreements or promises, it’s good to think back to friends who have actually stayed true to their words and proved to be trustworthy individuals. After all, there are people who promise things, but since they don’t care much about a person, they care very little about actually fulfilling that promise. That’s not a sign of someone who cares about you.

Be strict with this here, because it’s easy for people to think “Well, something special happened”. That’s not to say there aren’t special cases where promises just couldn’t be kept, but events like that should be a rarity, rather than an occurring theme.

Sort Out Your Friends, Then Repeat

You should have a good idea about who cares about you, and who doesn’t. Put the people who care about you first, and the people who don’t care behind you.

Sort through all of your friends in the same manner. Go through all the criteria. Don’t be afraid to be harsh. Chances are, if they never cared much about you, they aren’t going to care that you don’t think of them as a friend.

It’s not about you viciously cutting away at friendships, but considering who are the most important people in your life, and who you are going to put first. After all, if you know who cares about you, you know who you can turn to, and not have to wonder who you can trust.

Enjoy The People Who Care About You

Once you’ve found people who care about you, you will have established a personal criteria for the people you are looking for. You have people who care about you, and you now know how to find out if someone really does have your best interests at heart.

See Also: Why You Need to Get Out and Meet Your Friends 

There’s nothing better than going home at night and knowing that you are surrounded by people who care about you. Life’s too long to not know whp’s got your back, and if you know where to find people that care about you, your life is just going to get even better.

 

The post How To Know Which People Truly Care About You appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Every woman dreams of a life with a perfect husband who will sweep her off her feet into a magical world of love and romance. She fantasizes an ideal husband who will be both ideal life partner and best friend.

To be truthful, it is not only difficult but impossible to find a man possessing all the qualities a wife wishes for. But if a husband makes an effort, he can go a long way in improving his relationship with his wife and live more peacefully and happily as a result.

Here’s the things you need on how to be a good husband.

Trust & understanding

Trust is the main quality on which all relationships are based. A good husband needs to trust his wife immensely to make their bond stronger.

In fact, both the husband and wife need to be understanding and truthful to each other if they want to make their relationship into a bed of roses. Should any misunderstanding arise, each one should try communicate with the other while setting ego aside.

See Also: 5 Ways to Get What You Want in Your Relationship

Always be faithful to your wife

Faithfulness is the biggest factor in a relationship. Being faithful to each other will help to make your relationship a happy and a long lasting one.

This does not mean that a husband is not allowed to mingle with other women, but he should neither lie nor cheat on his wife. A wife should be at ease and not suspect the worst when her husband goes for a night out with his friends.

Dependable and supportive

A good husband should support his wife in good times as well as bad, guiding and supporting her decisions whether personal or professional. She should also be able to depend on her husband whenever she requires help whether it is just grocery shopping or planning a big event together.

Possess a good sense of humor

A man with a good sense of humor is definitely a great asset making his wife laugh all the time and keeping their relationship fresh and healthy. Sharing jokes and having a good laugh with your better half is great fun and will help to add some spark to your daily life.

Pamper and spend time with your wife

Women love to be pampered so a husband who pampers his wife can never go wrong. Besides remembering birthdays and anniversaries and giving gifts, small gestures like bringing flowers for her occasionally, writing love notes, singing songs and dancing with her to her favorite tunes can all bring a smile to her face.

All these actions will make her realize how thoughtful you are. It might even make her fall for you all over again.

Taking an interest in her hobbies is also a good idea. You can do gardening, or do early morning walks together. These little things mean a lot to women and gives them a sense of belonging and a feeling of being loved. Even little things such as helping with the house work will score you big points as she can appreciate how you make an effort to take some load off her shoulders.

See Also: 4 Original Ways to Be Romantic in the Digital Age 

Be respectful and be a man of principle

All women like their husbands to be sweet, endearing and chivalrous. Opening doors for her, pulling out a chair, or taking her out for a date are things all wives appreciate and love.

Being respectful, however independent she might be, is an act of understanding. Keeping your promises, coming on time, or picking up the kids from school are excellent ways to show your respect for her time.

Another way to respect her is to actually listen to what she has to say instead of pretending to do so. There will be times when she needs a listening ear or a shoulder she can lean on so be there for her.

Never raise your voice

A good husband will never raise his voice or physically abuse his wife however bad the circumstances may be. Always keep your cool and reason out with your wife and never let emotions get the better of you.

