Think of the coolest person you know.  I know this might sound childish, who thinks of people in terms of cool anymore, right?  But stay with me here… think of the most interesting person you know, someone you seem to gravitate to regardless of whether you like them or not.  What are they like?  What do they do?  What are their interests?

Chances are that they have hobbies and/or skills that somehow seem to make them infinitely cooler than you think you are.  In reality they may or may not be cooler than you, but it just seems like they are.  I’ll tell you why.

They create & express.

The most interesting people in the world, you know the ones who seem smart, skilled, educated, and just fun to be around often share two characteristics, if no others.  They create and they express.
We as humans are, in spite of our preferences, attracted to people who create things.  These things could be music, art, inventions, architecture, or a number of other things.  But the fact remains that they use the skills and assets they have and create something that did not exist before them.  And we think that’s awesome.

We also love human expression.  That’s why marketing campaigns that play on human emotion do so well.  If they can get us to feel what they express, they own us.  Think poets and song writers.  The best ones are incredibly in touch with emotion, and paint a picture that hits us in the heart.

Without getting to far into the psychology of our attraction to creation and expression, let’s cover a few hobbies you can pick up that will make you infinitely cooler than you were before.

Art

Music

Writing

Cooking

Do-It-Yourself (DIY)

Fix a leaky faucet

Build & troubleshoot a computer

Home remodeling

Build a campfire

Find great deals online

Decorating

Perfect gift giving

BBQing

Gardening

Cosmetic Application

Web Design/Development

Repurposing (finding creative new uses for old products)

Sewing (Fixing a button, patching a tear, etc)

Investing

Fitness Training

There are plenty more, but these few will definitely get you started.  Having a decent knowledge of each of these will make you the Renaissance man of your circle of friends.  And everyone loves that guy or girl.

I’m sure there are plenty of other hobbies that would make me infinitely cooler than I am now.  What are some that hobbies that you are interested in that you think make you cooler?  Leave a comment below and let us know.  I could definitely use them. =)

Here’s the deal: Hate it or love it, people will judge you by the image your project.  Your personal image will be used to determine how successful you are, or even worse, how successful you are capable of being.  That’s right, the sad truth is that if you don’t look like you could play the part of an executive, you may never get the chance, no matter how hard you work.

A projection of success is often a double-edged sword, though.  Just look at doctors.  Many of them feel the pressure to look successful even when in residency (making about 40k per year).  This causes them to go out and buy a luxury car, spend countless dollars on a top-end wardrobe, and go to and do the things that successful doctors often do.  They are “forced” to play this game for their entire lives, and many never save enough to retire.  This is not the path that I’m promoting here.  If anything, I’m exploiting this exact idea for your benefit.

If you are willing to do the work and dedicate a little time, you can project the same level of success that people who make 2-10 times as much as you have.  Of course this isn’t necessary, but if your goal is to “fake it till you make it” this will help you get there.

First off, when you think luxury car, what comes to mind?  For me it’s Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes Benz.  A Mercedes C300 starts at $33k. A BMW 328i starts at $36k.  A Lexus IS starts at $37.5k.  So it’s easy to see how it could be dangerous buying a $35k car on your entry level salary.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t own one.  Consider this: A 2003 BMW 330i with less than 50,000 miles on it is valued (by Kelly Blue Book) at $13,230.  This car probably has equivalent or better technology than the car you are currently driving, even if it costs less (a Toyota Corolla starts at $15k, and you better believe that doesn’t come with navigation or the other cool things you can get from a luxury car).

Maybe you didn’t know that you could get them that cheap, or maybe you are afraid to drive a used car.  Let me just tell you this.  My car is a BMW 328ci (2000) with 95k miles, and my fiance drives a Lexus RX300 (2002) with more than 150k miles, and both of our cars run fantastically.  Coincidentally, the car I owned previously was a Chevrolet Camaro, and though I drove it to 179k miles, it didn’t run brand new as good as my BMW now drives (with almost 100k miles).  The quality of craftsmanship that is put into these luxury cars is unbelievable, and if you are willing to sacrifice having the latest model, you can ride around in style without breaking the bank.

