1 . Everyone complains. Even if you argue that you are the happiest person in the world, you still complain sometimes. Sometimes you complain without even realizing it, but rarely is it ever helpful.     1     Here are some tips to stop complaining and give up the negative thoughts.

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When you find yourself thinking or saying a negative comment about something or someone, stop and force yourself to say something positive instead. Seek the help of a cheerful friend to change you when you complain and help you to see the positive in the situation.

Make a list of things you are grateful for.

You often complain about the things you don’t have without noticing those things you already have. Be grateful for what you have in your life because you are lucky simply for being yourselves.     3    

Learn to adapt to the changes.

There are many things you can’t change.     4     Always find the positive side of each situation, regardless of however difficult the situation is. With parents’ and friends’ support, you can survive any life changes.

Allow yourself to vent (发泄) your feelings every once in a while.

Constantly ignoring negative thoughts could add up. If you are really going through a rough time, don’t be afraid to share your feelings with a close friend or family member or see a therapist.

Find what makes you happy.

    5     Maybe it is time to make the hard decision to move on to another job or career. Uncover what your biggest complaints are about and see if you can change the situation to make you happy. Choose happiness, focus on the positive, and be kind always!

2 . How to Be Creative

Most of us think that creativity is a quality (品质) belonging only to artists, writers, or dancers, rather than ourselves.     1     The following tips are a great beginning for developing our creativity.

Get out of your comfort zone

We eagerly accept the familiar and fear the unknown. Break out of your usual patterns and welcome creativity into your life. As said earlier, the human brain was designed to recognize patterns.     2     In fact, our comfort zone is nothing more than a collection of patterns. As we become more efficient at recognizing and using patterns, we rely less on creativity to find new paths. We should force ourselves out of our comfort zones and open up new possibilities.

Try different things

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. We are creatures of habits and routines, and creativity hates routines (常规). If you usually drive to work, take the subway for a few days.     3       Break your routine, experiment and try something new. New things are often creative, but the same old thing never is.

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Having a great idea is not enough, you must work to make it a reality. Have you ever seen a new product and realized that you thought of the same thing long ago? Yet someone else is making money with “your” idea.     5     The difference between a dreamer and a doer is action. Do whatever it takes to bring your ideas to life. If you can put them into practice, you are well on your way to improving your creativity in all areas of your life.

3 . Have you ever had times questioning yourself and feeling bad? If you answer yes, what you’ve experienced is negative self-talk.     1    . You say to yourself untrue things like, “I’m not good enough. I’m a disappointment.” These wrong ideas stop us in our way. So, how do you stop the bad self-talk?

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Know you’re special. You are “One of a Kind”! There is no other person that thinks exactly like you. When you begin to sincerely believe how special you are, it’s easier to fight the bad self-talk.

●Change your environment

Your bad self-talk comes from your environment. You didn’t just accidentally wake up one day thinking of bad things about yourself. It may be because someone, somewhere in your life has told you bad things about you and whether you accept it or not, you believe them. However, if you let the right people surround you, they will build you up, give you confidence and make you feel better.     3    .

●Change your dialogue

Read and say all the wonderful things about yourself at least 5 times per day. Look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I am amazing!”     4    , and you’ll believe you are very pretty soon.

Of course, there are other things to stop bad self-talk.     5    , but if you decide to think positively in every situation, that will bring a good change in your life.

4 . Habits to Be a Highly Effective Student

Some students are able to get straight A’s and at the same time serve as the president of three clubs. However, some students struggle to keep their GPA(grade point average)above 3.0.     1     Although it’s true that everyone’s IQ is different, good study habits are very important. Here are several habits you should adopt to get good grades.

    2     If you haven’t had a “planner”, get one. Many people use their computers and smart phones to make a schedule. The problem with that approach is that they are major distractions(使人分心的事物). Instead, get an old-fashioned paper and pen planner.

Create a weekly schedule.     3     Include time that will be spent eating, sleeping and doing anything not related to schoolwork. That way you know exactly how much you can achieve each day.

Take frequent, short breaks. Taking a break from studying for 15 minutes every hour will help keep you refreshed.     4     If you don’t take a break, you may find yourself daydreaming or even falling asleep. Take some time for some water, a snack or a quick chat with a friend.