All of the above go both ways for both husband and wife.  However, some men may focus solely on work or on other things outside of the family. If you want a happy and peaceful family life, learn how to be a good husband and see how your life becomes easier henceforth.

 

The post How to be a Good Husband to Make Your Life a Bed of Roses appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Are you looking for ways to save money? Let me share my fashion hacks with you.

I have spent most of my life crafting ways to cut corners. I am your normal girl. I like fashion and beauty products just as much as the next person, but it’s not always possible to look like the beauties on TV.

First of all, let’s be real here. I’m not tall enough to pull off some of those ridiculous runway trends.

I have come to terms with my “short girl” status and actually embrace it. Sure, I want to look good. Who doesn’t? But my teaching salary doesn’t necessarily leave me with an abundance of cash floating around to spend on the “funsies”.

Here are a few savvy hacks that I use on the regular to balance my love for all things girly AND save myself from overspending.

Hair

I have always been told that I have great hair. No, I’m not bragging. I just hear this a lot.

So here’s my first confession. I am a bit of a hair product snob. Yes, really. It has been years since I’ve used a supermarket brand shampoo or conditioner. Salon quality products really are much healthier for your luscious locks. And if you use them consistently, you really do see a difference in the overall health and appearance of your hair.

In case you’re confused as to what this has to do with saving money, keep reading. If you love salon products as much as I do, you have to be stealthy. BOGO deals are your friend.

Yassss! Keep a watchful eye on the sale ads for your favorite products. The upcoming holidays are an excellent time to stock up!

And buy the liter sizes, not the teeny tiny bottles! I generally swoop in a couple times a year when I see advertisements for “buy one get one” products that I love.

Buy two or three of each! I don’t know about you, but 2 or 3 liters of my very favorites will last most of the year.

See Also: 7 Hair and Makeup Looks to Try This Week

Make-up

This one is important! Are you paying attention?

My love for topnotch hair products sometimes overflows into the make-up aspect of my life as well. As a former make-up consultant in my college days, I can tell you that the concept of quality applies here, too. Sort of.

When it comes to skin care and foundations – use the good stuff. I love a good skin care system. However, you can some really good products at the local drug stores as well.

My point is, you are your best asset! Especially those of you out here in the cyber realm trying to make a name for yourself. The entrepreneurial world is on fire right now! Appearances DO matter. Don’t feel guilty about purchasing a product that is going to boost your confidence and potentially make your skin look better!

Now, hold the phone. Here’s the money saver: when it comes to color –eyeshadows, blushes, bronzers, lips, liners – it’s just color. Any old brand will do. You don’t need to worry about your skin if you’re treating it well and using a good quality foundation. The colors you add to your face are like paint on a primed wall. You can go cheap!

See Also: 7 Easy Steps To Aging Skin Repair

Clothes

Take inventory of your closet with every season change. We all tend to forget about certain pieces that we have hanging up. Or maybe something has fallen behind the dresser or off the hanger.

Comb through your items. Sometimes this alone is enough to keep me from going out and spending exorbitant amounts of money on new things, because “oh yeah” I’ve already got something similar.

Here’s a ninja trick I have put into use just this week. Don’t put your cute skinny jean capris away for the winter. It’s the start of tall boot season, people! No one is going to know that the jeans you have on are actually capris if you’re wearing boots up to your knees.

Ta-da! I just saved you from going out to buy a few pairs of pants.

Lastly, when it comes to clothes, if you just HAVE to have a new something – do not be ashamed to look somewhere other than an overpriced boutique. Honest Abe, there are some really cute lines of clothing now at the local mainline stores.

As adults, our “cool girl” clothes don’t have brand names proudly displayed across the chest anyway. Who cares where it came from if it’s cute? If it saves some major dough, I’d be doing a happy dance. And seriously, if someone is going to critique you on where you purchased your super cute outfit, you probably don’t want to be friends with them anyway.

 

The post Fashion Hacks That Can Save You Big Bucks appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Is a car just a heap of metal that we drive around daily or does it actually serve a higher purpose? Some folks say that a car is almost a form of artistic expression or an extension of our personalities.

Of course, no one can be judged by the set of wheels they are sporting. Not every car purchased serves as a statement piece. Some people are just looking to get from A to B, while others are very deliberate about what their car will “say” to the world.

Nevertheless, studies show that most cars do have a little something to say about their owner.