Next, take a look at your boss’s (or his/her boss’s) wardrobe.  Chances are your’s doesn’t compare, or if it does your wallet looks extra thin.  This doesn’t have to be that way.  I own many suits and sports coats, including an Armani coat, and the most I’ve ever spend on any 1 item was $189 (and that’s for the suit I’m getting married in).  If you are willing to stalk and hunt an item you really want, you can get it for way less than retail.  Also, if you are willing to sacrifice brand for style, you can get away with plenty of great stuff on the cheap.  My first three piece suit came from Target.  I’m a pretty lean, muscular guy, so it fit perfectly off the rack and required no alterations.  And while I can’t say it looked better than an Armani or Hugo Boss suit, I’ll tell you I get complimented EVERY SINGLE time I wear it.  Here are some of my shopping strategies that work well.  They just require you to do a little work.

• Subscribe to email notifications for the stores you shop at often.  Macy’s had an amazing sale this last weekend, and I walked out with 6 pairs of slacks, 2 belts, and a suit for less than 400 bucks.
• Use coupons and shop clearance.  At Express, I bought 3 button down shirts on sale, 3 for $29 each (usually $49.95 each).  But I also had a coupon that was spend $75, get $25 off.  So I got 3 shirts for $66 when it would usually be $150.  Not bad.
• Hit up your local Marshalls, Ross, TJ Maxx or other discount brand seller once every couple of weeks.  You’ll find great shoes, shirts, pants, ties, and belts at a fraction of their retail price.  You’ll have to do a little hunting in these stores, but a great find can save you hundreds.
• Hit up the outlet malls.  This is where I got my Armani sports coat.  It retailed $550, and I got it for a whopping $95.  Of course, I wear a 42L, which probably isn’t very popular, but it was still an awesome find.  I also recently got Banana Republic’s last seasons polos for $15 each (usually $40) because the new seasons line has 3 buttons instead of two.  I bought 6.  For that price, I’ll sacrifice the extra button.
• Don’t wait till you need it.  If you find a good deal, buy it and store it.  Even if you have to sacrifice a dinner outing this week to recoup the cost, it’s worth it rather than paying retail on the day you need it.

I guess the moral of the story is that you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to look successful.  Even when I’m established in my career, which averages between 150k-350k per year, I’ll still never buy a new luxury car.  It just doesn’t make financial sense.  Plus, it feels like a great accomplishment when I find these deals.  I’m driving a BMW for a fraction of what most people spend to drive their Toyota Camrys and Ford Tauruses.

All it takes is a little discipline (to not buy things at full price), a little time each week (to check out my usual shopping places), and patience (to wait till it costs what I’m willing to pay).

So, do you still think that it’s too expensive to project an image of success?  I don’t.

I’m the kind of guy who loves a good product that does exactly what it’s supposed to do, and does that excellently.  I don’t need frills, and it doesn’t need to be able to check my email, it just needs to do what it is intended to do.

With that in mind, I’ve been searching for a travel mug.  Here’s what I wanted from a travel mug (also these are the reasons why I could never find the perfect one… until now):

1. It should be easily carried (and used) with one hand; this includes opening it, sipping from it, and closing it

2. It should be well insulated and able to keep drinks warm or cold for at least a couple of hours

3.  It should be easy to clean and reuse

That’s it.  Sadly, I’ve tried many different brands (most more expensive than the fantastic one I finally found), and none of them were able to meet my 3 simple needs… until now.  I introduce to you, my new favorite Product that just plain works: The Contigo Autoseal Travel Mug.

This cup is sexy.  It’s simple.  It does exactly what it is supposed to, and looks great doing it.  The lid seals perfectly (you can spin it in the air and it wont leak).  The push-button sipping mechanism is easy to use with one hand and flows perfectly.  Twist off the lid when finished, rinse out the cup and run hot water through the lid and you’re ready to go again.

I tested it this morning for it’s ability to keep coffee warm.  I made a cup at around 7am, and when I took the last sip at around 10:05 am it was still really warm.  Since most cups of coffee don’t last 3 hours (I was really trying to stretch it), I’d imagine the insulation in this mug is more than enough.

