Some people look as if they are simply born with the certain social skill that enables them to make friends with such ease that it seems pretty unbelievable. They end up having tons of friends in no time. 【小题1】. Some have to work a bit harder in order to gain someone’s attention and friendship. The good thing is, there are many ways to improve your social skills and make your friend circle even bigger.

◎【小题2】

Having fun on your own is the first step towards making a good basis for a future friendship. If you learn how to have fun on your own, it is more likely that you will meet someone who has similar interests and also needs a friend.

◎Expand your view and find new things to do

When you have many things you like doing, the better chances are that you will be meeting people who are also into the same things. You can also make friends with someone without the same hobbies. There is no rule that you have to be friends with those who like the same things. 【小题3】.

◎Social gatherings are the best way of meeting friends

Every time you have a chance to get together with others, don’t miss it. 【小题4】. Or, if you really prefer staying at home, there are always online groups with people, who prefer hanging out with others from the comfort of their homes as well.

◎Make the circle of your friends with confidence

After doing everything above, you will notice at one point how you’ve got your confidence back. 【小题5】. Just being confident, satisfied and happy will make you a friend magnet and bring you friend circles.

To be more grateful (感恩的) in life means that you are also allowing yourself to be happier and more satisfied with everything that has been going on around you. But with all the stress, all the disappointments and all the anxiety around you. I bet you ask yourself this question all the time: “How exactly can I be more grateful with my life?” 【小题1】.

1. Learn to live in the moment.

Life is a wonderful adventure full of enriching experiences and endless possibilities. Don’t just go through the motions of (走过场) repetitive(重复乏味的) activities and boring tasks. No! Being a mindless zombie (行尸走肉) can make you more likely to take things for granted (对……不予重视). 【小题2】, make an effort to enjoy the experience.

You’re supposed to attend a conference? Absorb it. Babysit your niece? Enjoy the moment. Eat a 15-minute lunch? Taste each bite.

2.【小题3】

Being aware of your goal to be more grateful can help you look for things to be really more grateful for. Gratitude is a conscious decision. You have to practice it consistently (持续的，始终如一地).

3.Control your thoughts.

Of course you have the power to control what you’re thinking of! Consider this exercise, for example: if you find yourself thinking more and more self-entitled (自我为中心), stop.【小题4】. You are given consciousness (意识). Make use of it wisely.

4. Always resist the temptation (诱惑) of comparing yourself with other people.

As humans, we have the natural tendency (倾向、偏好）to compare ourselves with others with the hope of attaining satisfaction. Actually, this kind of activity does not help you feel to be more grateful in life.【小题5】! You will always be meeting someone richer, which makes you fed inferior (下等的) to others!

Don’t do it, please.

Every little thing counts. You have the ability to make yourself feel to be more grateful in your life.

Ted talks bitterly about being made to play the clarinet as a kid. For three years during his teens, his parents required him to spend an hour after dinner every night practicing. His parents wanted him to be in the marching band. They disagreed with him when he thought maybe jazz was more his thing. 【小题1】 However, he learned to hate it.

Angela was forced to take up the violin when she was 12. During her practice, she would close her bedroom door, lay the violin on her bed and pull the bow back and forth across the strings while reading her favorite novels. Then she tried to make them believe that maybe the violin wasn’t for her.【小题2】

The parents of both of the kids were wellintentioned（出于好心的）. 【小题3】 They saw it as their responsibility to provide the opportunity to have lessons and to insist on regular practicing.

They weren’t wrong to want music in their kids’ lives.【小题4】

●Music can help adjust the mood.

●Making music and listening to it develop the part of the brain that is involved with language and reasoning.

●So many mathematicians, engineers and architects are also musicians. There are facts showing that learning an instrument helps in the development of spatial-temporal skills.

●Making music is a way to make friends and to improve self-esteem.

●Best of all, playing an instrument is a skill that can be enjoyed and shared over a lifetime.

Both Ted’s and Angela’s parents’ hearts were in the right place. But they, like many parents, failed to understand that providing lessons would not make their kids into musicians if practicing was a chore（令人厌烦的工作） instead of a pleasure. Music educators are clear: 【小题5】 Ideally, music lessons are something we do with our kids, not to them.