35 Tips for Living a Healthier Life

1. Cook your own food.

2. Avoid processed junk.

3. Eat breakfast.

4. Take your time when you eat.

5. Use a small plate.

6. Only buy real food: vegetables, fruits, breads, and raw meats.

7. Never eat fast food.

8. Try not to snack.

9. Drink more water.

10. Drink less alcohol.

11. Do some type of exercise every day, even for just a little.

12. Stretch.

13. Get a gym membership.

14. Lift weights.

15. Squats and oats.

16. Take care of your knees.

17. Get a full night’s sleep.

18. Stop drinking soda.

19. Always take the stairs.

20. Walk your dog.

21. Park in the back of the lot.

22. Shower regularly.

23. Floss daily.

24. Wear sunscreen.

25. Don’t smoke.

26. Practice safe sex.

27. Don’t text and drive.

28. Wear a seatbelt.

29. Wear a helmet when appropriate

30. Meditate.

31. Relax.

32. Don’t let life stress you out.

33. Invest in a good mattress.

34. Read plenty of books.

35. Exercise your brain.

5 Things You Need to Be Truly Happy

We all have needs that must be met in order to feel truly happy and at peace. There is a series of very basic and essential physical needs that we all have, such as food and shelter, but beyond those there are also several emotional needs that we must meet as well.

In our society, when most people complain about not feeling happy, it isn’t because their physical needs have not been met. Those of us who are unfortunate enough to be lacking the basic physical essentials of food, housing, access to healthcare, etc. know very well what we don’t have and what we need to get access to. But there is a growing number of people in our modern society who continue to feel discontent in spite of having all the physical necessities in place. Many of these individuals don’t understand what they are lacking, and therefore don’t know where to seek and find what they need.

I have been in that latter category. Although I have been blessed in my life to have never experienced hunger, homelessness, or fear for my physical health and security, I have gone through stages where I still felt a sense of emptiness and a lack of happiness in my life. During those stages, I was at a loss as to why I was feeling that way. I looked around me and saw my blessings; I realized that many had much less in terms of material and physical security than I did. Yet I still felt that I had needs that were not being met. At first, I was critical of my lack of gratitude. But upon reading and hearing about others who found themselves in similar situations, I started to do some research. Through that research I discovered that as humans we have needs that go way beyond the physical. We also have emotional and psychological needs that we must meet in order to truly feel fulfilled and happy.

Below is a list of five emotional needs that I have identified as being essential in my own life. These are all needs that at some time or another I have failed to satisfy to a point where it affected my psychological well-being and overall happiness. By identifying and pinpointing these needs I have become able to determine when and if I am ever failing to satisfy any of them, thereby reducing those inevitable periods that we all experience when we feel simply unfulfilled and unhappy in our lives.

1. The Need for Friendship and Intimacy

As the saying goes, no man is an island. While we all have the need for privacy, we also have the need for intimacy. In my opinion, intimacy trumps privacy every time. It isn’t too difficult to find some time for ourselves on a somewhat regular basis, but unless we have identified at least one individual in our lives with whom we feel completely comfortable and open, the need for intimacy can be hard to meet.

There are many of us who have large and broad social circles. In the age of social media, shallow relationships are easy to forge. But this is definitely one area where quantity does not make up for quality. I have been fortunate enough to have had a handful of very close friendships in my life. The total number could be counted on one hand. But those friendships were more than enough to sustain me and meet my needs.

How can you meet this need? Make an effort to reach out to your loved ones on a regular basis. Ideally try to make time at least once a week to have an in depth discussion where you each have an opportunity to speak and be heard. Avoid discussing problems; instead focus on your hopes, dreams and aspirations. Talk about what “makes you tick” and what gives you the most pleasure in life. During these times, remember that listening is just as important as speaking. In order to have true intimacy, both parties must benefit emotionally from these conversations.

2. The Need for Control Over Our Lives

Having a sense of control in our lives goes back to our basic physical need for security. Some people need to feel more control than others. There are many people who believe that they are perfectly happy when they have someone else take care of everything for them, and that they don’t need to be in control of anything. That is all fine and good until something unexpected happens and that person is gone. Then they believe that because they have had no control over their fate all along, they now find themselves lost and distraught.