So that’s it.  I’ve finally satisfied my desire for the perfect travel mug.   And here is the lowest price I could find online so that you can satisfy that need as well.  Enjoy!

Contigo 16-Ounce Double Wall Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Tumbler – $19.95

Or if you want to get one for yourself and one for a special someone else, here’s a two pack!

Contigo Double Wall Vacuum Insulated Travel Mugs in Silver and Green – 2 Pack $38.95

Do you know of a product that just plain works?  Contact me with details and share your awesome find with everyone else.  If it sounds like something we’d be into, I’ll pick one up and write a review.  And you may just help someone find the perfect product they’ve been looking for.  Click here to recommend a product that just plain works.

It’s the 200 year anniversary of Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. I have the privilege of attending the actual Oktoberfest to see what it’s all about. If anything I’m in it for the fashion, of course. It’s definitely a challenge learning how to put together Oktoberfest attire with all of the options you come across in Munich. Not only is it all authentic but Dior is also celebrating the occasion, in high style.

Within this feature I will share tips with you on how to put together an outfit for Oktoberfest, if you ever plan on attending, and I will also share pictures from the festivities in Munich.
First of all, when planning your out your attire for Oktoberfest you must find a dirndl. This is the most important piece to acquire before anything. It makes the entire outfit and will be the piece that you base everything else off of. A friend of mine let me borrow hers for the celebration, but I wanted to venture out and find my own to keep. So I started at Marienplatz. It is a center full of shops and cafes right in the heart of Munich, and is where you’ll end up finding one of a kind souvenirs, shopping, delicious bakeries – anything that you need, it’ll be there at Marienplatz. It’s easily accessible by train from your hotel, or any of the surrounding towns. Dirndls range from 35 Euro to 500 Euro. You’ve got to keep your eye out for a deal. That is not including an apron, or accessories. We find perfect lederhosen on the first day, but no dirndl. Lederhosen are what the guys wear to Oktoberfest. It’s a must to celebrate in a dirndl and lederhosen, and makes it all the more fun!

I decide to stick with the dirndl that my friend has given me to use. But I’m still not satisfied, I want to join in the fun of picking & piecing together an authentic outfit for Oktoberfest while I’m here, getting the real thing. So I try again, I decide to grab a dirndl from a shop I find in Marienplatz across from a bakery that we ate lunch at. I find a beautiful dirndl that’s gray, raw silk, and a great deal! Instead of lacing it up with ribbon I ask to buy a chain at the register, which I ended up getting for free with the purchase of a dirndl.

Instead of getting the traditional white shirt to wear underneath, I get a black one. Which in my opinion, I liked better with my dirndl. After finding that, I go to an exclusive shopping center in Munich called Ludwig Beck’s. They carry amazing brands & are advertising a lovely apron in the window. I go in to ask where it is & end up finding another apron that goes well with the fabric on the dirndl I’ve chosen.

I’m ready to celebrate with the new attire I pieced together. I’m so excited for the opening day of Oktoberfest! Perfect timing!
We go in our lederhosen and dirndl and have a blast at the 200 Oktoberfest. If you decide to attend Oktoberfest go out on a whim and piece together your own dirndl. I assure you, you will have the best time just picking it out!

If you’re debating on going, don’t hesitate! Oktoberfest is a blast and it’s so much livelier in the right attire.

Steps for piecing together a dirndl:
1. Pick your dirndl out
2. Pick a black or white shirt
3. Don’t forget your apron!

Have a lovely time at Oktoberfest! Enjoy!

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I am a horrible morning person.  I have a 35 minute (at best) drive to work, which I’m supposed to be at at 8 a.m., and I wake up at 7:20.  If you do the math, that gives me 5 minutes to be dressed and out the door.  Sure, I’ve maximized my efficiency by having a shaved hairstyle, knowing what I’m going to wear the night before, and showering before bed, but it’s still a terrible routine.

