Article: Sometimes it's hard to realize that the people around us, those we care about, aren't actually good for us. Is there someone in your life that leaves you feeling drained more than energized? They're probably a toxic friend. As much as it may be awkward and difficult to initiate, you gotta get rid of 'em. They're doing you no good. They're just dragging you down. The thing about toxic friends is you know it when you have one. You don't really have that good of a time when you're with them, they leave you feeling kind of bad about yourself in a funny way, and life is just a bit darker even after they've gone away. In other words...why again are you hanging out with them? It's all too easy to get caught up in how your partner/family/friends/roommates annoy the crap outta you. You end up gossiping about each other, resenting them when they put the toilet paper on in the wrong direction, hating that face they make all the time...when really they're wonderful people. We just forget about all their awesome qualities because the negative is so much easier to see. Concentrating on the positive will make your life feel so much more complete, even though technically nothing has changed. Take a minute to remember what drew you to them in the first place. Are they funny, kind, quick-witted, smart, or honest? Do they make a mean chocolate cake? Always remember to TiVo your favorite TV show? Not laugh at you when you have food stuck in your teeth? Exactly. Not everyone does that! You know how much you care about the ones you love, but they may be starting to forget. When you're more affectionate, you'll get more affection in return -- making your life seem more full of love and all that sugary good stuff. Getting more hugs is a definite improvement! You know, for the G-rated side of it all. As the years pass, it seems like the norm is to go faster and faster and faster. As a result, we let our friendships fade and quit concentrating on the stuff there just doesn't seem to be time for. So take a break and reach out to that friend that moved far away (or that you moved away from). Snail mail is becoming less and less common -- that letter you write them will put a huge grin on their face -- and you'll feel so good for keeping up with them! Our minds reward us for being social. How else would humans survive if our brains weren't trained for it? So the more effort you make, the wider your social circle will feel, the more people you can depend on, and the better your life will be. It's the small stuff that'll get this done! Alright, so you've connected to the old friend -- now it's time to liven up your social network by connecting to someone new! This can be done every day and with little effort. And afterward you'll feel totally accomplished (not to mention probably having learned something or laughing). So talk to your cashier. Hit up your new neighbor. Make an effort with that quiet coworker. There are opportunities everywhere! If you're at a loss for how to start, try disconnecting first. Disconnecting to connect, that's right. Put down your phone, take out your headphones, stop checking your email every 5 minutes and start staring life in the face. It's the only way you can recognize and take advantage of the people and things in front of you. It's the only way to get the most out of everything. Is what's on your phone (Candy Crush, really?) that much more interesting than the people in front of you? Like, fo' real. You know that phrase, "It's better to give than to receive?" Well, it's true. It's so, so true. Do some good deeds for others, and your life will feel so much better for it. You'll feel like you're doing something that matters. You'll be accomplishing something. You'll be affecting the lives of others for the better. What's not awesome about that? Improving someone else's life is a way to improve yours. The logic doesn't seem totally direct, but it's just as simple and just as effective. And it's much more enriching knowing the world is better because of you! Need some examples? Help your old neighbor get around. Have a friend that has three kids, all with extracurriculars? Offer to pick them up from school. Give your waitress who's in grad school an awesome tip. And if someone does something for you, be sure to pay it forward! This is basically taking "do good deeds" a step further. Instead of these good deeds being spur of the moment, take a scheduled time out of your week to volunteer (though you should still be doing those good things!). Go to your local animal shelter, homeless shelter, hospital, school, or nursing home and ask how you can help. They'd be crazy to turn you away! What better way to spend your time? An hour a week makes a difference. And if you're thinking, "What's in it for me?", even apart from it feeling good, it looks great on resumes and just in general conversation. Loads of people hold down jobs, a family, travel, read, and make time for the gym -- very few of them add volunteering on top of that.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Get rid of toxic friends. Identify good things about those around you. Be affectionate. Write a letter to a faraway friend. Connect to someone new. Do good deeds. Volunteer.
Article: Formatting your hard drive will delete everything on it, so make sure that all of your important files are backed up somewhere safe. Click here for instructions. The easiest way to format your hard drive is to reinstall your operating system, which will format the drive in the process. You will need your Windows 8 installation DVD in order to do this. Note: This guide will walk through the steps for formatting and installing Windows 8, but you can use this method with any version of Windows or Linux. Most versions of both Windows and Linux have very similar installers that will guide you through the process. If you only have an ISO file for your operating system, click here for instructions on burning it to a DVD so that you can boot from it. The key to open the BIOS menu is typically F2, F10, F11, or Del. Your computer will display the proper key before Windows loads. If your computer is booting too fast to enter the BIOS, click here for instructions on forcing the Advanced Startup menu to appear. This will allow you to change the order of devices that your computer tries to boot from. This will make your computer try to boot from the DVD first, allowing you to start the Windows 8 installation. Your computer will reboot. The setup program may take a few minutes to load. This will begin the installation process. This is a 25-character key that is unique to your copy of Windows. You will need this key in order to proceed with the installation. You can usually find the key on your installation disc's case, affixed to your computer, or in the confirmation email for your online purchase. This will allow you to format your drive before reinstalling Windows 8. In general, it is recommended that you never select an "Upgrade" installation. While this will save your data and installed programs, it will often lead to errors and software conflicts. This will not be present if you are installing Windows 8.1. If you are reinstalling Windows 8, select the drive that currently contains Windows 8. This will format the drive using the NTFS file system, which is the file system used by the Windows operating system. Next to proceed with the Windows 8 installation. For more details on installing Windows 8, click here.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Backup any important data. Insert your Windows 8 DVD. Restart your computer. Open your computer's BIOS menu before Windows boots. Open the BOOT menu in your BIOS. Set your DVD drive as the primary drive. Save your changes and exit the BIOS. Press any key when prompted to start the Windows 8 installation. Click the "Install now" button. Enter your Windows 8 product key. Click "Custom" asked what kind of installation you want to do. Click "Drive options (advanced)". Select the partition that you want to format for Windows 8. Click "Format". Click .