Yet what these people don’t realize, is that there was something that they did have control over the entire time. They had control over their decision to give in completely to someone else’s decisions. That was their original choice. Every time you make a choice, you are deciding what to do with the control you have over your own life. That is why it is so important to always choose wisely.
Having control over all aspects of our lives is obviously impossible. There will always be situations that are completely out of our hands. Things like car accidents, illnesses, job loss, and home repairs happen to all of us. Therefore it is essential that we feel that we can remain in control of some aspects (even if it is only a single aspect) of our lives.

How can you meet this need? Understand that you have a lot more control that you think you do. Every time you make a decision you are using your ability to control the factors in your life. Even if something tragic happens unexpectedly, you still have the ability to choose how you are going to react and how you are going to take care of it. Giving in to a feeling of helplessness is the worst thing that you can do in such a situation. There is always something that you can do, even if it is just to keep your wits about you. Life, circumstances and other people can take almost everything away from you, except one thing: your ability to choose how to respond to your situation.

3. The Need to Be Part of Something Larger Than Ourselves

Humans are social beings. Not only do we need to have intimate relationships with others, we also have a need to belong to a larger community. It helps us to feel useful, needed, validated, and valuable. Having one or two very close friends serves a purpose, but so does belonging and contributing to a wider circle of individuals. Participating as a member of a group has the added benefit of helping to take our focus off ourselves. It allows us to develop emotionally by being of service to others and therefore learning how to be more selfless.

I have always enjoyed completing an achievement or reaching a goal when done as part of group more than when done individually. Perhaps it stems from some leftover shyness from my youth and not wanting to be in the limelight. But whether it was performing as a member of a choir in an opera when I was in high school, or doing research with a lab partner in a biochemistry class in college, having other people who relied on me and with whom I could share the experience made it so much more rewarding. As an adult, the jobs that I have found to be the least satisfying have been those where I worked the most independently. Over a year ago, I started working from home full time. I quickly missed the collaborative process from when I had been working in an office. Since I could no longer get that satisfaction from my job, I sought out other places where I could find it. I found that I could give my professional advice and services to friends who could use it. They appreciated the help and I appreciated collaborating with them.

How can you meet this need? Find a group of people in your community who have similar interests to yours. Choose an organization that could benefit from your skills and talents. It could be a faith-based group, a political organization, a book club, or just a bunch of guys at the park who like to play basketball on Saturday afternoons.

4. The Need for Challenge and Creativity

We have all seen this with children. The more intelligent they are, the more easily they will get bored. They are constantly asking questions, exploring, wanting to learn more about the world around them. This is a need that doesn’t go away just because we grow up. It might be a need that we ignore, due to the time restraints that are created by our daily lives and obligations. But it will still be there, and if it remains unmet you will eventually see the effects.

Learning something is not just great for our brains, it also feeds our self-esteem. It makes us feel empowered and capable; it gives us a sense of growth, progress and achievement. If we never challenge ourselves to improve by learning a new craft or developing our existing skills, we can quickly begin to feel unimportant, pointless, or maybe even worthless. It will quickly lead to a depressive downward spiral.

Learning doesn’t have to be limited to the classroom or the workplace. One of my most rewarding and satisfying hobbies has become baking. I find it to be challenging in several ways, and that there is always a new method to learn, or an existing technique that can be improved. While there is a lot of logic and rules to baking, there is also plenty of room for creativity. I have found that the more I learn about how different ingredients will behave and complement each other, that the more room I have for successful experimentation. And then there is the added pleasure and happiness that comes from sharing my final products with my loved ones.

How can you meet this need? Make it a priority to find time in your week to dedicate to your personal growth. If you can incorporate it into your current work schedule, then all the better. But don’t limit yourself to only developing or improving work-related skills. You should also find a hobby that interests you. Maybe there is something that you used to do that gave you great joy before you became too busy and dropped it by the wayside. Or maybe there is something that you have always wanted to try but never made time for it. Whatever it is, find an activity that will inspire and challenge you, which you can perform on a regular basis.