Take care of yourself. During the final exam week, it is common for students to fall behind on sleep and meals. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep and have regular meals. Studying while you are hungry or sleepy is ineffective and will slow you down in the long run. Also try to make the time for family and friends.     5    

5 . How to make sure you enjoy your trip

A trip is a planned destination where one arranges in advance in which the main purpose is to search for adventure and to create a memorable moment. Here are the steps on how to make sure your trip is enjoyable.

● Plan it well.

Trips are ideally planned for it to go well.     1     A check list is helpful, making sure you’ve got all your needs.

● Pack necessities.

Bring what you need. Trips are short journeys and belong to the sub-level of travelling. Pack only the things you need.     2    

● Be safe.

To be cautious is smart. No matter what you are up to, surfing, cliff diving, snowboarding, scuba diving, etc., it is always recommended to be safe.     3     Don’t be stubborn and do harm to yourself when there are not precautions(预防措施).

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You may see delays, a different culture, lifestyle, food, and even a shortage of cash. Sometimes, this is all what travel is about—experiencing things with a new perspective(观点，看法). Once you expect to experience new things, you’ll be a happy traveller and free from stress.

● Save the memory.

    5     This is not one of those regular days so you ought to save the moment. It will make your trip more enjoyable after all that craziness. You will get something to review the good times.

6 . How to calm your teen

A major source of teen stress is school exams, and test anxiety is not uncommon. When you recognize your teen is under stress, how can you help your teen stay calm before an exam?

Be involved. Parents need to be involved in their teen’s study.     1     What he looks for is your presence — to talk, to cry, or simply to sit with him quietly. Communicate openly with your teen. Encourage your teen to express his worries and fears, but don’t let him focus on those fears.

Help him get organized.     2     Together, you and your teen can work out a timetable in which he can study for what he knows will be on the test.

Provide a calm setting. Help your teen set up a quiet place to study and protect his privacy.

Give him a nutritious diet. It’s important for your teen to eat a healthy, balanced diet during exam time to focus and do his best.     3     If this happens, encourage your teen to eat light meals or sandwiches. A healthy diet, rather than junk food, is best for reducing stress.

    4     Persuade your teen to get some sleep or do something active when he needs a real break from studying. Making time for relaxation, fun, and exercise is important in reducing stress. Help your teen balance his time so that he will feel comfortable taking time out from studying to spend time with friends or rest.

Show a positive attitude.     5     Your panic, anxiety and blame contribute to your teen’s pressure. Make your teen feel accepted and valued for his efforts. Most importantly, reassure (使安心) your teen that things will be all right, no matter what the results are.

9 . Taking good notes is a time-saving skill that will help you to become a better student in several ways.     1    . Second, your notes are excellent materials to refer to when you are studying for a test. Third, note-taking offers variety to your study time and helps you to hold your interest.

You will want to take notes during classroom discussions and while reading a textbook or doing research for a report.     2    . Whenever or however you take notes, keep in mind that note-taking is a selective process.     3    . The following methods may work best for you.

● Read the text quickly to find the main facts and ideas in it.

●Carefully read the text and watch for words that can show main points and supporting facts.

● Write your notes in your own words.

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● Note any questions or ideas you may have about what was said or written.

As you take notes, you may want to use your own shorthand (速记). When you do, be sure that you understand your symbols and that you use them all the time.     5    

10 .     1    One of the best things you can possibly do is to start your own club. It’s great fun especially if you are the sort of person who feels there’s never anything to do during the school holidays.

The first thing you need to come up with is an idea for your club.     2    Pets, clothes, pop music or dancing groups, sports, making things? The list is endless.

Next you need some friends to be in your club with you.     3    All you need is three or four other people who are interested in the same thing as you.

    4    You should all sit down somewhere together with lots of pieces of paper and write down every name you can think up. That’ll keep you busy for ages.

At your first meeting you should make up a rule book. And the first rule should be no grown-ups or little/big brothers or sisters! The best clubs are always secret!

Now you have just about everything you need, except membership cards. These are very important and again you can spend a lot of time making them.     5    Why not leave some space for a photo of yourself? That will make the membership card really look like it.

So there you are, get clubbing! Once you get started you’ll think of loads of more interesting things to do!