My friend, David Pierce @ Digitizd.com found ways to digitize his morning routine to ease the pain of having to get out of that warm and comfy cocoon.  I need to design something like that.  Here’s what I’m thinking:

1. wake up to the sound of something pleasant, like Kokomo by the Beach Boys
2. step out onto my balcony (to feel the weather) and stretch
3. Start a cup of tea or coffee (depending on how much of a boost I need) and a breakfast snack (toast or something)
4. Load the news on my iPad and see what’s new (I should really keep up with current events)
5. leave home and start my drive

Now all of this will probably add another 30 minutes onto my 5 minute wake-up plan I have now, but it will start a routine that will have me awake and ready by the time I get to work, rather than still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.  Plus if I get this routine down, I can even add a short 10 minute workout and really jumpstart my day.  You wouldn’t believe what a couple of push-ups, crunches, and jumping jacks can do to get the blood flowing.

So here’s my pledge.  Starting tomorrow morning I’m going to try my new routine.  I’m going to stick to it for 30 days and see what it does to my productivity.  I’ll report back in 30 days and let you know how it went.

Are there any tweaks I should make to my routine before I start?  What is your morning routine?  What do you to to start your day off right?  Leave a comment below and help me (and the TwentiesLife readers) get a grip on my mornings.  Thanks!

We all know the importance of not putting all of your eggs in one basket.  Relying on one salary or source of income can be detrimental, especially in this economy.  And besides, who couldn’t use an extra couple of hundred bucks each month.  Here are a couple of interesting ways to put some greenbacks in your wallet without relying on your day job.  Remember, it would be better to make a little money from 10 different sources than a lot from 1, because if you lost one, it wouldn’t be nearly as devastating.

Note that this isn’t passive income.  Most of these ideas require you to do real work, not just sit back and somehow get rich.  Still, many of these ideas can generate a respectable side income, and when you do more than one of them you can get a good amount of cash flowing in.

Sell Stuff:  This one’s pretty simple, and that’s why it’s first.  Look through your old stuff.  We stockpile so much stuff throughout the years, and much of it we don’t need.  Go through every room in your home.  Make a list of the things that you don’t need but could get make a couple of bucks off.  Even if you don’t think it’s worth much, other people might.  Get those textbooks, old gadgets, computers, kitchen stuff, and even your spare parts in your garage together.  Your best selling sources will be Ebay and Craigslist.

Develop Useful Skills: There are many ways to make money without requiring a full time job or getting a degree.  Here are a few that I’ve learned so far.  Web Design and development, graphic design, photomanipulation, computer maintenance, hardware and software installation, and lots of other computer stuff.  I’ve also learned how to use TurboTax effectively, and help many of my friends with their taxes.

Learn to Maintain or DIY:  There’s no easier way to save money than to learn to do things yourself.  For example, a quick tune-up on your car could cost hundreds of dollars, but many tune-ups can be done yourself, with very little expertise.  A little home maintenance could cost you thousands, but with an instruction book and a little sweat, you could do many things yourself for a fraction of the cost to contract the work.

Make Friends in Other Professions:  People love to know people who can do things that they can’t.  I have a great friend who helps me with personal finance and investing, another who’s a neuroscientist, and another who is a performance car mechanic.  Needless to say, we all have skills that we can share, collaborate on, and trade.  I’ve been refered to build websites for many friends, and most of the time by these same friends who know very little about web design.  And I’ve sent many people to them.  Do good work for a friend and they’ll be your best salesman.

Make Hobbies Into Businesses:  Who says you can’t be an accountant by day and a rock star by night?  Sure you may never go platinum, but that’s no reason not to get a band together and perform a couple of local gigs.  Many times you can find a paid gig in your area if you search enough.  The same goes for sports (give lessons to children), writing (resume writing and editing, paper writing, etc), photography, videography, quilting, scrapbooking, and practically any other hobby you’ve picked up throughout your years.  Never picked up a hobby?  Maybe todays the day!

Vending Machines:  Know of a place where a vending machine would be great?  Maybe vending machines could be your business.  I’ve known a fella who made his entire living just managing those quarter machines with gum balls and M&Ms in them.

Gardening:  First of all, let me say this: there is nothing more rewarding then building or growing something with your own hands.  Gardening is one of those things that is just fulfilling in every aspect.  Pick some of your favorite fruits and veggies and get a garden growing.  Sell your excess at your local farmers market.

