Things to Improve YOURSELF

As a child, we don't care a lot about what others think. I know I didn't. (Probably lead to many consequences) But, as we age we start developing more human interactions, social groups, and relationships that we tend to want to impress and to be a part of. Unfortunately, many lack the resolve and fortitude to make a change and then keep that change. While you never want to be a people pleaser, having friends and acquaintances should always be strived for at any time. Many I see have two things that make it hard for them to make friends. The first of which is social shyness. This issue is not something that I can fix, however, I could give you some things to improve your situation. The second is your appearance. The book Blink by Malcolm Gladwell which I think gives a good explanation to this, “Our first impressions are generated by our experiences and our environment, which means that we can change our first impressions - we can alter the way we think-slice - by changing the experiences that comprise those impressions...It requires that you change your life so that you are exposed to minorities regularly and become comfortable with them and familiar with the best of their culture so that when you want to meet, hire, date, or talk with a member of a minority, you aren’t betrayed by your hesitation and discomfort. Taking rapid cognition seriously - acknowledging the incredible power, for good and ill, that first impressions play in our lives - requires that we take active steps to manage and control those impressions.” - Malcolm Gladwell, Blink, pg. 97-98 If you haven't read the book I highly recommend it. This argues that appearance plays a big role in the snap decisions that people make regularly and that while you can't change your appearance from birth (at least without surgery) you can change the odds in your favor. These couple of suggestions aren't meant to be the end all be all to improving your social life or your life in general. These are meant to share what I and a couple of others have found out what has worked for us. I hope that it does the same for you or inspires you to find out what you need and are missing.

Hygine

The first step to improving yourself is your hygine. If you are asking the question "why" then you need this. The thing is, is that no one wants to be your friend if you're smelly. Thus, I've layed out a couple of health reotines you can do to improve your overall apperences, smell, and vibe.
Thoushalt Showereth

I have often seen that many people (usually men) are reluctant to shower as if some mystic good luck will be washed away if they so do it. There is nothing magical about being dirty and faul smelling excpet for keeping you lonely. Hey, if that's what you want then I'm not going to judge you, just have a good job trying to find work later in the future. Taking showers not only helps others around you enjoy you more, but it acatully helps you physcially as well. Now, does this mean shower every hour. No, once a day is perfectly fine. Your goal should be one of two things. Either be able to cancel out your bad smells so they smell nothing, or over do good smells so that is what they smell. There needs to be a balance. Putting on too much product that smell or too powerful of it will do the same as making people think you're dirty. Just make sure that you shower at least every other day if you can't do it everyday.

Wash thine hands

Raise your hand if you don't usually wash your hands after using the restroom. If you did rasise your hand then stop it. No one wants to shake dirty hands, even if they don't know it, you'll be spreading disease and sickness like the cold or flu. It gives people comfort knowing that you're a clean person. Not like a germaphoba, but you take the time to care for not only your health, but other people's health.

Cut thy nails

Have you ever seen people with really long nails that are dirty. Now think, do you respect or admire those people. Maybe, maybe not, but you would at the least a lot more if they're took care of their hands. This doesn't mean making your hands look as good as possible, no, it really just means to cut your nails when they get too long. A good rule of thumb, (pun very much intended) is to flip your hands around with your backhands on the table or in the air, so you see your palms. If you can see your nails clearly even when your hands are flat, then others will see that too which means that it's time to to cut them. Your finger nails are scientifically proven to be dirtier than a toilet seat, so, make sure to cut and clean them.

Fix thine hair

Your head is one of the things people look at most, espcially with first impressions. So, one of the things that is always most apprenret (whether you have a lot or none) is hair. Now, does this means using product every half a second or getting your hair just right. No, what I'm trying to say is that you should make it look like you at least try to keep your hair undercontrol or is clean. Just brushing your hair and showering can compltely clean out your hair of substances or materials that you don't wish to be in it. Just make sure it doesn't look like your just got out of bed.