How’s My Driving?

For example, the Lexus ES 300 happens to be the most ticketed car in America according to last year’s numbers. The year prior happened to be the Subaru WRX.

We aren’t only talking about speeding tickets either. These cars have received the most traffic violations – period.

Getting to the bottom of just why this might be is quite difficult. Some theorize that the opposite of what we would expect is true. The cheaper cars – not faster cars – actually get the most tickets.

Why would that be?

Well, many are saying this is due to the fact that younger, possibly less experienced drivers are purchasing cheaper cars. Despite the fact that some sportier cars have the ability to go fast, their owners are more likely to be of an older generation. Statistics show that anyone in the age range of 45 and over are paying much less on their insurance due to good driving habits.

In addition, what color car you drive may have something to do with getting ticketed as well. Another study showed that cars in silver, white, grey, and red are the most ticketed in the US, with white actually coming in front – not red. Many of us have heard the old tale of red cars being more eye-catching and sportier looking, resulting in more police stops and traffic tickets.

However, many more people are driving white cars. White cars make up about 25% of the cars on the road and 19% of them have a history of traffic violation.

See Also: Necessary Steps When Teaching Your Teenager to Drive 

Statistics Show There Actually are “Men’s Cars”

You may have heard the phrase, “that’s a girly car” or “that’s a manly car”, Well, turns out there is a difference in what types of cars men and women choose to buy.

It seems that heavy duty trucks and sporty cars are mostly purchased by men. And when we say mostly, we mean this market is dominated by men.

Every car on this list came in at 80% or more solely purchased by men. This list includes The Ford F-Series, Porsche, Corvette, BMW M3, and Audi S4.

On the other side of things, ladies seem to be pretty even across the board with only a very slight lead over men on some SUVs, sedans, and specific sporty cars as well. Around 57.9% of all Volvo S40 sales were due to women, but this list also includes vehicles like the Nissan Rogue, Volkswagen Eos, and the Jeep Compass.

So, it seems the stereotypical “girly” car doesn’t really exist. Yet, cars that are now considered rugged and geared toward a men’s world, like the Ford Mustang, were actually originally designed and marketed towards women. I guess it’s all in how you look at it.

See Also: 5 Important Questions And Tips For Buying A New Car 

Does This Car Fit My Personality?

Believe it or not, there is some scientific research to show what type of personality you might have based on the the type of car you own. For example, compact car owners tend to live in dense cities and don’t want to have to drive their cars too much.

Obviously that isn’t a huge surprise, but they do spend less money on their cars and tend to work less than others. Maybe it’s because people in this group value their free time more or it could be because they just don’t want a hefty car payment.

It’s hard to say, but this category lends itself to those who aren’t looking for anything flashy as a status symbol. They just want something that they can drive around town and won’t have a large impact on the environment.

Luxury car owners are almost completely opposite. These folks tend to be older individuals who have more education and higher paying jobs. They drive their cars much farther distances than those with compact cars, but are known to spend more hours in the office than the average person. Maybe this means that they drive farther distances to get to work or maybe this group embodies seniors travelling the world in retirement.

Of course, anyone can drive any car on the planet, but we choose our cars for one reason or another. It is interesting to examine the data and try to piece together who a person is and what they may have seen in their life based solely on their car. But, the fact of the matter is, it’s just impossible. Making a judgement about a person’s worth, experience, or style of living based on the car they drive is just not realistic. Yet, undoubtedly, owning a car is still a fun and exciting form of creative self-expression.

 

The post What Science Says About The Car You Drive appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Six months ago, I was an insecure wreck.

If you were to look at me from the outside, you would have thought I was pretty successful for my age. I had straight A’s, offers to some of the best universities in the UK, a career that was earning me more at 23 than people will ever reach in their life, six-pack abs, and a hot girlfriend.

What more could a person ask for? Surely I must have been happy right?

Well, surprisingly no – and the reason why is pretty simply really.

Happiness is not a result of how others perceive you. It is a result of how you perceive yourself.

On the outside, I was successful but internally, I was a mess. I was insecure, constantly seeking approval, and never thought I was good enough.

I only truly realised how messed up I was during my breakup. I remember saying one thing which really made me realise that something had to change. I said, “I’m scared.”

I WAS scared.

What if I had to make new friends and no-one liked me? What if I was never going to be in a relationship again? What if I was going to be alone for the rest of my life?