Buy/Sell:  Here’s an idea that I really liked.  A friend of mine loves cars.  He loves working on them, he loves driving them, he loves detailing them, he loves it all.  He saved up a few thousand dollars and is now working to grow it.  What does he do?  He gets on Craigslist, finds a decent car that isn’t too expensive, buys it, and cleans it up.  He details it, does a few maintenance things, drives it for a couple of days, and then lists it right back on Craigslist.  He tells me he’s never sold a car for a loss.  Not bad if you ask me.

Freelance Your Job Skills:  Unless you’ve been made to sign some sort of waiver saying that you will not use your job skills outside of your job, this one is a no brainer.  If you are an accountant, I see no reason why you should not be using those skills outside of your job, even if only to make some pocket change on the side.  Mechanics do it, web designers do it, and you can do it too.

Teaching/Tutoring/Mentoring:  You have knowledge that other people want.  We all know something worth knowing.  And beyond the financial factor, teaching is one of the most rewarding things you can do.  Whatever is in your brain can be used to make money.  Figure out what you’re good at, and offer to do it for a small fee. Craigslist is great for this too.

So there you have it… 10 simple ways to fatten your wallet.  And you don’t even have to learn much or sacrifice much to start these.  Just work with what you have.  Imagine if you only did 3 of these per month and each could only provide you with $100 per month.  Is $300 per month for doing the things you already know how to do not worth it?  For this recent college graduate who’s just gotten his first full time salary job, it definitely is.

I’ll take that to the bank!

We, TwentiesLife readers, are a people committed to improvement. We spend time evaluating ourselves, identifying and improving our weaknesses, building up and using our skillful strengths for good, and trying our best to be honorable people. Our hope is that with each passing day we are better people than the day before.

And that is a fine type of person to be. We are truly the people who will make tomorrows world a better place. Sadly, though, as a younger, more modern, more connected generation (than those before us), we spend a lot of time “online” and less time “involved.” This lack of involvement could become a detriment to all that we hope for in our world.

You see, it has been brought to my attention that while we hold ideals that if shared by the rest of the world would be fantastic, our generation is becoming like those before us, content with our small successes and complacent within our societies. And this would be fine if we lived in perfect societies. Sadly though, this is not the case.

We live in a world where bad things happen around us all the time. We live in a world where people sometimes just can’t catch a break. We live in a world that, should we assume responsibility for, could look very different in the years to come. It is up to us to decide what that world should look like. It is up to us to do the work to make it the world we envision.

If I asked you how the Health care bill will affect you in the years to come, could you explain it to me? If I asked you exactly how we elect a president, including the logistics of the electoral college, etc., would you be able to tell me? If I asked you who your governor/mayor/congressman was, would you know the names?

Our generation is one of dreamers, and the things we dream of are much greater than anything the generations before us could have imagined. We have ideals that would make this world a wonderful place to live in. The question I place before you is this: Do you know how to turn that dream into a reality?

To become an upstanding citizen is quite simple in theory, but a bit more difficult in practice. Here are a few areas that we can work on to become model citizens.

Be a better person. A good citizen starts with a good person. He/she is humble, honest, responsible, cares about his fellow man, believes in his system, obeys the laws and rules, is kind to others, listens to others, helps those around them, gives back to their communities,

