yourself to others. It's hard to stop comparing yourself to what others are doing. However, it's important to stop because you'll always view yourself unfavorably, even if that's not true. Instead, compare yourself to you in the past to make sure you're growing into the person you want to be. For instance, compare your skills last year to the skills you have now. As an example, you might be tempted to compare your grades to your friend's grades. Instead, compare the skills you have now to your performance in the past. You might say to yourself, "Last year I didn't understand algebra at all, but now I'm passing my class. That's progress!" Life is short, so spend it doing things that make you happy. People are going to have a different perspective on things than you do, but don't listen when they say negative things. Just keeping doing you. For instance, don't be afraid to wear Halloween clothes in July if that makes you happy. Similarly, wear wigs every day if you have fun changing up your look. If people make fun of you, it might help to give a comeback and walk away. You might say, "Did you stay up all night thinking of that?" "Wow, I'm surprised you care," or "Always nice to hear from my fans." This can make them stop. If talking to them makes you uncomfortable, walk away from them and talk to someone who understands you. When people make comments, remind yourself why it's important to you to be yourself. Say, "I want to write my own story, so I can't let these people hold me back." You've probably encountered conformity at your school or work. Sometimes it's important to follow rules, but that doesn't mean you have to give up your identity. Don't feel like you have to fit in with everyone else. Just be yourself. For instance, don't worry about what's trendy or fashionable. Choose clothes that express what you want to say to the world. Similarly, don't feel pressured to choose an educational or career path just because everyone else is doing it. When you make decisions, do what feels right for you even if other people don't agree. If you wear a uniform, try expressing yourself through your accessories. If those aren't allowed either, look for other ways to express yourself, like starting a club or speaking out in class. First and foremost, it's important to wear clothes that you like and make you feel comfy. However, you can also make your outfits unique by mixing up styles and pieces. Raid your closet and see what kind of outfit combinations you can make. For example, wear a striped button-up shirt over a skirt with a bold print. Wear a sleek red blazer with a graphic tee and a pair of leather pants. Pair a shirt dress with floral skinny jeans. your outfits with bold pieces. Look for bold jewelry, glasses, hats, scarves, belts, shoes, and handbags. Alternatively, make your own accessories! Add at least one fun accessory to each outfit to help your look stand out from the crowd. For example, use a white paint pen to decorate a pair of plain black shoes so they're one-of-a-kind. Add embellishments to your handbag or backpack to make it more original. Pick jewelry that's large or made out of weird materials. For instance, you might get a pendant that's made from a glass eye. Break the rules when it comes to makeup! Pair colors in unexpected ways to create a fun, new look. Treat your face like a canvas where you can express yourself. For example, use bold shades on your eyelids, draw on a temporary tattoo with eyeliner, create a crystal design using stick-on gems, wear a bold lipstick, or use different colored eyeliners on your top and lower lashes. To learn new techniques, watch YouTube tutorials. Tattoos and piercings can give you a different look from others. Additionally, they provide a great conversation starter when you meet new people. If you want a tattoo, pick designs that mean something to you or that you think look cool. If you want to get a piercing, look for earrings or body jewelry that show off what you like. For example, you might get a mermaid tattoo because you're obsessed with mermaids and a shooting star tattoo because you like how it looks. Similarly, you might pick body jewelry that's your favorite color, or you could pick a jewel that's your birthstone. Make sure you get your parent or guardian's permission if you're younger than the legal age of consent in your area.
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One-sentence summary -- Stop comparing Do what makes you happy without worrying about what others think. Reject conformity and choose your own path. Combine your clothes in unexpected ways to create unique outfits. Accessorize Play around with your makeup if you wear it. Get a tattoo or piercings if you like the way they look.

as fast as possible. If you have just cut down a tree, make the wood into lumber as soon as you can. Processing opens up the wood and helps the drying process, which can prevent stain and rot from affecting the wood. Try and find an indoor location like a hayloft or shed or an outdoor location that is in the shade. Avoid locations like garages which likely don't have enough airflow. Never store wood in the basement or inside boxes as they dry, they definitely won't have enough airflow. Remember that your wood needs to dry in an area with a similar moisture content that the finished product will be exposed to. For example, if you plan to use the wood to make a chair that will be placed in a dry area of your home, store it in an area with similarly low moisture content Point an electric household fan toward your wood between your cutting sessions to improve airflow. This circulation will help your wood dry in at least half the time that it normally would. Exposed ends can lead to drying that is too fast, which paves the way for end-grain cracking and splits. And since moisture escapes wood 10 to 12 times quicker from the ends, leaving them exposed is damaging to the wood. Apply paraffin wax, shellac, polyurethane, or latex paint to the ends in a uniform manner so that both are completely covered. Try to do so as soon as possiblewithin minutesfor the best results. Purchase specially formulated end grain sealers from woodworking or home hardware stores if you don't mind paying a bit more money. When you're cutting your lumber, cut the pieces to the same lengths and thicknesses. Afterward, these equal dimensions will make it easier to stack them in a manner that exposes each side to air. Use small pieces of 34 by 112 inch (1.9cm 14.0cm) wood, also known as stickers, to create space between each side and increase ventilation. Use spacers every 12 inches (30cm) for thinner pieces and 16 inch (41cm) or 24 inch (61cm) spacing for thicker pieces. Don't cover the entire pile of wood to the groundthis will hold in moisture. By just covering the top, you can ensure that each piece is adequately shaded without trapping moisture. Skip this step if you're storing your wood indoors or somewhere with adequate shade. If you're using a pin-type moisture meter, press the 2 tips of the device into your wood. Afterward, turn it on and examine the moisture reading. For pinless meters, press the base of the scanning plane to the wood and activate it. Moisture readings are a percentage between 0 and 100. Buy both types of moisture meters from online suppliers and home hardware stores.
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One-sentence summary --
Process your logs Store your wood in a shaded location with ample airflow. Seal off the ends of each piece of lumber immediately after cutting to prevent moisture decay. Stack your lumber uniformly to expose all sides to airflow. Cover the top of your wood with a tarp or plastic sheeting. Measure the moisture content (MC) of your wood with a moisture meter.