5. The Need for Purpose and Meaning

An extension of both the need to be part of something larger than ourselves and the need to be challenged is the need to have purpose and meaning in our lives. I didn’t even realize how this need had been met for me for over 20 years until one day when my son graduated from college and set off on his own. Up until that day, I had not been aware of how much the meaning in my life was tied to my role as his parent. Once I felt that role was diminished, my sense of purpose was diminished right along with it.

At first I didn’t know why I felt so lost, unhappy, and meaningless everyday. The truth was that my daily life had hardly changed at all. My son had moved out of state to go to college so for the previous four years I had only seen him during holidays and for a few weeks each summer. The change had been purely psychological. I now felt no longer needed. He was doing just fine on his own, which was of course exactly what I wanted for him. He wasn’t calling me for help, advice, or even money. And eventually I found out that was where it had all changed. I was no longer his safety net, and my identity had been tied to that role for the last two decades of my life. So I set out to find a new source of purpose and meaning in order to fulfill my emotional need and find happiness again.

How can you meet this need? Start out by doing some personal soul searching. Ask yourself, at what times in your life were you the happiest? What were you doing at those times? What activities, people and topics are you most passionate about; which give you the most fulfillment and satisfaction? Once you are able to answer these questions, you will be able to identify where your sense of purpose and meaning lie, and how you can best tap into them.

These are the five emotional needs that I have found to be essential in finding and maintaining my own happiness. It is possible that you may have additional ones that you can add to this list, such as a need for setting and achieving goals, or a need for status within your community. The important thing is to realize that these needs are real, and that you must identify and satisfy them before you will be able to achieve sustained happiness in your own life.

10 Habits of Unhappy People and How to Break Them

We all experience days or times when we feel unhappy. Nobody can be entirely happy 100% of the time; it is perfectly normal to have ups-and-downs in life. Ideally, we should try to minimize those down times and try to feel happy as often as possible. It makes everything in our lives go more smoothly. We perform better at work, sleep better, feel better, and have better relationships the happier that we feel.

Some people, however, seem to have a disproportionate number of unhappy days. We all know someone who looks and acts like they are down too many days out of the week. Or maybe we are the ones who fall into that category.

These people tend to have several qualities in common. Most of these qualities are simply bad habits that they have developed over the years and have not been able to break. Maybe they don’t even realize they have these habits, or that breaking them is actually possible, so they have never tried. Below is a list of ten bad habits that are shared by many unhappy people, along with a solution for breaking each of them. If you find that some or all of these apply to you, I encourage you to try work on them, one at a time. It may not be easy at first, but it is by no means impossible. And the rewards you receive will be numerous.

1. Seeing the Negative in Every Situation

Most unhappy people are pessimists. Rather than trying to look for the bright side of a situation, they always find and focus on the negative. They are always expecting the worst possible outcome for any given situation. Even when something good does happen, they tend to downplay the benefit and predict that their good fortune won’t last.

To break this habit, learn to catch yourself when you start to have negative thoughts. One thing that I have learned through meditation is that actions are triggered by feelings, and feelings are triggered by thoughts. If you can become aware of your thoughts as soon as you have them, you can try to change them before they start to affect your emotions. The next time you get some news or something unexpected happens, make a conscious effort to look for the good in it. This will take some time, but the more you practice having happy thoughts and a positive attitude the easier it will become for you.

2. Complaining Too Much

It’s normal to complain every once in a while. It’s just a natural way to release a little steam when things don’t go the way we expected. But unhappy people seem to complain all the time. They not only see the negative in every situation, but they like to talk about it, dwell on it, and make it the center of the conversation. Rather than learning how to let go of the situation and move on from it, they prefer to bring others into it and let it continue much longer than it needs to it.

To break this habit, you first must become aware of what you are doing. Again, learn to watch your thoughts and notice when you are having a negative one. Catch yourself before you let that thought get the best of you. Consider whether any benefit will come from complaining. Sometimes it will, like if you are at a store or restaurant and you have received bad service. In that case, complaining politely can correct the situation. But if you are complaining simply for the sake of it, try not to. It only depresses those around you who have to listen to your complaint, and does nothing to improve the situation.