1. Learn how your local political system is set up. Meet your mayor. Go to a city council meeting. Learn the process. If you don’t know how the system works, you can’t effectively make changes, right? Once you have a good idea of how the wheels turn, learn about the issues that matter most in your community. Only then can you cast an effective vote towards something that will make a real difference.
2. Get Involved. Get out there and develop a sense of community, or join in on the community all around you. Greet your postal carrier, meet your local librarians, introduce yourself to your congressman. Develop working relationships with the people around you. When the time comes that you need to call upon them, or them on you, it will be useful to already have built a rapport.
3. Volunteer. With the economy in a lull, unemployment at a low, and all the other terrible things going on in the world, many people have become much more internalized. Less and less people are thinking about their hungry neighbor, the orphans in their communities, or all the other people struggling. Take a vested interest in your community and do whatever you can to build it up. Volunteer at your local schools, hospitals, nursing homes, museums, zoos, soup kitchens, meals on wheels, big brother/big sister, habitat for humanity, or even your church or cleaning up your parks. You already know how rewarding it is to help someone else, so you don’t need me to convince you.
4. Be Kind to Your Environment. Leave everywhere you go in better shape than it was when you got there. Consider this (it may be oversimplified, but it works): If each of us picked up after ourselves and each other, our communities could hire less groundskeepers for our local parks, schools, etc, and those salaries could go places where it is much more needed.
5. finally, and most importantly, be grateful. You live in a society where your voice matters, where your actions make a real difference. Most of us don’t truly understand that statement, so it’s worth repeating. Your actions make a real difference. The choices you make, the things you choose to spend your time doing, can have a significant effect on many people around you. There are so many people in the world who live in places where their voice means nothing, their actions are of little consequence to anyone. There is nothing they can do to better their situation. They don’t have the opportunities allotted to you and I, and they can’t pull themselves up. But we are in a position where we have the freedom to do and be just about anything we want. And when you truly understand the tremendous amount of value that such freedom entails, you start to understand just how important it is to exercise your voice. All of the work required to be a good citizen is nothing when you consider what little you did to deserve the amount of power that comes along with it.

You and I have the power to be heroes in our parts of the world. We can make real difference through action and example. President Barack Obama inspired the world with his presidential campaign, showing us that we too can make the difference. It’s time for us to do our part.

So what will you do?

Our lifestyle has become one of hardcore consumerism.  But let’s face it: that’s a lifestyle that leads to unhappiness and failure.  Unless we are to be of the top 3% or so, we’ll never have all of the things we want.  If we don’t find balance, or at least a few good ways to upgrade and increase our life enjoyment without having to spend a fortune, we may find ourselves in hard times in this economy.

But don’t fret.  It’s not really the new Apple iPhone that makes you happy.  It’s just the satisfaction of getting something that you want.  Realign your wants to be happiness and enjoyment (instead of just the retail products that are on TV today), and you’ll surely find success.  Here are a few ways:

Learn a new game

Have you ever played Mancala?  How about Chess?  Tennis?  Volleyball?  There’s nothing like learning a new game to really work your brain (and body) and really pump up the endorphins (happy feeling brain chemicals).  Obviously you aren’t confined to my ideas.  There are millions of games out there played by billions of people across the world.  Pick one and learn it.  For extra enjoyment bring a friend!

Pickup a new hobby

Now I’ll admit, most hobbies do cost some amount of money.  But buying your first guitar and buying a new iPhone are two very different purchases.  And if your new hobby is knitting (not just for old ladies anymore!), it won’t cost you much to get started.  When we learn new hobbies our brains build connections quickly like when we were children learning things for the first time.  This promotes good mental health and is super fun!

Experience another culture

This one is as easy as picking up a new cookbook (from the library) or having dinner at a friend’s house.  Learning about a new culture by experiencing it is a wonderfully enjoyable way to learn.  Taste the foods, hear the music, listen to the language.  Talk to the elders, observe the dress, learn the traditions.  Our lack of experience and knowledge of other cultures in America has led to our ignorance.  Don’t let our generation repeat the mistakes of the previous.

Volunteer

I know you’ve probably heard this one before, and I bet you’ll hear it again.  But let’s not wait till next time to do something.  Volunteering your time and energy is one of the most compassionate things you can do for your fellow man.  And you’ll benefit from it too.  People who volunteer aren’t just the most compassionate.  They are also the most content, the happiest.  People who spend all of their time thinking about themselves often find that there is no happiness at the top if you haven’t brought others up with you.  But those same people would have been content at the bottom if they were in good company.

Submerge into a story

I’m sure I can’t be the only twenty something that’s done this.  When you get your head into a good fictional story, your mind can really take you anywhere.  Through books I’ve seen London, Paris, New Orleans, a vampire underworld, the future, and a whole lot more.  Can Jersey Shore really compare?

