Uncertainty is all around us, never more so than today. Whether it concerns your health or relationships, much of what lies ahead in life remains uncertain.

We’re all different in how much uncertainty we can tolerate in life. Some people seem to enjoy taking risks and living unpredictable lives, while others find the randomness of life deeply annoying. But all of us have a limit. If you feel controlled by uncertainty and worry, it’s important to know that you’re not alone; many of us are in the same boat.

To cope with all this uncertainty, many of us use worrying as a tool for trying to predict the future and avoid unpleasant surprises. Worrying can make it seem like you have some control over uncertain circumstances. You may also believe that it will help you find a solution to your problems or prepare you for the worst. Unfortunately, long-term worrying just robs you of enjoyment in the present and weakens your energy. But there are healthier ways to cope with uncertainty.

Identify your uncertainty trigger (诱发因素). A lot of uncertainty tends to be self-generated. However, some can be generated by external sources, such as reading media stories that focus on bad news, or simply communicating with anxious friends. By recognizing your triggers, you can take action to avoid or reduce your exposure to them.

Shift your attention. Focus on solvable worries, taking action on those aspects of a problem that you can control, or simply go back to what you were doing. When the feelings of uncertainty return, refocus your mind on the present moment and your own breathing.

The garden is one of the important types of architectural art. It is essentially aimed at organizing an environment rich in character and interest and full of the beauty of artistic conception through the so-called four gardening elements including mountains, rivers, structures and plants, as well as the organic components such as roads, interior settings. In comparison to ordinary structures, the spiritual character of gardens is more outstanding, and it requires that artists have greater and higher ingenuity and imagination．

Compared with other gardening systems of the world, such as European or Islamic Chinese gardens have their unusual national characteristics: (1) Paying attention to natural beauty. Chinese gardens carry out processing and transformation of the original terrain and land form by following the principle of “making it seem like nature”, or seem naturally formed, so as to satisfy people’s feeling of getting close to nature. The buildings in gardens do not focus on artificial, well-arranged patterns, but rather they follow the example of roadside or riverside pavilions and bridges and village buildings that closely integrate the countryside with natural mountains and rivers, becoming a total combination of architectural and natural beauty. (2) Pursuing many twists and turns. Nature itself is ever-changing and interesting. Chinese horticulturists who imitate nature necessarily make efforts to follow changing, free-style composition. Although nature does not have a fixed form, it has a fixed way. Therefore, the “freedom” pursued by the Chinese garden is not absolute. There exists strict ways and methods, only they are not geometric methods but natural ones. The operation of the garden requires even more genius and imagination than the regular composition of a picture. It is of a completely different system compared with the Western landscape gardening theory which “force nature to accept the symmetrical rules”- and stresses the symmetrical pattern, straight roads, regular flower beds and ponds, the carpet pattern-like lawns and trees cut into a geometric shape. (3) Advocating artistic conception. The beautiful environment created by Chinese horticulturists does not stop at the stage of formal beauty, but tries to express inward feeling through outward scenery. Therefore, the creation of the appreciation of gardens is a process of full, deep-seated feeling. At the time of creation, one describe the scenery with one’s feeling, while at the time of appreciation, the natural setting stirs up one’s feeling. This atmosphere of combining feeling with scenery is what is called artistic conception. The key to the high or low level and success or failure in the creation of Chinese gardens depends on the cultural level, and the high or low level and the interest of the creator. Chinese horticulture began in the Qin Dynasty, and two royal garden construction upsurges occurred during the Qin/Han and Sui/Tang dynasties. Private gardens saw great development during the Tang and Song dynasties, and entered the summary stage in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The achievements in gardening during the Qing Dynasty are worth still greater attention, representing an important part of the third development upsurge in Chinese architecture. Almost all of the existing gardens were: preserved during this age. The remaining royal gardens are near Beijing, while private gardens of a higher artistic level are mostly concentrated in areas south of the Yangtze River. They consist the two major schools of Chinese gardening.(556 words)

Studying abroad has become an extremely popular study option amongst university students. While studying abroad is extremely expensive, it exposes students to a wide range of people, cultures and experiences that will reward them later on in their careers. In my opinion, students are far better off studying abroad even though it might be a bit costly.