3. Feeling Jealousy or Envy

Rather than celebrating the successes of those around them, unhappy people will be jealous or envious of their achievements. They will typically wonder “Why not me?” when they see someone get a benefit or perk that they don’t have. They will talk about how that person didn’t deserve it or perhaps even acted inappropriately to get it.

To break this habit, make an effort to be happy for someone else’s good fortune. Realize that feeling jealous or envious only hurts you, and doesn’t change anything. Instead, think about what you could do differently in your own life to get some of the benefits that those around you have received. Congratulate them on their success and sincerely ask for advice if the situation allows for it. Maybe you will learn something that will help you achieve those same successes one day.

4. Feeling Like Victims

Along with feeling jealous of others, unhappy people tend to feel like life just doesn’t treat them fairly. They feel that any misfortune that takes place in their life is not their fault and never the result of any decision or action that they have taken. They feel like other people are out to get them, have a hard time trusting others, and question the intention of anyone who offers to help them. They have a “woe is me” attitude and don’t mind sharing their sentiments with anyone who is willing to listen.

To break this habit, you have to first become aware of what you are thinking. Have you seen the trend yet? Most of these habits develop because we allow our thoughts to run wild instead of making an effort to control them. Remember, you are the one who is having these thoughts so you can change them whenever you want. Start out by determining what is making you think this way, then try to change whatever is triggering these thoughts of being victimized. Take responsibility for the events that happen in your life. Look for where you could have done something differently that would have led to a different outcome. And if something truly was out of your control, realize that bad things happen to everyone, not just to you. I am sure that if you look carefully you will find someone who has more misfortunes than you.

5. Believing They Have No Control

People who are unhappy tend to believe that they have no control over what happens to them. They don’t see the opportunities that may be available to them to make improvements in their lives. As a result, they feel helpless and lost. They don’t understand the power that they actually have to make positive changes for themselves and by themselves.

To break this habit, think about all the areas in your life where you do have full control. Realize that all of us encounter circumstances and situations that are beyond our control and that it’s normal. Learn to identify and separate those from the ones where you can have some influence. By focusing on what you are capable of controlling and changing, you will slowly start to feel more powerful and confident. Start by making small changes that will bring about positive results and you will soon see how much control you really do have over your life.

6. Holding on to Grudges or Resentment

Unhappy people have a hard time forgiving. They not only feel slighted or hurt by incidents that many others might simply brush off, but they also develop long and unnecessary grudges against people. These grudges not only affect their relationships, but they also affect their own emotional well-being. They don’t realize that when they refuse to forgive, they are hurting themselves much more than they are hurting the other person.

To break this habit, realize that the number one reason people have a hard time forgiving is because they still feel anger. Figure out why you are still feeling angry about something that happened in the past. Then think about how much better you would feel if you could release all that anger. Consider that the person who upset you is only human and made a mistake. Try to be compassionate and separate the person from the act. You don’t have to excuse the act in order to forgive the person. If you learn to separate the two, it will become much easier for you to let go of the anger and resentment.

7. Overreacting to Minor Problems

For unhappy people, every little negative thing that happens in their lives can become a major occurrence. Something that to many of us would be just a temporary annoyance can be a big problem to them.

To break this habit, learn to apply some perspective to the events in your life. When something happens, ask yourself “Is this just a small, temporary set back? What are the real consequences of this event?” Assess it fairly instead of just overreacting to something that really doesn’t warrant that much concern. Adjust your reaction accordingly.

8. Ignoring Real Problems

While small problems can be made into big ones, sometimes the really big problems are ignored by unhappy people. If a problem seems too big for them to deal with, they prefer to sweep it under the rug and pretend that it doesn’t exist. This is particularly true with any problem that stems from them and their attitude, choices or actions. Taking responsibility and finding a solution to a real problem that they created or keep perpetuating is more than they want to handle.