Reconsider your relationships

Relationships can be the best part of your life, but they can also be the worst.  When we grew up, we learned to choose friends based on proximity.  Later we learned to build relationships based on common interest.  But now it’s time to learn again.  Now you must learn to choose and develop your relationships with a conscious mind.  You need to choose your friends wisely, and you need to build those relationships into something great.  Your friends don’t need to have a common hobby or live close to you.  They need only to share your newly found zest for a wonderful life.

Forgive

So you’ve been holding bitterness and resentment for years.  Sometimes you don’t even remember why you’re angry.  But you are passionate and you won’t just let it go.

I feel sorry for people trapped in that kind of mentality.  It’s poison.  How can you attract success and happiness in your life when you have room for that kind of poison in it as well?  Learn to forgive, to reconcile, and to let your pettiness go, and you’ll find that your world will instantly seem brighter.  Forgive not for your enemy or friend, forgive for yourself, so that you may find an inner happiness greater than the pettiness that it shall replace.

Find nature

This means something different to all of us.  For some it’s a walk in the park (literally).  For others it’s a weekend camping trip.  For others it’s a month long retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily life.  Whatever it takes, reconnect with nature.  Watch the trees and sense their calmness.  Nature has been here for millions (or thousands if that’s what you believe…) of years, and it will be here once we’re gone.  It sustains not only our own lives, but the lives of every other creature on earth.  We move quickly, work hard, and pursue all sorts of things, while nature just is.  There is a sense of calmness in taking time out of your life to reconnect with that sort of existence.  You should do it often.

Express your emotions

Nothing feels better than expressing yourself.  It’s something innate in us.  But for some reason, we learn to repress it.  For instance, when is the last time you gave your mom or dad a hug?  When’s the last time you told your brother or sister how much you love them?  When is the last time you smiled at a stranger, simply because you wanted them to feel your happiness.  You’ll find that when you get better at expressing yourself, all other aspects of your life get better as well.

Redefine Happiness

All of these examples are ways to help you redefine what happiness really is to you.  Believe me, happiness is not in your next purchase, it’s in your next experience.  At the end of your life, are you going to want to have stockpiled the largest list of retail products, or will you want to have the greatest list of stories to tell.  I don’t know about you, but I want to be the old guy that amazes the next generation with my experiences, even if I don’t have a dollar in the bank.

Life is all about getting what you want from it.  And as we can see Americans are an amazingly efficient group of people when it comes to getting what we want.  If we define what we want, and constantly remind ourselves of it, it wont be long until we surround ourselves with others who want the same thing, and work every day towards achieving it (rather than the next big screen TV).  Trust me, redefine your happiness and you’ll never look at your retail-queen friend with envy again.

Hello readers of TwentiesLife! Stefan here, from StudySuccessful.com. I am Dutch. No I am not from Amsterdam, I’m from another place in the Netherlands, you probably only know Amsterdam because of the Red Light District and smoking marijuana.. I don’t blame you, we have some crazy rules here in our little country, but you know what, I am standing behind them, all of them.

Dutch rules on taboo topics
In The Netherlands a lot of things are legal which are illegal in almost every other country in the world, why is that? Are we just a bunch of pot-smoking douchebags who like to go to the red light district? Or are we one of the most progressive state in the world? I think the last one. I will discuss several topics, which are legal here and illegal over there (which is around every other country in the world). This will be: smoking weed, prostitution and abortion. Quick note: I am an atheist, I think you should know that. Put your clog on, check if the windmill is still turning and get a piece of cheese, you are about to experience Dutch knowledge.

Smoking weed
What is America doing at this point, marijuana is illegal (except the ‘medical use‘) and there is a big ‘War on drugs’ thing going on. But how is it possible that I still see a lot of green sticks at a tv show like Entourage? How is it possible that if there is put in that much money, the drug use still didn’t stop or even decrease? And why is it still one of the biggest problems America face? I believe that is because prohibition is never an answer. In the early 1920′s they’ve tried the same thing with booze and the mafia has grown big because of the bootlegging. Drug mafia is nowadays one of the richest crime sectors in the world and that is because everything is illegal. Prohibition does not takes away the curiosity of experiencing something like smoking weed, nor it is taking away the need. It is only a way to force people to sneak around to smoke something, instead of buying it at a place where you can actually control it.