These thoughts, as well as many others, haunted me. I knew something had to change.

Over the next months I did some serious self-development to conquer these fears and insecurities which I felt was inhibiting me from being happy. It was the best thing I have ever done.

Today I want to share with you the three action steps which helped transform my life, and hopefully can help you out too!

1. Be completely honest and open with yourself

The worst thing you can do is hide yourself from you. Pushing all your self-limiting thoughts into a deep dark corner of your brain and locking them up is not going to get rid of them. They will still be there subconsciously affecting almost everything you do.

What I want you to do is to tell yourself aloud everything you are scared of. Then, have a deep conversation with yourself as to why.

For example, I used to always say no whenever my friends asked me to go out. When I started to question myself as to why, I realised that it was not due to the fact that I did not really like to drink at the time. It was more out of  fear of not fitting it and not being accepted for who I was.

What if I went and no-one talked me and just thought I was weird? That was the true fear which I was trying to hide from myself.

Recognizing and accepting your insecurities is your first step to surpassing them. Now that you are truly aware of what is holding you back, you can start to working with them to overcome them.

See Also: Self-Acceptance: The Key To True Happiness 

2. Do the things you love by yourself

Have you noticed that people very rarely go out to a restaurant or watch a movie by themselves?

After going through Step 1, I realised that I tended not to go out and do things by myself even if they were things I really enjoyed. I was afraid of being judged. What if people thought of me as a loner who had no friends?

After I became aware of this, I worked with myself in overcoming this fear. I started going out by myself whether it was to go for walks, go to restaurants, or do other things in public.

I love playing piano and did not have one at home so I decided to find a public one in the centre of one of the busiest train stations in the UK and just play. Why should I not play piano just because people may look at me and/or judge me?

Going out and doing things by yourself helps you not only conquer the fear of being alone and the fear of being judged, but it also helps you be autonomous. It helps you to become independent and free.

The analogy I love to use is this. Your emotional state is a cup of water. For a lot of people, their cup is half empty, and the people who they emotionally depend on fill the cup.

In the past, these people consisted of my two bestfriends and my then-girlfriend. I depended on them a lot and spoke to them almost daily.

However, I realized that your cup should already be full from the get go. You should be emotionally complete regardless, and then your friends, family and loved ones overflow the cup. Having your cup already full alleviates the need to rely on other people to be emotionally happy.

Remember me saying I was scared? Well this was due to a fear of being alone and being chucked out of my little comfort bubble which had been built up over the years.

Being emotionally independent is so important for long-term happiness. Unfortunately, people are going to come and go out of your life for all sorts of reasons. Why would you let your emotional state be controlled by things you cannot control?

Going out and tackling the world by yourself will help you transition from the feeling of needing people in your life to simply wanting them in your life. This is such a subtle yet powerful change in mind-set which will help you free yourself from the feeling of attachment to others.

See Also: 3 Things You Need To Stop Doing To Live The Life Of Your Dreams

3. Appreciate

It’s amazing how you can truly have everything in the world and be sad, and yet someone with next to nothing can be happy. Happiness is very much dependent on how much you appreciate the things you do have rather than the quantity of what you actually have.

For example, I was feeling a bit down as a lot of things have not been going my way.

I was at work on a Friday night working my socks off for tight deadlines whilst all my friends were out relaxing or having fun. I also had to study for another 3 hours afterwards for exams I have in the coming weeks. I have not been seeing as much growth as I would have liked on my sites and I was annoyed with myself at how I had let my body go quite a bit because of work, which made me even more annoyed.

If I wanted to, I could have let this spiral downwards. I could have resented my weekend as I had to study more, and I could have used every negative event which could have occurred to fuel my sadness.

Instead of doing all of that, I took a moment to walk up to the rooftop of my office building, and I just appreciated.

I took a moment to think about all the wonderful and glorious things in my life.

Although I’m working late on Friday and have to study, I have been blessed with this opportunity which so few people would ever have. And although my website has not grown to where I have wanted it to be, I have been blessed with the drive to pursue my objectives. I am also incredibly lucky to be completely healthy – people are struggling to survive as we speak.

The 10 minutes I spent staring at the London skyline gave me a sense of internal satisfaction. I felt grateful and happy for everything I have in life which has allowed me to be the person I am today.

