Kinds of friendships

    There are many different kinds of friendships to distinguish. If people are honest with one another and clearly define(界定) which kind of friendship they have, they can avoid a lot of misunderstanding. And if people can learn to move on from a relationship that is over, they will be better off.

    Then, what are the different kinds of friendship? Well, the first kind is the social friend. This is the kind of friend that people have most of. This kind of friend isn't someone who you hang out with all the time or live with, but you know them and associate with(与……交往) them at a bar, store or some other public places. They're nice to talk to when you see them and are usually good for a laugh. However, they are not good to talk about a problem with.

    The second kind is the counselor(顾问). This is a friend you go to when you need advice or just someone to listen. You value their wisdom or at least the fact that they are good at listening to you. You can tell this kind of friend almost anything without fearing gossip(闲言碎语). They are the kind of friend you can trust but you just don't hang out together, unless you want to talk about something important.

    The third kind is the fun boy/girl. This kind of friend can usually be counted on to go somewhere with you at a moment's notice. They like hanging out with you whether you're going to a store or a bar or wherever. They're good tension relievers because you know you're just going to have a good time. This kind of friend isn't someone you go to for advice; in fact you shouldn't affect your relationship by getting serious about something. They're trustworthy and you know they aren't going to gossip about what you do together. Don't expect anything else from this kind of friend; just have a good time.

    The fourth kind of is the work friend. This is the friend you have at work. You interact(交流) at work only. This may include having a break together, maybe even shopping with them or running an errand(差使) during lunch or after work. They're usually not good to get advice from but on some occasions things might be discussed and you might give each other advice. Mostly you talk about the job.

    The last kind is the lifetime friend. This friendship is very rare and usually is found in marriage relationships. This kind of friend is all the above rolled into one.

    Four Habits to Help You Succeed Everyone hopes to be successful, whether it's in losing weight or learning the piano. For those who have tried and failed, success seems hard to understand. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} I've made a list of habits to help you set goals and achieve them.

    Identify your key values.

    Finding your key values is in line with (符合) creating inner intention. Sit and think about what you value most. Pick some things and actually write them down.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Then think about whether you are honoring those values through your work.

    Pick a goal and concentrate on it.

    Choose one goal to start something large enough that will give you a sense of achievement, while adjusting well to your core values.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} The more focused you are on one goal, the higher chance you have of success. If you perform many tasks at a time, you might never finish your projects because they will take far too long.

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    Set a date for success. Identify when you hope to achieve your goal. Keep it realistic, while not giving you too much time. By setting a time limit, you are making the process more real.

    Stick to your goal.

    Failure can't be avoided when you take risks. By its very definition (定义), the desire to succeed means you are risking failure. Many people tend to give up far too early. Don't fail into this trap! Remember your goal earlier. Know it will happen. A failure is only you working out the details, and learning what works and what doesn't. Use failure.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Focus is key here.

B. Make the right decision.

C. Set a deadline for success.

D. Treat it as a good thing, and move on!

E. Remind yourself of your values every day.

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

G. Why does one person succeed while another person fails?

    Why do some people feel obliged to do the craziest things, while most of us are happy to sit on the sofa and watch their exploits on TV? Robin Styles ponders(考虑)this question.

    Generally, we love to watch someone's bravery and drama--a single person against the wilds of nature, testing their endurance beyond belief. And our pleasure is greater because we live a comfortable and increasingly risk-free life, where the greatest test of endurance is getting to work through the rush hour. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}However, there are countless ways to test the limits of your endurance, if you should wish to do so, by attempting something unpleasant, uncomfortable or just plain dangerous.

    American Lynne Cox swims in sub-zero temperatures through the planet's most dangerous oceans wearing only a swimsuit--for fun! According to Lynne, there is always something driving her on. At age 9, when she was swimming in an outdoor pool one day, a violent storm blew up, but she refused to get out of the pool. Something make her carry on. Then she realized that, as the water got colder and rougher, she was actually getting faster and warmer, and she was really enjoying it. At age 14, she broke her first endurance record. Years later, experts discovered that Lynne has a totally even layer of body fat, like a seal. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    The famous British explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, has led many major expeditions (远征) in the extreme cold, including walking right round the Arctic Circle. He has also led expeditions in the extreme heat, and discovered the Lost City of Ubar in the Omani desert. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Sir Fiennes has said, "If I am getting sick, I find a very powerful way of conquering it is to know that my father would have definitely done it."

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}There is probably no such thing as a "normal" adventurer. Unsurprisingly, risk-takers tend to be single-minded and unusually determined people who hate the stability and routine that most people prefer. They tend to take risks for the "fun" of it. The excitement becomes addictive, and they want more and more of it. Ordinary life seems boring in comparison.

A. She is perfectly made for doing what she does, it seems.

B. Adventurers are clearly different from the rest of us.

C What she did was really beyond our imagination.