If somebody who has never been on the earth before is coming to the earth and he has to divide the different ‘drugs’ that exist into ‘hard drugs’ and ‘soft drugs’ (as we know it nowadays), alcohol will definitely be on the hard drug side. But that is legal and something which is not even that bad for you (weed) is illegal.

So here we got my point. I think that if you are legalizing something like soft drugs, you are getting control of it. By legalizing it, there isn’t a big underground scene which is providing marijuana, no street sellers who sell their stuff to young kids. We have ‘coffee shops‘ where you can buy what you want, a place which is controlled in the end by the government, where there is control of the customer, of the addicted. The stuff they are selling is of good quality, no crap added, so stuff that is not that bad for you.

Controlling is better than a big expensive offensive, in my eyes at least. Of course, we (the Dutch) are also against hard drugs, as they are really, really bad for you. But fighting something which you can never win, is probably not a good idea, especially when the need isn’t that big. If you can control the use and the quality of marijuana, it is better to legalize.

Prostitution
This taboo is a tough one. You will never see scenes where women in really short skirts are on the side of the road looking for potential customers in the Netherlands. Over here, prostitution is actually legal. There are houses where you can go for your needs. A good thing? I think so.

Here is the same with the legalization of soft drugs. This is a problem which can cause a lot of trouble and it is hard to prevent these kind of crimes. But now it is about people. If prostitution is illegal, there is a lot of underground work. There will be a need of big organization who will control where is who. There will be different levels of pimps, controlling women who are paid for sex. And that can’t be a good thing, fur-wearing men who are controlling women who have to have sex, right? That is why it is legalized in the Netherlands. I have to be honest here, there are problems every once in a while. Sometimes it turns out that there are under-aged girls who are put out there, but at least we have an idea about the size of the problem. We know what is going on, where. If something isn’t right, the human rights are coming in, houses will be closed and the government will take care of the girls. Ban the oldest profession in the world will be impossible, controlling it won’t.

Abortion
Abortion means ending the life of an unborn child. Ending your pregnancy before it should end. And yes, this is legal in the Netherlands.

There are a lot of rules about this though. You can’t just go to the doctor to get it removed without consultations and time to think. Women who go to the doctor with this request will be forced to think about it.

Why I think this should be illegal is not the everyday arguments you hear all the time. Not about ‘what if it is a rape’ or ‘what if the girl is way too young?’ I think we shouldn’t think about the mom, God or anybody, but we should think about the baby. What is best for the unborn child? What is happening here is a problem of timing. It is not the time for the baby to be there yet. If the mother doesn’t want the baby, if she is not ready, if the father is a rapist who impregnated the mother, this is just not the time for the baby to be there. Selfish? No, not at all. Because if abortion wouldn’t be possible, if the baby will come anyway, there will be nothing but problems. The mother will love the baby anyway, for sure. But what are the future plans? If this woman just could have finished her major, if she is with a father which makes her happy, the future chances of the baby are way bigger than ever before. The baby will have everything he needs, including a loving mother and a loving father. Without abortion? He also has a chance of a good life, but I think a slighter chance.

Is abortion murder? Am I able to just murder an unborn child in order to greater his chance of a good life? No. I don’t think it is murder as the fetus isn’t viable yet. It doesn’t have a mind yet, it isn’t a human being yet.

Concluding thoughts

Well, these opinions are mine. These opinions are shared by a great part of the Dutch population, we think that taboo topics aren’t topics we should forget. These topics are important and while we have these rules, there is a lot of talking about these rules. Are these rules the right ones? Shouldn’t we change the rules? The answer is always no. This country is a country of possibilities, of freedom to choose. What do you think about the Dutch rules? Are we insane? Are we out of our mind? Or are we actually progressive in a way a lot of countries will follow, eventually? Let me know in the comments!

This is a guest post by the Dutch Stefan Knapen who runs the blog StudySuccessful.com, a blog full of study hacks and personal development tips.