I also took a moment to just appreciate the skyline. It is absolutely stunning and fascinating how we as a human race went from kindling fire to living in skyscrapers!

Simply appreciating external or internal things goes a long way in making you feel happier and more content with the world.

Closing thoughts

Happiness stems from the ability to love. Overcoming our deepest fears and insecurities helps us love ourselves, and the ability to appreciate and be grateful for everything you have and experience in this world helps you love life!

Whether you are feeling like you need some help in your life, or whether you feel over the moon, I do suggest you give these 3 steps a go. It worked wonders for me and I hope it can do the same for you too.

 

 

The post 3 Simple Ways To Overcome Your Deepest Insecurities (And Become Happier In the Process) appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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One of the challenges of modern living is the inability to control and command your own self-belief and self-esteem accordingly. It’s a common affliction and one that tends to rock back and forth on a daily basis.

A good moment in the day makes it memorable while a single bad moment makes it one to forget. It’s very easy to find yourself in a position whereby you have no self-esteem purely through having a fluctuation of good and bad days.

Naturally, this can leave you with very little belief in yourself. The easiest way to reinvigorate yourself is through writing.

Here are three ways you can channel writing to build confidence.

Write down your pains and get your answers

Because our daily lives are so chaotic, it’s hard to find the time to deconstruct your thoughts. Our minds are a whirlwind of confusion. You start to lose perspective on how you think and feel on certain subjects. When confusion takes over, your self-esteem will plummet.

The most powerful construct that you can use in your favour is the power of writing. Writing is probably one of the most therapeutic powers that you can have in your arsenal. It allows you to get thoughts out of your mind that you never even know that you had!

Writing is the ultimate tool for finding your positivity, as well. Why?

See Also: 3 You Won’t Believe Ways To Boost Your Self Esteem 

Answer your Own Problems

A significant benefit of running a blog, for example, is that it allows you to gain clarity on your own problems.

People usually seek out other people in order to have a sounding board. It helps them to empty their mind of their fears and thoughts. In these instances, it’s enough to sit and listen to others and just let them talk.

Well, a blank page on a computer screen just might be a better sounding board. As you write and thrash out your feelings and thoughts, you will find answers. You start to challenge what you have written on the screen and wind up becoming your own psychiatrist.

Soon, those problems that had “impossible” answers become a whole lot easier to solve. You can start to believe in yourself and fully appreciate that you do know what you are talking.

Solve a Crisis of Confidence

Writing is the most therapeutic of all powers. In terms of making your self-esteem grow, it helps you to realise that your thoughts cloud your intelligence. When everything is swirling around in your head, it’s hard to know exactly what you think or feel.

That makes it easy to see yourself as dumb, easily led or whatever. It’s a common enough problem and one that leads people to doubt the efficiency and brilliance of their own minds.

Don’t let that continue to be the case.

The beautiful and engaging therapy of writing is something that can capture your intelligence. It should take you no time at all to understand that by listening to yourself and decoding your own answers. You are far more than your negative thinking allows you to see.

See Also: Self-Acceptance: The Key To True Happiness 

 

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Snapchat is the best example of a breakaway innovation that’s taken social media by storm. With more than 200 million active monthly users, Snapchat is a rapidly growing platform businesses need to take note of.

But what exactly is Snapchat for business?

A good place to start would be to look at how the market uses it in the first place. Statistics show that 76% of Snapchat users buy their products online making it in ideal platform for sales and marketing campaigns.

A large part of Snapchat’s market belongs to millennials and Gen Z populations. Because they identify as digital natives, online platforms are much more familiar and convenient for them than traditional methods.

You would missing out on a great marketing opportunity if you don’t get on the Snapchat hype to grow your business.

The Snapchat Appeal

Snapchat is a wildly popular app that lets users send videos, photos, and even texts otherwise called ‘snaps’. You can send them to friends or post them publicly on your profile. Part of what makes it interesting is that these snaps get deleted within 10 seconds of viewing.

Sounds strange? Its target demographic of youths love it.

Nearly half of Snapchat users in the US are part of Gen Z, meaning that this fleeting feature can be quite attractive to this type of market. To get a better understanding of why this works, look at the type of lifestyle the youth of today are generally known for.

Self-expression, creativity, and freedom from reprisals are all things that Gen Z and millennials crave – and exactly what 10-second snaps offer. This makes the platform a perfect way to reach out to your young target market.

