Ways to Improve Your Luck

    Some people have all the luck! Or does it just seem that way？Why did your co-worker get that big promotion while you were overlooked？Why do some of us seem to experience these lucky things more than others and how can you improve your luck？ {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

What You Tell Yourself Matters!

Do you know that people who are lucky tell themselves they're lucky？Has your own self-talk been filled with less-than-lucky talk？Do you say things like："I'm just not a lucky person." or "Good things never happen to me?" {#blank#}2{#/blank#}They say things like—"This setback is only temporary．I know things will turn around．"or" Things have a way of working out for me．"

Expect and Acknowledge Your Good Luck．

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Research suggests keeping a "good luck journal" helps people become even luckier．Did someone bring you coffee at work today？Did you find a random quarter on the street？Did your husband or wife do something nice for you today？Did your child get a good grade at school？Write them down!    All of these things count. Begin to notice all the good that comes to you．

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    Make contact with people．Take risks．People who try new things are much more open to luck and good fortune than those who don't．This doesn't mean you have to quit your job or take up skydiving! It could be as simple as starting a conversation with a stranger，taking a class in an unfamiliar subject, learning some words and phrases in a foreign language，or trying a new ethnic restaurant．{#blank#}5{#/blank#} And this greater openness can help promote chance opportunities in their lives．

A．You probably have many more lucky things happening in your life than you think．

B．Lucky people generally expect good fortune．

C．Do Something New and Different.

D．You will never forget your lucky friends．

E．Here are ideas that researchers tell us about luck．

F．A lucky person generally receive good fortune in the future．

G．Lucky people score much higher on openness than unlucky people．

    With more and more cars on the road, traffic jams are inevitable(不可避免的）. Traffic jams can lead to increased accidents as there are more cars. It's impossible to avoid traffic jams altogether.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Check for traffic jams before you leave.

    You can listen to the radio for traffic news, or check on the Internet to get up-to-minute information on traffic. If the route you want to take is heavy with traffic, you can choose another.

    Look for a different route all the time.

    Most traffic jams happen on busy roads.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Although the distance you may have to travel is further, it can work out quicker.

    Set your car radio to receive traffic bulletins.

    Many new car stereo systems (汽车音响系统) are equipped with a radio system by which you can hear the traffic channel.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

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    Most traffic jams usually occur during rush hour, so try to avoid this time period if possible. Some jobs offer flexible working hours so that you can travel to work outside of rush hour. Some jobs even allow you to work at home so as to avoid moving altogether. Ask your manager to see what you can do if traffic is a problem for you.

    Use public transport alternatives where available.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Not only will you avoid traffic jams but you will most likely be saving money as the cost of motoring rises.

A. Try traveling at different time.

B. What should we do to prevent traffic accidents?

C. The easiest way to avoid traffic jams is to take buses or the underground instead of driving your own car.

D. Public transport is so important in our life that we should use it at any time.

E. This way you can get the latest traffic information and change your journey if necessary.

F. Using country roads could let you avoid a lot of traffic.

G. There are some tips you can follow to reduce the amount of time on the road.

    It's well-known by all the people to greet friends with a smile and a wave.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, what happens if your face and body send mixed messages? Would someone tend to believe the look on your face or the way you behave?

    Recently, scientists have dealt with these questions. They found that when a person is staring at your face, he might not believe what he sees if your body doesn't match the feeling that your face shows.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Previous study had showed that the tone of a person's voice can be more important than the words spoken. For example, most people are more likely not to believe a person who says in a flat voice, "I'm so excited."

    When talking about emotions conveyed by facial expressions and body language, most scientists suspected that the face was more important. To test if this was true, psychologists from the Netherlands and Boston showed people a number of pictures of isolated faces and isolated bodies that showed anger or fear,{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    An angry face had low eyebrows and tight lips. A frightened face had high eyebrow and a slightly open mouth{#blank#}4{#/blank#} A scared body had arms forward and shoulders square, as if ready to fight back.

    These results told the researchers that mixed messages can confuse people. Even when people pay attention to the face, body language surely influences the emotion they read.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}And if you want to be understood it helps to avoid sending mixed messages.