To break this habit, learn to take an honest look at yourself. We all make mistakes, and there is no reason to judge yourself too harshly. But you are also not doing yourself any favors when you pretend that you are not the cause of a particular problem. Taking responsibility for your choices and actions will help you to feel more capable and empowered. When you are faced with a problem that seems too daunting, take the time to assess it carefully. Try to break the problem down into smaller components that you can address one at a time. That way the problem won’t seem so difficult to deal with and you will be able to see noticeable progress as you work on it.

9. Congregating with Other Unhappy People

As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. Unhappy people enjoy the company of other unhappy people because they provide affirmation for their emotions. Another unhappy person will see life the same way that they do and instead of offering them a better way, will support them and their attitude.

To break this habit, identify the people in your life who tend to be unhappy, pessimistic, or complainers. Determine why you are spending time with them. Is it because they tend to reinforce your own negative attitudes and habits? If so, make a conscious choice to start minimizing how much time you spend with them, or at least to not allow their attitude or behavior to affect your own. Seek out the company of more positive, happy and optimistic people. You will see that by spending more time with people whose behavior you want to emulate, you will slowly start to think and act more like them.

10. Living in Either the Past or the Future

People who tend to be unhappy spend more time thinking about either the past or the future than they do enjoying the present. They are either reminiscing about a better time and past glories, or they are hoping for a brighter future. Or if they are really pessimistic, they keep replaying all their past misfortunes and injustices, whether real or perceived, in their minds. And they worry about what future misfortunes are awaiting them. They tend to believe one of two things: either everything will magically get better one day without any effort on their part, or that things will always continue to be bad or maybe get even worse.

To break this habit, become more aware and mindful of your thoughts. Understand that your thoughts will directly affect your emotions. The best way to become more mindful is through meditation. Starting a meditation practice will greatly improve your ability to focus on the present and to not concern yourself with the future or the past. Meditation has taught me that all I have (and all of us have) is now. The past is forever gone, and the future will always be beyond our reach. Enjoy this moment and all that it has to offer before it also is gone forever.

6 Lessons Hollywood Needs to Learn From 'The Fast & The Furious

Fast & the Furious 6" is widely expected to dominate the Memorial Day box office and potentially become the highest grossing film in the lucrative franchise's history. 

For a franchise keep growing as it enters its second decade and sixth installment is nearly unheard of in Hollywood, where sequels tend to burn hot and fast, dying out quickly. Yet Universal Studios has adroitly managed the car racing series by tapping into international markets, catering to under-appreciated moviegoing audiences and recognizing the power of Diesel fuel -- Vin Diesel that is.

Here are six takeaways from the "Fast & the Furious" franchise's success for rival studios trying to engineer their own box office Maserati's.

Vin Diesel Is an A-Lister, Get Used to It

He may not wield the clout or boast the magazine covers of a Depp or a Pitt or a Smith, but make no mistake, Diesel is a star. After getting lost on the C-list in the mid-aughts and seeing his once white-hot career fizzle out with bombs like "Find Me Guilty" or artistic embarrassments like "The Pacifier," Diesel cannily returned to the franchise that made him a powerhouse with 2009's "Fast & Furious."

In the process, he helped the series consistently build its audience with each new film, allowing the franchise to gross nearly $1.6 billion globally. With this September's "Riddick," Diesel will see if he can revive another of his action franchises that has run out of steam. If he can pull it off, that will give him two massive tentpole roles in his quiver. Few actors other than Robert Downey Jr. with "Sherlock Holmes" and "Iron Man" can match that kind of track record.

The U.S. Is Nice, But Foreign Countries Are King

Though "The Fast & The Furious" started out as a depiction of L.A. street racing, few franchises  have done a better job of embracing the global marketplace. Starting with 2006's "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," the third film in the franchise, the series has traipsed around the globe, conveniently stopping in many of the movie business' most important emerging markets. Along the way, the crew of car racers and thieves have evaded the law in exotic settings like Brazil, Mexico and, in the latest iteration, Spain and the United Kingdom.

With 70 percent of box office revenue coming from abroad, an international flavor is no an longer exotic icing on any big-budget confection. It's an essential ingredient to making the sprawling community of moviegoers feel like they are watching their dreams and lives reflected back to them on the big screen.

