It’s always easier to say “Yes” because most of us want to please other people. Somebody asks you to go for a party but you have tests the next day, or to help them although you are busy at the moment, or to join the activities you have no interest at all! Even though your heart is crying NO, you find the word “Yes” come out of your mouth. However, it usually results in anger—not only for the person who asked you, but also for yourself for not being strong enough.

Lisa Messenger, the Collective Hub CEO, said in her first few years of business, many people asked her to talk over a coffee. Actually, she usually ended up having 20 coffee meetings a week and that stopped her from doing business because she didn’t have time to do her own work.

Messenger finally learned to refuse like “No, I’m sorry, but I don’t have time.” She believes if you say “Yes”, you will regret later. Or your heart will be filled with guilt (内疚), fear or anger because you feel bad for agreeing to do something you never want to. So you need to be brave enough to say “No” when you’re asked at first.

Janine Garner, CEO of The LBD Group, believed we need to get very clear about our goals. Unless we work towards our goals, nobody else will care about our time. Gamer said, “We may end up saying ‘Yes’ because we feel sorry for somebody who needs us. But we end up having that awful feeling in our heart. You can only achieve the best of you by stopping doing the things that take up your time and don’t add anything towards your goals. Take a good look at the time spent on others, that you really should spend on yourself.”

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Boiled eggs

Enjoy them warm for breakfast with milk and bread, or cut them to make a nice salad.

●You will need: Egg Water

●Steps:

1. Put the egg in a saucepan

2. Add enough cold water; cover the egg completely

3. Cook it over medium heat. When the water begins to boil, cover the pan with the lid and turn off the heat.

●Tips: If you add 1 teaspoon (tsp) of vinegar to the water, the shell will not crack when the water is boiling.

Egg- in-a-hole

Try this for a fun way to eat eggs and toast

●You will need:

1½ tsp Butter       2 slices Bread       2 Eggs

●Steps:

1. Melt the butter in a frying pan.

2. Cut a hole (about 5cm around) in the middle of each slice of bread.

3. Put the bread in the pan.

4.Crack the eggs and drop them into the holes you've cut (one for each).

5. Cook for I minute Turn it over and cook the other side until the egg is firm.

Scrambled eggs with vegetables

This is not just for breakfast…it makes a great lunch or dinner, too!

●You will need:

1 tsp Oil       2 Green peppers (cut up)       2 Tomatoes (cut up)

1 Potato (cooked and cut up)       6 Eggs½ cup Salt

●Steps:

1. Heat   ½ tsp of the oil in a frying pan.

2. Add the peppers. Cook until they are soft.

3. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Put all the cooked vegetables into a bowl and set them aside.

4. Beat the eggs with some salt.

5. Heat the rest oil in the pan.

6. Pour in the eggs and cook for about 2 minutes.

7. Pour in the vegetables and mix them with the eggs.

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To educate (教育) people to make healthy choices, a program called Shape Your Future from Oklahoma, the US, held a contest to find excellent young cooks. Those young cooks should create healthy and delicious recipes (食谱) with fruits and vegetables.

With his recipe Grilled Pineapple-Mango Shrimp Kebab, 13-year-old Nigel Jacob won first place. His dish sounds simple but is really healthy. To make it, Nigel uses pineapples, mangos, shrimp and a grill. He even adds orange juice into the sauce (调味汁). It makes the shrimp taste better. Nigel’s winning recipe is simple, healthy and fun! After the contest, a reporter interviewed (采访) Nigel.

Reporter: When did you start to cook?

Nigel: I started to learn to cook when I was seven. I thought it was fun and I wanted to have a try by myself.

Reporter: Is this your first time to think about a recipe?

Nigel: No, I like to make recipes. I’m interested in making new food.

Reporter: Have you ever had a disaster in your kitchen?

Nigel: Yes, a few years ago, I almost burned the whole kitchen with just microwave-cooked popcorn. Our house smelled like burnt popcorn for days.

Reporter: ________

Nigel: The more often you eat at home, the less you eat fast food and make unhealthy choices. When you cook your own food, you can choose to make healthy dishes.

Reporter: Some children might want to learn to cook for themselves and their families. What advice would you like to give them?

Nigel: Always get the help of your parents, especially if you are cooking for the first time. And you can make it fun too, and maybe at least once a week. Don’t be afraid to try new recipes. Be creative.