A. Studying such mixed messages is nothing new for scientists.

B. So, your body language is important for telling people your feelings.

C. Scientists feel new to study the mixed message that puzzles people,

D. An angry body had arms back and shoulders at an angle, as if ready to fight.

E. Body language can sometimes be misunderstood in different culture backgrounds.

F. They also showed pictures where angry or scared faces were paired with angry or scared bodies.

G. When doing this, your face and body work together to show your friends that you are happy to see them.

    A simple life means getting rid of many of the things you do so that you can spend more time with people you love and do the things you love.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}It's often a journey of two steps forward and one backward.

    Evaluate your time.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}What things do you do from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep? Make a list, and evaluate whether they're in line with your priorities. If not, remove them and focus on what's important. Redesign your day.

    Limit your communications. Our lives these days are filled with a vast flow of communications: email, cell phones, paper mail, Twitter, forums, and more.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Instead, set a limit on your communications: only deal with emails at certain times of the day. Limit phone calls to certain times too. It is the same with other communications. Set a schedule and stick to it.

    Try living without a car. OK, this isn't something I've done, but many others have.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Walk, bike, or take public transportation. It reduces expenses and gives you time to think. A car is also very complicated, needing not only car payments, but insurance, maintenance, repairs, gas and more.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}If you rid your home of stuff, you might find you don't need so much space. I'm not saying you should live on a boat (although I know some people who happily do so), but if you can be comfortable in a smaller home, it will not only be less expensive, but easier to maintain, and greatly simplify your life.

A. Have a place for everything.

B. How do you spend your day?

C. It's something I would do if I didn't have kids.

D. They can take up your whole day if you let them be.

E. However, getting to simplicity isn't always a simple process.

F. Most people don't know what “enough” is, and thus they keep buying more.

G. Consider a smaller home.

Four Habits to Help You Succeed

    Nobody would like to experience failure. We all want to succeed. For those who have tried and failed, success seems difficult to understand. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    • Know your values.

    Finding your values is in line with creating motivation.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Pick a handful of things and write them down. Remind yourself of your values every day and reflect on whether you are honoring those values through your work.

    • {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Choose one goal to start something large enough that will give you a sense of achievement, while adjusting well to your values. If you want to achieve your goal, focus is the key here. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}If you perform many tasks at a time, you might never finish your projects because they will take far too long.

    • Set a time for success.

    Set a date for success. Know when you hope to realize your goal.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}By setting a time limit, you are making the process realistic.

• Don't give up because of failure.

    Failure can't be avoided when you take risks. By its very definition, the desire to succeed means you are risking failure. Many people tend to give up far too early. Don't fall into this trap! Use failure. Treat it as a good thing, and go on.

A. Make the right decision.

B. Pick a goal and focus on it.

C. The more focused you are on one goal, the higher chance you have of success.

D. Keep it realistic, while not giving yourself too much time.

E. I have made a list of four habits to help you set goals and realize them.

F. Sit and reflect on what you value most.

G. Push yourself to be courageous, and take that next step.

    ●Does failure really exist? If you believe you have failed, then you have. If you believe you don't have the ability to succeed, then you don't.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The moment you decide to give up or stop working toward your goals, failure is born.

    ●{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Most people give themselves an out without even realizing it. They are willing to work hard on reaching their goals, but only until the going gets too rough or their energy dies down. Don't do that!{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Never quit, never admit failure, and never lose heart.

    ●Don't believe in a clear finish line for goals. It's a good idea to set a general timeline, but remember that something will be beyond your control.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you lock yourself into a given timeline, you might make yourself feel like a failure! Instead, get a general idea of when you'd like your goal to be completed. Then take it one day at a time and focus on making progress instead of reaching the finish line in as little time as possible.

    ●Be sure that you don't see difficulties as failures. Difficulties mean only one thing: it's not time for your goal to be completed yet. That's it! It doesn't mean you failed; it doesn't mean you're weak; it doesn't mean you'll never achieve your goals.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}You've got to keep moving forward and find a way over, around, or through the difficulties.

A. Never give up on yourself.

B. Failure only exists in your own mind!

C. That's exactly how failure makes us feel.

D. It simply means you have not done enough yet.

E. You can never say exactly when your goal will be reached.

F. Instead, make up your mind to make your goal happen, no matter what!

G. Work hard towards your goal, and you will be likely to get good results.