When you think about your past, you may not remember shyness being something that has benefited you. It's likely you remember it keeping you from that guy or girl you liked or the dream job you could have had if you just approached the CEO. While it's your natural tendency to think about the negative results of your shyness, you can change your thinking to come up with positives that came out of being shy. You probably can list many of the negatives of being shy, but switch gears. Think of all the ways you've been able to benefit from being shy. Sometimes shyness allows you to listen to others more closely. Shyness gives you time to take in information about your surrounding such as body language. Realize that even though you are shy, that you have a deep and rich inner life and inner dialogue. Maybe you've been able to catch what people are really saying when they speak because you are listening more than talking. You may have a tendency to analyze situations, so you know what you are getting into before you make a move. People might like that you don't take over conversations, but instead allow them to vent about their life without disruptions. There's a chance you enjoy being by yourself because it's comfortable to you. A journal will help you jot down situations in which shyness has helped you. This will help you as you're journaling and later on when you read back through your entries. You can always go back to see how you've benefited, especially when you're feeling as though your shyness is interfering in your life. You might want to write down how your shyness has helped you in your career. Shyness can help with your love life as well. Watch for ways it does and jot them down. Don't forget how your shyness helps you concentrate on yourself, so you can figure out what you really want in life. Write down challenges you have faced because of your shyness and how you overcame them. This can help you next time you face similar struggles.

Summary: Think about your past. Make a list. Keep a journal.

For short haired cats, invest in a Zoom Groom type tool or a rubber hand mitt. The Zoom Groom is designed to mimic the motion of a cat being licked by another and cats find this very pleasant and indulgent. The Zoom Groom is a rubber grooming tool that draws out shed hair from the coat by gentle friction, much as a tongue pulls out the dead hair. Many cats will purr ecstatically while they have a Zoom Groom spa treatment and this is a great way to keep a short-haired cat's coat from becoming knotted. It also has the advantage that the grooming tool is soft and so there are not hard metal teeth to catch against sore joints and hurt the older arthritic cat. Start using one in kittenhood and not only will the cat look forward to his or her daily grooming sessions but it will have a luxuriously glossy coat to boot. Invest in a well-made cat rake and long-tooth comb to properly help prevent matting. Rakes have short, sturdy bristles that are usually made of metal and are good for brushing dense, long hair. Long-tooth combs allow you to comb deep into your long-haired cat's fur and comb through small mats before they get too large. Both items can be found in pet and retail stores. Use the comb first, gently combing through the coat much as you would comb through your hair to tease out any tangles. Grip the knot between finger and thumb and work above your fingers so that you are not tugging on the skin. Start at the top of the knot (the end furthest from the skin) and gently separate the knot until it begins to part. Then work down a little deeper. Sometimes it is helpful to use your fingertips rather than the comb, to open up the mat. Keep working gently until the tangle is removed and you can comb through. By grooming your cat every day you catch mats in the early stages, while they can still be untangled. Begin a regular brushing routine on your long-hair cat's coat before mats occur. Work with your long-hair or short-hair cat daily so he or she gets used to being brushed. If you get your cat as a kitten, start when he or she is young. Run the rake deeply but gently in the underlying fur, called the undercoat ,where mats begin as tangles. Rakes penetrate down to the under coat and reach deeper than a Zoom Groom or rubber mit. The rake helps to remove shed fur from the soft undercoat, which is often where tangles start to develop.

Summary: Use the correct tools to groom a short-haired cat. Use the correct tools to groom a long-haired cat. Groom your cat routinely. Be sure to comb the undercoat as well as the top coat.

Start off by drawing a warm bath. Have the person suffering from the fever get in and relax while the warm temperature of the water slowly drops. Because the temperature of the water drops slowly, the person cools down slowly as well. You don't want the water too cool because you don't want to drop the body temperature too fast. This method works best overnight. Take a pair of pure cotton socks long enough to cover the ankles and thoroughly wet the socks in cold running water. Wring out all excess water and put the socks on. Cover these cotton socks with pure wool socks to supply insulation. The person wearing the socks should rest in bed for the rest of the night. They should be covered with a blanket as well. Most kids will be pretty cooperative because they should begin to feel cooler within a few minutes. This treatment is a traditional naturopathic approach. The theory is that the cold feet stimulate an increase in circulation and an increased response from the immune system. The result is that the body expends heat and ends up drying the socks and cooling the body. This treatment can relieve chest congestion as well. Take one or two hand towels and fold lengthwise. Soak the towels in either very cold or ice water. Wring out the excess water and wrap the towel around the head, around the neck, around the ankles or around the wrists. Don't use the towels over more than two areas-- that is, use the towel around the head and the ankles or around the neck and wrists. Otherwise, you may cool down TOO much. The cool or cold towels draw heat out of the body and can lower the body temperature. Repeat when the towel is dry or not cool enough anymore to give relief. This can be repeated as often as needed.

Summary: Take a warm or lukewarm bath. Do a wet sock treatment. Use a wet towel treatment.

Measure the length of the section of wall you're covering with siding. Then, subtract that amount from the length of the piece of siding you're going to cut. The total you get is how much you'll need to cut off the siding. For example, if the section of wall you're covering is 5 feet (1.5m) long, and the piece of siding is 9.5 feet (2.9m) long, you'll need to cut off 4.5 feet (1.4m) from the siding so it fits on the wall. Use a carpenter's square to draw the line straight. Make the line as dark as possible so it's visible when you're cutting it. If you're cutting dark vinyl siding, use chalk or light-colored tape to mark the line you want to cut. Grip it near the line you marked so the siding doesn't shift as you're cutting it. As you're cutting the siding, avoid closing the blades on the tin snips all the way so you get a cleaner cut. Keep cutting until you get all the way across the vinyl siding. Wear safety goggles while you're cutting the siding. Use the piece you just cut to see where you need to mark the lines on the other pieces. Lay it on top of another piece of siding and trace the cut edge onto the other piece.
Summary: Use measuring tape to measure how much siding you need to cut off. Mark the line you want to cut on the siding with a pencil. Hold the siding steady with your non-dominant hand. Cut along the marked line using tin snips. Repeat on the rest of the vinyl siding.