See Also: How to Use Snapchat Like a Boss

Using Snapchat as an effective marketing tool

A beginner to Snapchat may not immediately get the rationale behind the app, more so how to work it. But even if you’re not a digital native like the rest of your target demographic,, you can still learn to work the ropes in a matter of minutes.

Take some time to consider these highly effective social media marketing strategies.

1. Provide real time action

Snapchat has a Live Stories feature where users can build a Story with other users nearby their place. A Story is an album of snaps that stays active for 24 hours after being sent, making it longer than the usual Snap.

Think of a Story as a live broadcast of any event or campaign you have. Even if people can’t be there, they can see how fun and engaging your events are. Looking at young people of today’s highly digitized but also experience-seeking lifestyles, this can give you great leverage in interacting with audiences even if they’re far away.

A great example is Heineken’s successful Snapchat campaign during Coachella, where it used a combination of live snapping and teasing the audience. The brand sent out cropped photos as snaps to let users guess who was going to turn up to this year’s biggest music and fashion event among millennials.

2. Give your audience a sense of privilege

One way to reward loyal customers is by by making them feel special. In Snapchat, you do this by sending snaps of offerings that are yet to be released in public. Think of it as a secret preview of sorts.

The great thing about Snapchat is that it’s perfect for such teasers. You don’t have to show the entire product right away. Pique people’s interests by giving just a few hints. Add an emoticon or a snap text. Send several snaps that build up to that big reveal. This will build suspense among your audience.

If there’s one thing you need to know about today’s young generations, it’s that their FOMO (fear of missing out) is very strong. Once you’ve built a buzz in the community, it’s bound to spread to their networks as well.

3. Create excitement through promos, coupons, and contests

But don’t just make it a plain old offer. Utilize Snapchat’s expiring snaps to create a sense of urgency with every promo released. This gives a whole new meaning to “available for a limited time only”.

Digital Content Editor Ken Barnaby of EduGeeksClub, remembers his own Snapchat marketing experience, “I got a snap for a free meal in one of the local restaurants. I had to click it before I ran out of time!”

4. Personalize the experience

Your customers want to feel like you are talking to them personally and not just as a general member of a target market. One way to make your engagement feel more personal is by letting your audience get closer to your authentic brand identity. It’s like being with a close friend.

Nat Young from the Association of Surfing Professionals sends out his own snap selfies to fans with fun autographs that show a wacky and quite human side of him. Letting people know you’re not a distant machine will draw them closer to you.

5. Get influencers on board

Influencers are online personalities who have a great following. Looking to them for some help can leverage your brand with their followers. Make use of the great network at hand to you.

For example, McDonald’s snapped an all-star cast of LeBron James and other sports personalities like NFL players in special behind-the-scenes footage. Attracting both fans of sports and fast food, the brand was able to make itself relevant in this platform.

See Also: 4 Free Business Productivity Apps To Help You Grow Your Small Business

The Takeaway: It’s Not Hard to Go With the Flow

An older generation of marketers might feel a disconnect with its millennial audience. But this shouldn’t discourage you from reaching out. In fact, exploring avenues like Snapchat is a great way to grow your market and convert your leads!

 

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If you work remotely for a corporation, you will be required to get a new computer and phone almost every year. This is a part of a lot of organizations’ standard operating procedures to help ensure their security and development.

If you are looking for ways to make the transition a lot easier and more efficient, here are a few ideas you can use when changing devices.

1. Put it on your calendar

Organizations generally have policies about when their employees need to get a new laptop. Most of them require upgrading devices every two to three years.

Find out what your company’s policy is and add the date to your calendar. For convenience, you can set a reminder two months before the actual due date.

2. Keep track

Setting a reminder two months prior to the actual due date will give you enough time to prepare. Use this time to create a list of all the software you have on your laptop. You can also take screenshots.

Documenting everything can make transferring software to your new device a lot easier.

3. Create a back-up

It is always a good idea to backup your files on a regular basis, particularly if you know you have to frequently change devices.

Aside from backing up your data files, you should also keep a record of your e-mails, calendar, contacts and favorites. Although most companies provide a way to transfer data to new devices, having your own copy can give you added security.

4. Clean-up

If security is important to your organization, they will have a process to ensure corporate data is deleted from your device. You should also do the same thing on your end.

Check for vital information that may be stored on your computer and delete as necessary. Clean up your browser history and any other confidential information.

