Q: Success is contagious. Make friends with people you admire. Join teams with people who have achieved things you want to achieve. If you meet someone whose success you admire, or are jealous of, swallow your jealousy and welcome their company. It may be tempting to hang out with people who make you look good, but you'll lose sight of your goals if the bar is set low everywhere you look. Besides, you'll enjoy your friendship more with people you truly admire. Compete with yourself as well as with others. When you have achieved a goal, set your next goal higher. For instance, if you got all A's and B's one semester, set the goal to get all A's the semester that follows. Take time to celebrate each goal as you achieve it, but avoid complacency. If you notice yourself feeling jealous or unsuccessful, that's a sign that you're ready to set a new goal. Identify the cause of the negative feeling, and set a goal that will catapult you beyond it. For instance, if you are jealous of your neighbor's new car, set goals for earning or saving more money so that you can buy a car you like. You may end up changing your mind about the car once you have achieved your goal. The satisfaction you get from setting a goal and achieving it will be greater than any satisfaction you can get from showing up someone else.
A: Surround yourself with winners. Outdo yourself. Turn negative feelings into motivation.

Q: You can either boil the water in the microwave or use a kettle on the stovetop. If you use the microwave, it'll take about 2-3 minutes, but check it before putting it into the pitcher to make sure it's hot enough to steep tea in. If the water is boiling or steaming, it is hot enough. If you want to use a temperature gauge, aim for about 180 to 200F (82 to 93C). The ice helps cool the tea down quickly, and it'll also double your recipe once it has melted. About 2-3 hours in the fridge should be long enough to cool it down, but go ahead and serve the tea over additional ice if it's still a little warm. Try subbing out half of the ice for frozen berries instead. You can keep leftover iced tea in the fridge for 4-5 days. Just make sure to cover the top with a lid or plastic wrap so bugs can't get into it.
A: Boil 4 cups (950mL) of water and pour them into a heatproof pitcher. Add 4 cups (950mL) of ice and refrigerate the tea until it gets cool. Garnish a glass with 1-2 slices of lemon, pour the tea, and enjoy!

Q: All of the chemical products used to treat poplar can be hazardous, so you should always wear rubber gloves and a respirator. Also wear the respirator while sanding to avoid breathing in wood particles. Ventilate your workspace by keeping an air current flowing through it. To ventilate the area, open any nearby doors or windows. You can also make use of fans or work outside. You can purchase a respirator at most general stores and hardware stores. Rub the coarse-grit sandpaper over all the areas you wish to stain. The sandpaper roughs up the wood, which allows the staining products to sink further into the grain. Always wipe along the grain. Look closely at the wood to see which direction its particles are oriented towards. The grain looks like lines in the wood. After roughing up the wood, even it out with a finer grit sandpaper. Go back over all the areas you sanded earlier. Blow the wood shavings off the poplar when you're finished. Make sure the wood looks and feels even before you attempt to stain it.
A:
Wear protective clothing and work in a well-ventilated area. Abrade the poplar with 80-grit sandpaper. Smooth out the wood with 180 to 220-grit sandpaper.