One of the greatest advantages of studying in a foreign country is that it exposes students to essential life experiences that will develop them professionally, impossible if they have studied only in their own country. Being in another country forces people to pop and come out of their bubble of comfort, opening them to a wide range of opportunities, which can help them advance in their careers. When I went to study in the UK as an eighteen-year-old, I had to push myself out of my comfort zone and become self-reliant, making me much more mentally and emotionally mature. These ultra-challenging experiences are what develops a person.

A negative aspect of studying overseas is that it is extremely expensive. It is not just high university fees that drive up the expenses; it includes stationery and study material expenses, travelling costs, rent, money spent on food, and other different expenses. I had to take an. education loan of 30000 pounds to fund my tuition fees. Moreover, during my stay in the UK. I had to take up a job as a part-time waiter to earn enough to pay my monthly rent and meet a part of my monthly expenses.

An increasing number of students are opting to study overseas. Although studying abroad can make a hole in your pocket, it will test and challenge you mentally and emotionally, helping your overall personal and professional development. In my opinion, long-term professional and personal gains from overseas studies justify every penny spent on it.

If you listen to the stream of articles and podcasts telling us how to become a billionaire in 10 easy steps, you might hold the belief that squeezing ourselves dry each second of the day will bring happiness and success.

But this obsession with productivity is costing us. Even a car doesn’t stay in the same gear the whole time. “We are not machines,” says psychologist Professor Drew Dawson. “Performance declines as a function of time, of task and time of day.”

Instead of moments of boredom, where we might let our minds wander and come up with novel solutions to problems and novel ways of thinking, we seek constant stimulation - and have a lowered tolerance for boredom as a result.

“It leads people to a false assumption that the world’s most successful people are literally making good use of every single minute,” Dawson says. “That’s a myth. We’re not hardwired to act that way as humans, and it’s a good recipe for burnout.”

COVID-19, for a variety of reasons, has led people to question and even opt out of this myth. “Who wants to lie on their deathbed going, ‘I wish I’d been more productive’?” Dawson says. “Post-COVID, people are starting to say, ‘what am I losing compared to what am I gaining?’”

So, if not more productivity, what should we be aiming for?

A life spent chasing the state of being able to do everything is less meaningful than a life of focusing on a few things that count. We can reflect on five things that matter most to us and lead a life around them. Once clear on them, we also become clear on where to direct our attention and what to say “no” to.

Glorifying productivity can blind us to the value of other parts of our lives, including boredom, connection, creativity and play. But activities in our lives don’t need to always be productive or worthwhile-enjoying an activity is reason enough to spend time on it.

We weren’t meant to be productive all the time, so stop constantly struggling, and start chilling.

“I never lied to my father. When I was young, my father told me that if I tried to lie to him, he would always know. My body would tell him the truth because the body’s movement never lies.”, said Martha Graham, an influential American dancer and teacher, fascinated with the ideal that “movement never lies”. Martha realized that the body is its own storyteller. She just wanted to find ways to tell those stories through dance.

She began by studying ballet, but soon realized that it wasn’t right to her. From the very beginning of her dancing career, Martha saw dance differently. She was tiny, not tall like ballerinas (芭蕾舞女演员) at that time. But she had a strong, powerful body and dark, soulful (热情的) eyes. So she developed a style of movement different from traditional romantic ballet and called it modern dance. She brought modern dance to a new level of popularity in American culture.

Unlike ballet, which took place in a fairylike world, Martha’s modern dance expressed real emotions. Martha believed that it was important that the audience see themselves within her dances. She created and arranged many dances that showed emotions such as anger, jealousy, love or hate of common people.

Martha loved to wear long, dark, flowing robes when she performed. In the dances she used her robes in many different ways. Martha’s most important prop (支撑物) was the floor. She always danced in her bare feet, and her feet worked hard to tell their stories. The technique catching on, she founded the Dance Repertory Theater, and later, the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance.

Martha Graham died in 1991, just short of 100 years old. During her life she never stopped dancing. A part of Martha Graham lives on in modern dancers everywhere who continue to study the “Graham technique”. They strive for her honesty, always remembering that movement never lies.

The Importance of Time Management

Effective time management is essential for success in both personal and professional life. By managing time efficiently, individuals can prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and reduce stress. Time management skills involve setting goals, creating schedules, and allocating time for specific activities. With good time management, individuals can achieve a better work-life balance and have more time for leisure activities. It also enables them to make the most of their time and increase productivity.