How do you stay true to yourself when you're surrounded by friends and/or family that have an opinion on everything you do? It's not easy! However, there are great possibilities that you can lead the life you really want. 【小题1】.

Never let others' opinions affect your choices

Stay true to yourself by listening to the only opinions that really matter --- your own and those from people who believe in and encourage you. 【小题2】.

Don't fear people

【小题3】. The reason most people don't take risks, or live on the edge is the fear of what others might think of them. If you want to live the life you truly deserve, you must give up the need to be liked by everybody.

【小题4】

When you do, others will too. Own the choices you make in your life. When you doubt yourself, others will doubt you. When you believe in yourself, in time, others will believe in you too. Show confidence in your choices, and what you stand for whether others agree or not.

Focus on appreciation

No matter what the circumstances are, there is always something to be grateful for. All successful people ask: What am I grateful for? How can I improve my situation and use these tough times to inspire others?【小题5】.

These steps, if applied, will help you transform your peace of mind, lifestyle, and productivity(生产力).

This is not a diet. It’s a simple way to lose weight. You don’t have to give up the food you love or join a gym. You just follow some habits thin people have. Keep them, and you’ll become thin.

◆Wake-up

When you wake up in the morning, sit up slowly without using your hands. With legs straight out, lean forward (前俯) until you feel sore (酸痛的) in your back. It will use up 10 calories.

◆Start with soup

Order a clear soup, and have it before the main food. In this way, you’ll feel fuller, so you’ll eat less when the main food comes.

◆An apple or more a day

Apples are full of fiber (纤维) and water, so your stomach will want less. Studies show that people who eat at least three apples or pears a day may lose weight.

◆Talk it up

Every time you use the cell phone, stand up and walk around. Heavy people sit on average two and a half hours more each day than thin people. This skill is very important as standing up and walking around will burn up 50 or more calories. Use these skills, and you will have a big weight loss.

Too many people think that intelligence (智力) is a gift of nature and that there is little anyone can do to improve theirs. In fact, it’s not. Just like swimming, cooking, dancing, and many other things, being smart is a skill that requires training. I discovered some of the most important tools to be smart. Now I will share them with you.

Practice self-critical thinking

Critical (批判性的) thinking is the act of questioning the arguments that are put before us. It is a valuable skill—without it, we will get influenced easily. When we use critical thinking to our own ideas, we use self-critical thinking. If you practice self-critical thinking, you can come up with a better idea.

Be persistent (坚持不懈的)

Smart people don’t give up. They believe that they can do it, so they spend months, even years trying until they succeed finally. You might know that Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before he succeeded. Actually, almost all scientists experience failure lots of times. So if you want to be smart, be persistent.

Learn to express your ideas

You may have your good ideas, but if you don’t sell your ideas, no one will know their worth and consider you smart. So you need to learn how to express your ideas. Express your thoughts in a proper way, and most importantly, let your enthusiasm (热情) about your ideas shine through.

Finally, you must also believe in yourself. Those who appear smarter than you simply have used the right tools to exercise their minds. You are smarter than you think.