The reward for this cosmopolitanism? "Fast & Furious 6" is off to a white-hot start at the foreign box office; its opening in the U.K. and Ireland last Friday gave Universal the studio's biggest opening day ever in that market with $4.6 million. "Fast Five," the previous film in the franchise, more than doubled the largest foreign gross in the franchise's history and most box office analysts predict the latest adventure will eclipse the last film's $416 million international take.
Newsflash! Latinos Go to Movies

Latino audiences have pushed "The Fast & The Furious" series into rarified blockbuster terrain. Thanks to stars like Michelle Rodriguez, and a healthy amount of Spanish dialog, the films have gone out of their way to court this too often neglected demographic.

Pay heed studios! Latinos represent just 17 percent of the U.S. population, yet account for 26 percent of ticket sales, according a study by the Motion Picture Association of America. In the case of "Fast Five," catering to this crowd resulted in a monster turnout, with Latinos representing 33 percent of its opening weekend U.S. audience.

...Oh, And So Do Women

Casting women as more than scantily clad helpmates and arm candy has further broadened "The Fast & The Furious" franchise's appeal.

Women represent 51 percent of the U.S. population and 52 percent of the moviegoing public, but according to a 2012 study by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, only 11 percent of the protagonists in top grossing films are female.

Yes, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are the top-billed stars in the series, but what's refreshing about "Fast & Furious 6" is that Rodriguez and co-star Gina Carano have roles that are integral to the action. In fact, Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, Universal Pictures co-president of production, told TheWrap that the most recent "Fast" film is the highest testing among women.

He added that the on-screen throw down between Rodriguez and Carano is a key selling point of the film and "trumps" the fight between Diesel and Dwayne Johnson that was a heavily promoted part of "Fast Five."

Don't Idle at the Starting Line

Beginning with the fourth film in the series, 2009's "The Fast & the Furious," Universal has rigidly adhered to a release schedule of one "Fast" picture every two years. The studio is accelerating the schedule with "Fast & the Furious 7," which will roar into theaters in 2014, roughly a year after the sixth film was unleashed on the summer box office.

At CinemaCon, the annual exhibition trade show in Las Vegas, Diesel told theater owners that the studio was able to rush into production on a follow-up to "Fast & the Furious 6" because they had carefully mapped out a direction for the series. In a digitally connected age where platforms like Twitter and Facebook have intensified the rate at which entertainment and media is anticipated, consumed and discussed, it is critical that studios move nimbly to exploit buzz before this morning's hot thing become that afternoon's tired idea.

Allow a Director to Grow With a Franchise

Justin Lin didn't have the kind of CV that would instantly make a studio feel comfortable about handing over the keys to one of its crown jewel franchises.

When Universal tapped the UCLA grad to inject new life into the "Fast" series, Lin was best known for the Sundance breakout "Better Luck Tomorrow" and the James Franco bomb "Annapolis." But whatever studio executives saw Taiwanese-born director has allowed the series to reach new heights.

Under Lin, the four "Fast" films he has directed have grown more global in scope, more financially successful, more technically audacious and more critically acclaimed. The decision to move up production on "Fast & the Furious 7," so it can open next year, means that he will have to yield the director's chair to James Wan ("Saw"), but studio executives and producers tell TheWrap that after the success of the "Fast" movies, Lin can write his own ticket.

"He's on the A-list," a rival studio executive enthused. "If he wants to do a Bond film, he can. If he wants to do a Chris Nolan-type 'Inception' movie or a smaller personal movie, he can. Everyone wants to work with him."

How to Make Your Girlfriend Happy All the Time

Do You Want to make your sweet girlfriend feel more special and loved? Use these 20 great ways on how to make your girlfriend happy to do that, every day. 

