We often focus on building relationships with others but we forget the important first step: being friends of ourselves. 【小题1】. How can we have good relationships with others if we don’t even have good relationships with ourselves?

The problem might be worse than we expect. Maybe we don’t like ourselves without realizing it. Here is a simple checklist: Is there anything you don’t like about yourself from these lists?

Your past: Maybe you have made mistakes in the past which you feel bad about. 【小题2】 . Even if that happened in the distant past, your mind still has a reason not to like yourself.

Your background: You might wish that you were born in a different family, or that you had different background. 【小题3】. They seem to get whatever they want effortlessly because of their background.

Your personal characters: You might have some personality traits that you don’t like. For example, you may be an introvert（内向的人）and you don’t like it; you wish you were an extrovert. Others might have better achievements than you, and no matter how hard you tried, it might seem impossible for you to match them. 【小题4】. Is there anything that resonates（产生共鸣）with you? All these give reasons to the idea that you don’t like yourself. That in turn makes it difficult for you to be a good friend to yourself.

【小题5】. Here are some tips:

Forgive yourself.

Accept things you can’t change.

Focus on your strengths.

Write your success stories.

Stop comparing yourself with others.

Always be true to yourself.

   What's the easiest way to stay warm in the super cold？【小题1】. At least that's what Santa Claus told me.

Over Christmas, Dennis and I went to Finland. We brought back some tips for keeping warm in a cold temperature.

Three layers（层）work wonders.

Start with the base layer, which sits right on your skin: choose something absorbent（有吸收力的）.【小题2】.

A sweater is a good choice. The most important layer is the outer clothes, which should be waterproof（防水的）and windproof.

【小题3】.

You lose heat from every millimeter of uncovered skin, which was the biggest lesson I learned on the trip. My whole body was well covered. But I missed one spot: my face. So it often felt like the wind was going to blow my nose off.

Exercise and don't just stand still.

When it's cold, exercising may be the last thing you feel like doing, but be smart.【小题4】. When we first got to Finland, we were freezing. But after a couple of minutes jumping around, we felt less cold.

Have a heater.

You may want to turn it on all the way up, but it's best to keep it between 18 and 20 degrees.【小题5】. Remember not to create a huge difference between inside and outside.

   Nowadays with the development of the economy, our life is becoming easier and easier in many ways. We can drive a car to travel to and from work. We can save a lot of time, shopping online instead of going to stores. Besides, the elevator is widely used in our daily life. 【小题1】 The elevator safety troubles us from time to time. Here are several ways for you to help you use the elevator safely.

【小题2】

Before stepping on the elevator, you should check your and your children's clothing for the loose parts, such as shoelaces（鞋带）and gloves, which can be trapped in the moving parts.

Mind your position.

【小题3】 Tell your children not to lean on the handrail（扶手）, which can slow down the elevator and may make other people lose their balance. You should stand on the right instead of on the left, which is convenient for some people who are anxious to go downwards or upwards.

Locate the emergency stop button.

【小题4】 The button may be near the bottom, but sometimes alongside the stairs. If the elevator breaks down, it is helpful for you to stop the elevator.【小题5】

   Everyone can benefit from good communication（交流）.【小题1】. Of course，we know that isn’t true，but this shouldn’t stop you improving your communication skills. Here are a few tips to help you become a better communicator.

【小题2】

Verbal（口头的）language is only one part of the communication—body language is another. If you once wanted to know how to tell if someone is lying，body language is the answer. Your body language tells other people what you aren’t verbally saying，such as if you are anxious，confident，confused，angry or in any other type of emotion or state of mind. If you become great at reading body language，it will help you become a better communicator.

Listen to others

Before you begin to speak，take a minute to see if anyone else has something to say.【小题3】 .Listening to others has many benefits，such as allowing you to learn new things or get the information that you may later need.

Think before you speak

Your parents probably have told you this since you were a child，but many people still do not take a moment to think about the words they are about to say.【小题4】. There is a time and place for all words and tones of voice.

【小题5】. You will have to practice your communication skills before you can become an excellent communicator.

Yours,

Li Hua