By spending some time identifying your natural strengths and talents, you can start to feel better about yourself overall, and you'll also be able to find ways to start making connections with other people who have the same interests. If you've determined that you are gifted musically, for example, you can begin to think of ways that you can meet other people in a music-oriented setting. If you're not so great at athletics, then deciding to meet other people by joining a soccer club could be a bit too challenging at first. Not only will you have to deal with your anxiety about talking to new people, you'll also be nervous or awkward about performing physically. Now that you're starting to feel more comfortable being around people and have thought about your interests and talents, it's time to step it up and look for ways to find longer lasting friendships. If you love to read, for example, consider joining a local book club. You can ease into it, and may not have to talk much at the first couple of visits, but know that you'll be surrounded by people who have the same interests as you and who want to hear what you have to say. If athletics are your thing, look for advertisements for running clubs or intramural sports teams, or join a local gym and sign up for a group class. After a couple of sessions, you'll recognize familiar faces, and you'll know that you have something in common to talk about. If you don't have time in your schedule for regular meetings, you may still be able to connect with other people by going to concerts, readings, plays, or talks in your area. People often linger around after these events, or you may start to recognize familiar faces after you go to a few concerts, for example, in which case you could have an in for a conversation and maybe a new friendship. Yet another great way to meet people is to identify causes you care about and volunteer for them. For example, you can work to build homes for the needy, read to the elderly in nursing homes, or work for a political campaign. After you've gone to a few club meetings, concerts, or volunteer sessions, and have a few conversations under your belt, challenge yourself to take the initiative and invite someone else to do something with you. For example, if you joined a running club and chatted with Sam a few times, you could let him know about a 5K you were thinking of running next week. Ask him if he'd like to sign up to run it together. Or perhaps you've gone to book club a few times and learned about a famous author's visit to the local college campus next week. Invite the other members of the club to go to the reading with you, and suggest that you all go out to coffee afterwards. If you're a true loner at heart, it can be easy for you to be tempted by the call of your couch and your Netflix queue and find excuses to cancel your plans. Try to find ways to make it harder for you to cancel your plans; if others are depending upon you, you'll be less likely to find excuses to be anti-social. For example, if you told your coworkers that you'll go out for dinner on Friday, you might be thinking about being "sick" come 6pm. If, however, you had agreed to pick up your colleague and drive her to the restaurant, it will be much harder for you to bow out and spend the night alone. Even though you may feel really unhappy being alone and are starting to get desperate for friends, it's important that you choose to spend time with people who will treat you well. You don't have to follow through on a relationship that is not fulfilling, that makes you feel bad about yourself, or which is abusive just for the sake of being more social. If after time you find that it is still really difficult for you to break out of your shell, or if the thought of being around other people or in crowds makes you feel nauseated or panicky, you may suffer from some degree of anxiety disorder. If this is the case, you will benefit tremendously from seeking professional help from either your physician or a mental health care professional.Together, you can help identify the cause of your anxiety, and work on a treatment plan, which may include therapy, medication or a combination of both.

Summary: Identify and explore your talents. Join clubs or groups which are centered on your interests. Go to events. Volunteer. Extend invitations to other people. Make it hard for you to cancel or make excuses. Be selective. Learn about social anxiety.

Make sure you're not giving away loose change, jewelry, or keys along with your clothing! It could be very difficult for donation centers to get these items back to you. Be sure you're not donating dirty or smelly clothes. Use an unscented detergent to avoid triggering anyone's sensitivities. Fold the clothes before you get them ready for transport. If you're donating items that need to be dry-cleaned, do this before you donate as well. Baby clothes and accessories need an especially good cleaning, but be sure to use detergents that are safe for babies' skin. Some donation centers will ask you to put all your clothes on hangers. Others might want them neatly folded, and don't want you to give them any hangers. Go online or call to make sure you're sticking with the guidelines for the donation center you've picked. Leaving sharp pins or staples in clothes could injure the people sorting them at the donation center. Unless safety pins are part of the item (like a pair of distressed jeans), remove these as well. If you've never worn the item, you can (and probably should) leave the tag on. Use a large cardboard box, plastic bin, or heavy-duty trash bag. Once you've filled it halfway, test to make sure you can still lift it. Keep filling it up until it's full or just at your lifting limit. If you want your plastic bins back, you may want to stick with cardboard boxes and bags. Especially if the center is busy, they may not have time to immediately empty bins and give them back to you. In the United States, you can receive a tax deduction for charitable donations, which could slightly reduce your taxable income. Itemize your clothing donation and estimate the "fair market value" of each piece. This means you'll need to determine about how much you could have sold the clothing for. In order to qualify for deduction, your charitable organization needs to be legitimate. Read the IRS's publication on rules for donation to check the requirements for donation centers: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf. Ask the donation center for a receipt each time you donate to keep in your records in case of an audit. Most countries around the world have options for deduction in their tax codes. Contact your local government officials to find out the specific rules for your nation. Goodwill provides a handy value guide that may help you itemize your clothing. You can find it here: http://www.amazinggoodwill.com/hubfs/docs/Donation_Value_Guide_-100115.pdf.

Summary: Check the pockets for loose items. Launder any clothes you plan to donate. Check on your donation center's rules. Do not leave pins or staples in clothing. Pick a large box or bag to transport the clothing. Know the requirements for getting tax deductions.

Trailing varieties of Lantana are pretty robust and will tolerate drought but do need plenty of light. They will tolerate a small amount of shade for some of the day but you'll see them grow leggy (with long stems rather than compact bushy growth) and produce fewer blooms if they aren't getting enough sun and water. You can encourage bushy growth to make good ground cover by pinching the plant back. To do this, remove the stem tips just above where each stem branches into two stems. This will encourage more side branches to form. Although Trailing Lantana tolerates drought, it will bloom better if it doesn't get too dry. Water once or twice a week during dry periods. Removing spent flowers will encourage new ones to form so don't be shy about trimming the bush during the growing season. You should try to trim just above a leaf set. Every few years the Trailing Lantana may get a little too woody and overgrown. A vigorous prune to within a foot of the base will usually rejuvenate the plant. Do this over the dormant season in winter or early spring.
Summary: Give your trailing Lantana lots of light. Don't let your trailing Lantana get too dry. Trim your Lantana. Prune your Trailing Lantana.