As girls, it’s in our nature to be affectionate and loving.
And when we’re in a relationship with a wonderful guy, we love being treated in a special way by them.
But more often than not, a guy just doesn’t know how to treat his girlfriend in a special manner, even if he’s trying hard to please her.
How to make your girlfriend feel happy
Making your girlfriend feel happy and loved isn’t a complicated confusion.
In reality, it’s very simple.
You just need to make her feel special and cared for when you’re around her.
If you want your relationship to be perfect and envied by all others couples, learn to think from your girlfriend’s perspective.
When both lovers in a relationship think from the other partner’s perspective, the relationship can only get better and more loving with time.
25 ways to make your girlfriend feel loved and happy
A perfect relationship is never one sided. When you make the effort to please your girlfriend and make her happy, she’ll involuntarily put in her effort at making you happier in love if she truly loves you back.
So the next time you’re with your special girl, instead of holding back, give more. In mutual love, every loving act gives back more happiness to both lovers.
For starters, use these 20 tips on how to make your girlfriend happy to pamper her and please her. And I’ll tell you this, you’ll definitely be the winner in the game of love.
#1 Surprise her with memorable gifts. Make sure you never forget your girlfriend’s special occasions, however trivial they may seem to you. And every now and then, show just how much you love her by giving her a memorable gift of love, be it a bling thing or a priceless gift like a heartfelt letter of love.
#2 Make her friends envy her. All of us want our relationships to be perfect, but very few of us actually work towards making it perfect. Treat your girlfriend with love and affection, and pay attention to all her needs, especially when she’s around her friends. When her friends notice how good a catch you are, her heart will swell with pride and happiness, and you’ll feel like a real smooth talker too!
#3 Get along with her friends and family. To a girl, her family and her close friends mean everything, because she shares all the intimate details of her life with them. And to a large extent, she listens to her friends and takes their opinions seriously. So make an effort to get along with her friends and treat them well. She’ll be happy to see that you’re a big hit with her loved ones.
#4 Don’t ignore her when she’s with you. Make your girlfriend feel like she’s the center of your world all the time, and especially so when she’s with you. Don’t ignore her because you’re having a fun conversation with another attractive girl or are distracted by something else. When your girlfriend is around you, it doesn’t matter who or what is around, make sure your attention is focused on your girl.
#5 Respect her opinions. As humans, respect plays a big part in how we feel about ourselves. When we feel disrespected by someone important to us, we feel miserable. And this holds the same effect in relationships too. Don’t dismiss your girlfriend’s opinions and ideas without listening to her, and don’t take her lightly just because *she’s a girl*. In a relationship, both partners have to learn to listen to each other and respect each other’s point of view.
#6 Ask her for help. You may be a big, fully grown man. But that shouldn’t stop you from asking your girl for help now and then. By letting your girlfriend see your vulnerable, helpless side, she’d feel closer to you because you aren’t afraid of showing your weaknesses to her.
#7 Compromise for her. Every now and then, compromise your wants for her needs. If she wants to watch a romantic movie while you want to watch something else, give in to her now and then. When she sees how you’re willing to give up something you like just to please her, it’ll only make her feel more loved and happy.
#8 Cuddle up with her at home. Do you end up getting turned on each time you hug your girlfriend or kiss her for a few minutes? That’s understandable. But at least once a day, hug her tight and cuddle with her while watching the telly or when both of you are lying in bed. For a girl, a few hugs and sweet kisses feel just as special as a good round of passionate sex.
#9 Be affectionate with her in public. Make your girlfriend feel special when you’re with her in public. You don’t need to eat each other’s faces off to make a point that both of you are dating.
Hold her hand, brush her hair away from her face, make her feel like you’re completely attentive to her needs, and most importantly, don’t hold yourself back from behaving in a silly manner if you can bring a smile on your girlfriend’s face.
#10 Make her laugh. Humor has a very important place in relationships. Even when both of you don’t have anything to talk about, a few funny lines or gestures can make the whole day feel like such a fun activity.
#11 Make her feel secure. If you want to make your girlfriend feel happy in the relationship, you need to focus on the one thing girls want most in a guy, his protective streak. When your girl feels secure when you’re around, and when she feels like she can depend on you for anything, she’d instinctively feel happier to be in love with you.
#12 Give her your attention. When you go out with your girlfriend, do you stay close to her and make sure she’s feeling comfortable, or do you leave her aside and catch up with your own friends?
When your girlfriend is around, always focus on her needs first before you think of yours. If you need to spend a few minutes away from her to speak to your own friends, make sure she won’t feel uneasy when you aren’t around. Whenever you’re out with your girlfriend, always pay attention to her needs before yours.
#13 Communicate. Misunderstandings arise when there is a lack of communication in a relationship. If you want to have a happy relationship with your girlfriend, learn to express your feelings clearly. And every now and then, spend a few hours talking about each other’s lives. When you spend a lot of time talking about your future together, both of you will feel more secure and loved in the relationship.
#14 Compliment her. Women love compliments. It makes them feel more appreciated. If you like something about your girlfriend, let her know about it. It doesn’t matter if it’s something about her personality or about the way she dresses, if you like it, say it.
#15 Let her know you’re lucky to have her. Did you have to woo your girl for a while before she finally accepted to date you? Always let her know that you still love her just as much as you did when both of you first started dating. And more than anything else, let her know that you have never taken her for granted and never will. If you feel lucky to date such a wonderful girl, remind her about it all the time.
#16 Be chivalrous. Chivalry is one of those big positive traits in a guy that separates the ordinary men from the gentlemen. Always be chivalrous around your girlfriend, and learn to treat her like a princess. She’ll definitely love your courteous side and all the pampering that comes with it.
#17 Involve her in your life. If you’re serious about your girlfriend and see her as a big part of your life, learn to involve her more in your daily life, be it for get-togethers or a night out with your friends. When you invite her to spend more time with you and your friends, you’re letting her know that you’re serious about her and the relationship. And emotional security always makes any girl in love a much happier girlfriend!
#18 Call her unexpectedly and sweet talk her. Love shouldn’t always be predictable, especially when it’s a happy surprise. Drop by at her place or at her office out of the blue with flowers or a small gift. Call her up when she least expects your call and remind her about how much you miss holding her in your hands right at that moment. In love, if it’s a happy feeling, share it. It makes all the difference between a happy romance and a bored one.