D. It seems that many adventurers spend their lives trying to live up to the image of a parent.

E. And most of us would prefer it to remain that way.

F. Many adventurers have amazed the world with their extraordinary skills.

    Most successful people attach importance to why learning from mistakes is important. Every unsuccessful attempt can help you gain important experience. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Here are some of the top reasons why mistakes are valuable.

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    Do you remember your first bad grade for a test? Do you remember an embarrassing moment when a teacher caught you cheating during an exam?

    These are common struggles but they are actually a great way to build good future habits. Once you have the experience, you will no longer make the mistakes you did before. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Encourage different thinking

    As we make mistakes, we remove certain ways of reaching our goal. When an approach is proven wrong, people immediately start looking for different ways to resolve a situation. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. If your initial idea did not work, you are more likely to take a different stand and think of ideas you wouldn't have thought if that didn't happen.

    Build characters

    This is quite the tricky benefit since people can go either way when it comes to building characters. Very often, too many mistakes make people depressed. Too many failures convince them to just give up on their dreams. However, once you start learning from mistakes, you'll gain confidence from them. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. And they will help you become a more passionate, successful person.

A. Give us experience

B. Reveal weaknesses

C. As we make mistakes, we learn from them

D. We have to practice, fail and rise up again

E. They will help you build a stronger character

F. Basically, mistakes encourage you to find a new solution

G. And mistakes can even be more valuable than achievements

Fighting the curse of presenteeism

    "It's true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?" Beyond a certain level, extra effort seems to be self­defeating. Studies suggest that, after 10 hours a week, employee productivity falls sharply.

    But that doesn't stop some managers from demanding that workers stay chained to their desk for long periods. Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, recently applauded the "996" model, where employees work from 9am to 9pm, six days a week, as a huge blessing". However, to modern office workers presenteeism is a curse.

    There will be days when you do not have much to do, just waiting for someone else to respond to a request. As the clock ticks past 5pm, there may be no purpose in staying at your desk. But you can see your boss hard at work and, more important, they can see you. So you make an effort to look busy.

    If bosses do not like to go home before their underlings (下属)and underlings fear leaving before their bosses, everyone is trapped. Staff may feel that they will not get a pay rise, or a promotion, if they are not seen to be putting in maximum effort. This is easily confused with long hours. Managers, who are often no good at judging employees5 performance, use time in the office as a measurement.

    But presenteeism has more serious consequences. As well as reducing productivity, this can increase medical expenses for the employer. According to a study, these costs can be six time: higher for employers than the costs of absenteeism among workers. To take one example, research found that Japanese employees with lower­back pain were three times more likely to turn up for work than in Britain. As a result, those workers were more likely to experience greater pain and to suffer from depression. What could be more discouraging than being in pain while feeling trapped at work?

    "None of this is to say that employers are not entitled to expect workers to be in the office for a small amount of time. Unavoidably there will be a need for some (preferably short)meetings. Dealing with colleagues face-­to­-face develops friendships, allows for a useful exchange of ideas and enables workers to have a better sense of their common needs.

    With portable smart phones and laptops, we can work at home as easily as in the office. Turning an office into a prison does nothing for the creativity that is increasingly demanded of office workers as routine tasks are automatic. To be productive you need presence of mind, not being present in the flesh.

    Every day has just 24 hours -- and this applies to all people. Some people are constantly pushed for time. This article is about how we can learn to manage our valuable time more effectively.

    In reality, we cannot manage time. We can only manage ourselves and our relationship with time. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} And habits are not that easy to change.

    Below here are tips that can help you manage your time better.

    Organize your goals.

    Organize your goals based on two criteria: degree of urgency and importance: a. Should be done today, tomorrow, etc. b. Should be done at "that date". c. Can be put off for so many days. d. Can ask someone else to do it. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Clean up your list.

    Make a list of everything you think that is not helping or benefiting you and do not do them!

    Focus on one goal.

    Concentrate only on one goal at a time. Otherwise, if while dealing with something you think about everything you can do later, most likely you will get bored and disappointed.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} The boredom is guaranteed with this way of thinking.

    Identify your deadlines.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Divide the activities per day/week and long-term goals to get a clear picture of what you have to do and when.

    Find suitable work environment.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Be realistic.

    Make sure that your goals are realistic and do not try for the impossible.

    Say "NO".

    Learn to say "no" to other activities, requests and people who eat your time (unless indeed at that very moment it is necessary for you to help them).

A. Allow time to adjust your list if necessary.

B. After all, how we use our time is largely a matter of habit.

C. Create a suitable environment to work, one that fits your style.

D. Check the list of what you should do and when it must be completed.

E. After organizing your goals, start with the most important and urgent.

F. It is like every time you eat you think all the meals you must eat in your life.

G. Do not let boredom discourage you if what you have to complete is boring.