5. Plan around the transition

If you have the option to choose when you need to change devices, it’s a good idea to have it done before you go on vacation. Shipping your old device to your company and waiting for the new one to arrive can take around 3 to 4 business days.

I have sent my laptop back to my company while I was on a vacation and when I got back, I had my new laptop ready with the software I needed to load on it. I did speak to tech support prior to my vacation and provided them with the list of software.

See Also: Eco-Friendly Ways Of Disposing Of Your Electronic Gadgets

6. Inform your team

If you are not going to have your laptop for a few days, you will need to work off of your cell phone. E-mail yourself some of the documents you will need for the next five business days or save them to your online storage drive.

You should also inform your team that you are changing devices.

See Also: Using Technology to Organize Your Life Without Paper 

7. Check programs

Once you get your new laptop, you need to confirm if all the software you need are loaded properly. Install your printer and scanner driver and make sure that your Wi-Fi setting is configured properly. Customize your new laptop to make it more efficient for your work.

8. List down passwords

Saving your passwords in your browser can save you a lot of time. Despite its convenience, however, it’s really not that helpful when you’re transitioning between devices. Since your passwords are already stored, it’s relatively easy to forget them in the long run.

One way to address this is to create an excel sheet with all your accounts and passwords. Because they are already in a list, you won’t have to reset your accounts just to access them again.

Some companies invest on password managers as they offer more security compared to an Excel spreadsheet. The most popular password managers are LastPass and 1Password.

9. Ask for help

If you have a tech support team, make sure you reach out to them if you have any questions or clarifications. They have the skills and knowledge about handling technical problems. They should be able to assist you well when it comes to changing devices.

 

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The way you think can influence your life to a large extent. To know how to create success, you must first have the right mindset, beliefs, thoughts and ideas. Once you are able to change the way you think, you’ll be able to turn your situation and even your life around.

If you are wondering how you can modify your belief system, here are three essential things you need to work on.

1. Believe in your goals

The first step in turning a negative belief system into a positive one is to trust your goals. You have to convince yourself that they are possible and achievable.

Successful people see things differently from unsuccessful individuals.

Instead of considering every problem as an obstacle, they look at it as a learning experience. Having a positive attitude enables them to benefit from everything happening around them.

In contrast, if you are imprisoned by negative thinking, you will always find a way to blame other people for your shortcomings. You’ll constantly look for excuses on why you can’t make something work.

See Also: 10 Habits of Successful People 

2. Visualize your dream life

Visualizing is a good way to train your mind to concentrate on your deepest desires. The beliefs, thoughts and opinions you impress on your mind have tremendous effects on your goals.

You can get your subconscious to work for you by filling it with thoughts of happiness, peace and fulfillment. Once you are able to fill it up with positivity,  your subconscious will start attracting conditions that favor your goals.

This is one good example of the law of attraction. The more positive things you think about, the more positive things will happen to you.

If you constantly drown yourself with negative thoughts and ideas, you’ll never be able to attract the right conditions that can help you achieve your goals.

Take, for example, a young boy who lived in a small town. He had a dream of making it big in New York as a script writer. Frequently, he dreamed about having his own office where he can write about his summer blockbuster movie. He pictured the view from his office as magnificent. He imagined seeing the New York skyline right from his office window.

The young boy felt positive whenever his subconscious dwelled on these ideas. He constantly recreated this dream in his mind until he received a surprise call from a long time friend who happened to live in New York. The young boy got invited to travel to the city and was able to get the career he has been dreaming of for a long time.

If this young boy persisted with negative thoughts, he won’t feel motivated enough to continue dreaming and to take action when the opportunity presents itself.

3. Do not be afraid to fail

Most successful people today have experienced failure at some point in their lives. They were able to pick themselves up, dust off their mistakes and move on to get to where they are today.

Failure is a healthy and inevitable part of success. You have to go through it if you want to achieve your goals.

See Also: 3 Ways On How To Turn The Fear Of Failure Into An Asset 

The first step is to identify what caused it and then find ways to turn the situation around. Take, for example, a pile of gold hiding behind a furnace.

For you to get it, you have to find ways to extinguish the fire. If you’re not brave enough to solve the problem, you won’t be able to get your hands on the gold.

Knowing how to create success is as important as your capability to execute your plans. Without taking actions, you’ll have a hard time achieving your goals.

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