Womens Relationship Advice

How to solve relationship problems with our "romantic week" plan

Day 1:
Leave a note professing your love for your partner to find during the day. Put the note where it will be found, easily. Try their briefcase, the driver's seat of their car, in their coat pocket, in their lunch bag, taped to the receiver of the phone, taped to their computer, or left taped to a doorknob.
As soon as you arrive home for the day seek out your partner and offer a big, loving kiss.  Tell your partner how much you love him or her and ask about their day. Make this a new, daily habit.
As an alternate idea, when your partner arrives home for the day, take their hand and pull them towards you aggressively.  Offer a huge hug, kiss and say, "I missed you today!”
Day 2:
While your partner showers, heat up his or her towel in the dryer.
Have flowers delivered to partner at work.
Surprise your partner by arriving home with their favorite drink, snack, or ice-cream. 
Day 3:
Arrange for an intimate lunch date with your partner. Afterward, send a virtual card. Tell them how much you enjoyed lunch together. 
Day 4:
Call your partner in the middle of the day to discuss your romantic plans for that evening.
Print out some love coupons (find them on-line) and present them to your partner.  One might say:  this entitles loved one to a full-body massage, and sign your name. 
Day 5:
For the kid in all of us!  Use multi-colored, sidewalk chalk to draw a BIG heart in red and write.  Print out the words, “I love you" in the middle of the heart.  Do this someplace that is prominent such as on your driveway so that when your partner comes home he or she will see it.
Cook a favorite meal for your partner and then eat it, slowly, by candlelight. 
Day 6:
When the weather is best, take a brisk walk through a nature trail with your love and talk about all the reasons why 
he or she is so special to you.
If the weather is dreary, have an indoor picnic.  Spend the time together, inside enjoying your favorite board games and just relaxing and talking.
Cuddle up in your pj’s and relish a romantic movie together. 
Day 7:
Just sleep in and cuddle together.  Call into work and explain you are “under the weather” and need to rest a bit more before coming in.
Make a long list of the many reasons why you love your partner as you do and then have them framed and present it to him or her.
If you don’t live together, call your loved one just to say goodnight. Recite a favorite love poem over the phone and end with, “Sweet dreams, until we meet again!”