The most common situations in which people might brag are in forming new acquaintances, especially during job interviews or first dates. In both of these scenarios you are trying to demonstrate your worth to another person who has little to base their opinion on besides what you say. If you are on a first date, you want the person to be impressed with you and get to know more about you, but you don't want them to think that you are conceited or arrogant. One approach is to wait for your date to ask you about yourself before you volunteer information. For example, if your date has asked you if you have any hobbies, you might say, "I really like running. I got started just going for jogs around my neighborhood and kept increasing the distance little by little. I just ran my first marathon last month. Do you ever run? I would love a new running partner." This sounds more personal and less bragging than just sitting down to dinner and saying, "I am a great runner. I just ran a marathon and came in second in my age group. I am going to run 3 more marathons this year." Bragging often has a competitive and self-centered edge to it, but sharing credit for your accomplishments can minimize the potential for seeming arrogant. Research has shown that listeners feel more positively about people who use inclusive language (such as "we" and "team,"). For example, if you work at an architectural firm and your team just got a contract for a new building, be sure to use "we" instead of "I" when talking about the accomplishment. "After several months of hard work, we just signed a contract to design and build a new public library. It is a great opportunity for the team" sounds better than "I just scored an awesome contract to build a new building. It is going to cement the rest of my career." " You clearly need to use first-person language in scenarios where you have to promote yourself, but you should focus on emphasizing accomplishments. Also try to avoid superlative language like, "I was the best employee my previous employer ever had," or "I always worked harder than everyone else there." Extreme statements like these are unlikely to be true, even for the most accomplished of people and instead sound like exaggeration. Superlative statements wherein the speaker claims to be the "best" or the "greatest" (even if they might be true) tend to be identified as bragging rather than true accomplishment. For example "It was my idea to create a space where employees could speak freely about their concerns," sounds more like bragging than, "I created a space where employees could speak freely." Instead, try statements like, "While I worked for my previous employer, I tried my best to be dedicated and hard-working." By using team-oriented language and mentioning your accomplishments but spinning them in a more modest way, you can sound positive and talk yourself up without bragging. One example of a statement worded as either bragging or as a simple positive statement is as follows: The positive version: "My softball team had its awards dinner last night. We had a good season and so everyone was in a great mood. I even got the most valuable player award. Boy, was I surprised. I played really hard this summer, but I did it for the fun and the exercise. So I was really pleased to get the award and the recognition. I was glad to help my team finish the season so well." The bragging version: "My softball team had its awards dinner last night. I had my best season yet, so I was in a great mood. They gave me the most valuable player award. But that was no surprise since I was the leading player all summer. Actually, I'm the best all-round player this league has ever seen. I could have my choice to play on any team I want next year, so I may be changing to a better team." A good trick if you're still hesitant about bragging is to observe your own reactions to other peoples' behavior: when you hear someone else bragging, think about why it's bragging, and how they could rephrase what they said to no longer sound like bragging. When you find yourself concerned about bragging, ask yourself, "Is it true? How do I know it's true?"
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One-sentence summary -- Know when to use self-promotion. Discuss your achievements in a team-centered way. Use caution when saying "I" and "me. Turn a bragging statement into a positive statement. Observe your reaction to hearing others promote themselves.

Flour, eggs and brown sugar all hold on to moisture, leading to fluffy moist cookies. If you are look for a crispier treat, try using less of these three ingredients. All-purpose flour has a higher protein content compared to other flours. Extra protein helps create a browner appearance and crispier texture. This will allow the cookies time to spread before they firm. It will also help dry out your cookies as well. Compared to shortening or oil, butter has a lower melting temperature. This will allow your cookies to spread more during baking. Butter also has protein in it, which helps with browning and crisping. Avoid using brown sugar, which holds on to moisture, and instead use a processed sugar. This will lead to a drier and crispier cookie. Eggs hold a lot of moisture and, when cooked, they release lots of steam. This steam acts as a leavening agent, making cookies moist and fluffy. You will get a flatter, thinner and crispier cookie without eggs. You can substitute applesauce instead of an egg, but applesauce also has a lot of moisture in it. You could also try out vegetable oil.
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One-sentence summary -- Reduce ingredients that hold moisture. Use all-purpose flour. Bake the cookies for longer at a lower temperature. Use butter. Try white sugar or corn syrup. Skip the eggs.

Make a list of meaningful images, symbols, and words that could serve as potential components of your sleeve. Think of interests, values, and signs that you won't regret having on your body in the future. You can look for inspiration in tattoo magazines, like Inked (http://www.inkedmag.com/), or shops' online portfolios. Keep in mind your sleeve will be a major investment of time and money, and it'll have more meaning for you if you come up with your own imagery. Sleeve tattoos typically cost hundreds or thousands of dollars and have such a level of detail that getting it done in one sitting is usually impossible. Ask your artist if you can do an entire sleeve at once or if you'll need to break it up into several sessions. Aim to use a single artist to complete the entire sleeve so there is continuity in the images and style. Framing larger images with smaller patterns will lend a sense of composition to your sleeve. Work with your tattoo artist to incorporate the framing motif into your first sleeve tattoo and include it in later additions. Examples could be your birth month's flower or your favorite flower, vines and leaves, cloud patterns, stars, or waves. These elements can reappear throughout your sleeve and unify its other elements. Choose simple, basic colors that will resist fading and give your sleeve continuity. As you add to your sleeve over time, a unified color scheme will help it become a more intentional, cohesive work of art. Ask your tattoo artist, "Can you suggest colors that are easy to replicate in tattoos I'll add to the sleeve in the future? I want to avoid having multiple shades that might clash or seem mismatched. Which color scheme would work best for my skin tone and fade the least?" A good tattoo artist will help you design your entire sleeve, even if you don't want to get it all done at once. Bring your list of tattoo ideas, which is called a brief, to the artist, and try to be as descriptive as possible in conveying your ideas. Ask the artist to sketch some designs, and consult with them about color, spacing, unifying motifs, and other compositional elements. A good tattoo artist will take pleasure in helping you create a meaningful, unique design, so finding the right artist is vital to starting a sleeve tattoo.
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One-sentence summary --
Think of images and symbols that matter most to you. Get your sleeve done in sessions. Choose patterns or motifs that will add continuity. Go with colors that are easily duplicated for consistency. Work with a tattoo artist to design your sleeve.