Problem: Article: Traffic moves like a school of fish. The more you try to get ahead of the crowd, the more likely you are to stir up other drivers' territorial behaviors and the notice of the "sharks" (the cops with radar guns!). Being in sync with the flow doesn't mean you have to be defensive you can pass and move as needed, controlling your space with awareness and harmony. When you sync up, you'll feel at ease and reach your destination in a better mood especially since you'll probably never get a ticket! Enjoy the journey as much as you do the destination and "be like water, my friend." You will be both more aware of the beauty around you and more alert to hazards. This type of awareness is lacking when you're pushing for speed and/or lost in thought. Pay attention to the cars around you. How are they driving? Is the person in front of you slowing down a little? Is the person behind you in a rush? Does the person on your left seem confused, or lost? This is an excellent opportunity to practice Zen driving, as it is not only gentler on your car, the environment, and your wallet; it also requires great awareness and patience. Hypermiling includes strategies like properly maintaining your car and tires, balancing and limiting your loads, coasting (safely) when possible, accelerating gently, and limiting idling. Some hypermiling techniques, like drafting behind larger vehicles, can be dangerous and should be avoided. On local streets, it is completely futile because everyone stops at the same stop lights you may gain 30 seconds if you are lucky. If you are driving 20 freeway miles, an average speed of 85mph (137km/h) (truly aggressive driving) will get you there a whopping 4.5 minutes faster than driving the speed limit. Attempting to weave through stop-and-go traffic may increase your average speed 1mph (1.6km/h) if you are lucky. This will get you there a few seconds earlier. Is it really worth the risk of tickets and accidents, coupled with the extra effort it takes to dodge and weave through the other cars while keeping a lookout for the cops? If it removes your focus from driving, concentrating on monotonous or repetitive things like road noises or breathing can be dangerous. This is especially risky if you're tired and/or on a long trip. True awareness involves concentration on what is going on both inside and outside your car. If you must choose one or the other, maintain focus on potential threats like distracted or impaired drivers, animals, and children, whose unpredictable actions can lead to an accident. With time, practice, and patience, you will be able to develop more complete concentration on both your surroundings and yourself.
Summary: Synchronize with the flow of traffic. Direct your consciousness toward your surroundings. Try hypermiling to improve fuel efficiency. Acknowledge that driving fast does not help that much. Don't let your meditation make you oblivious to your surroundings.

Problem: Article: Your bestie might not understand or accept what's happening, so it's possible that they will start calling, texting, and messaging you more when you stop communicating with them. If this happens, don't pick up the phone and don't respond to texts or social media messages right away. Wait a few days to get back to them, and then keep your responses brief. If they ask a question that can be answered with a yes or a no, respond this way and don't offer any other information. If they ask you something requiring a longer response, keep it as brief and impersonal as possible. Your best friend might try to make plans with you when you start distancing yourself from them. If this happens, make an excuse for why you can't. Say you already have plans, you don't feel well, you have homework, or anything else you can think of to get out of it. Don't offer an alternative time either, just make the excuse and leave it at that. For example, if they ask what you're doing over the weekend, try saying something like, "I'm busy this weekend. I have plans with my family." If they try to get you to suggest a time to hang out, try saying something like, "I've got a lot going on right now, so I can't really make any plans." Your best friend might be used to you doing whatever they want. If this is the case and you can't get out of seeing them for some reason, then flip the script on them and become very unaccommodating. This may cause them to dislike spending time with you and decrease their interest in doing it again. For example, if you usually meet them at their house, say that they need to meet you at your house instead. Bumping into people can be opportunities for connection and intimacy, so it's important to maintain your distance if you encounter your best friend unexpectedly. Stick to neutral topics and keep information about yourself to a minimum. For example, if they ask what's new with you, try saying something like, "Not much." If you don't want to talk with your ex-bestie at all, you can always just keep walking. A polite smile and wave is fine, too, if you want to be friendly. If you have resolved to break up with a friend, you will need to stop contacting them altogether at some point. After you have distanced yourself from them for a few weeks, stop contacting them. Don't call them, text them, or message them on social media. If you often bump into them on your way to work or school, take a different route. If you attend the same school or work together, ask to sit somewhere away from them.
Summary: Take a few days to get back to them if they contact you. Make excuses for why you can't hang out. Be less accommodating towards them if you can't avoid hanging out. Stick to neutral, impersonal topics when you can't avoid conversation. Stop contacting them via phone, text, and social media.

Problem: Article: These will guarantee that your dough has the right thickness. When your rolling pin pushes the dough down enough so that the pin is directly on top of the paint stirrers, you will know that your dough is 1/2" thick. This will keep it from adhering to the dough as you cut out your cookies. Cut out as many shapes as you can from the dough, dipping the cutter in flour as needed to prevent sticking. You can always use the paint stirrers as a guide.
Summary:
Sprinkle some flour on your work surface, wax paper or cutting board. Unwrap your dough and place it on the floured work surface. Stack two paint stirrers on either side of the dough. Place your rolling pin on top of the dough and roll it out. Spread some additional flour onto a shallow plate. Dip your chosen cookie cutter into the flour. Press the cutter into the dough, starting at the top right corner of your dough. Remove the scrap dough from the cookies and roll it out a second time until it is 1/2" thick. Cut out additional shapes from the scrap dough. Reserve any remaining scrap dough because you may need it to patch up mistakes later.