Smart Pretty and Awkward

“When you are squeezed, what comes out is what is inside” — Wayne Dyer

Molly Ford — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 06:22:13 +0000

How to be Smarter: What are the odds of you being here? How to be Prettier: Wearing a top that matches your eye color is one of the quickest ways to have your eyes pop (and wearing a color the same shade as your eyes almost always guarantees someone will compliment you on them). How [...]

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway” — Unknown

Molly Ford — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:27:15 +0000

How to be Smarter: Loving, meaningful romantic relationships are not a limited-edition item. If it feels like all your friends are getting into these great relationships and you’re being left behind, remind yourself that there is not just one good relationship out there and whoever finds it first is the only one that gets it. [...]

“And this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart / I carry your heart / I carry it in my heart” — E. E. Cummings

Molly Ford — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:36:30 +0000

How to be Smarter: The smartest people don’t tell you everything at once. They tell you about half of what you need to know, and then when you ask questions for clarification, they look even smarter when they expand on their knowledge as the conversation goes on. How to be Prettier: If you are being [...]

“Never hope more than you work” — Rita Mae Brown

Molly Ford — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:28:19 +0000

How to be Smarter: Worrying and thinking are different activities. Worrying implies anxiety (“I just know I will throw up during my class presentation”), while thinking implies solution-based thoughts (“What can I write on my notecards that will calm me down?”) Sometimes when I am mulling something over, I remind myself “less worrying, more thinking.” [...]

“Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential” — Winston Churchill

Molly Ford — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:05:11 +0000

How to be Smarter: Rules of a Creator’s Life. (I especially like number six). How to be Prettier: I’m seeing a lot of orange-tangerine in springtime clothes this year; this skirt is one of my favorite pieces I’ve seen so far in the color. (Reminder: With the promo code SMARTER, you can get 30% off a [...]

“When someone dies, that strength doesn’t go away. It goes to the people who need it” — Jim Craig

Molly Ford — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:29:19 +0000

How to be Smarter: To become better at something, whether it’s a skill or a character trait, simply: 1. do it over and over and over again and 2. be open to hearing suggestions on how you could improve. Nobody ever got worse at something by practicing and asking someone trusted for feedback on their [...]

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage” — Lao Tzu

Molly Ford — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:33:08 +0000

How to be Smarter: I read this blog post about word usage a week ago, and it really touched me. How to be Prettier: If there is a beauty product you are constantly forgetting, like sunscreen or wrinkle cream, put the container next to your toothbrush (or another item on the bathroom counter you use each day). Just having [...]

“It’s odd how people waiting for you stand out far less clearly than people you are waiting for” — Jean Giraudoux

Molly Ford — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:58:26 +0000

How to be Smarter: If you always make mountains out of molehills, the only thing people will trust you to manage is molehills. How to be Prettier: I’m really trying to take shorter showers, as it dries out my skin less in the winter and is better for the environment. Getting a shower clock has been [...]

“Hey, you good ones” — Nada Surf, “Always Love”

Molly Ford — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:10:53 +0000

How to be Smarter: The problem isn’t a lack of good ideas, it’s not remembering your good ideas. I bet if for one week–maybe one day–you wrote down each and every idea that came into your head, without pre-censoring out the “bad ones,” you would have a pretty interesting list of activities to do, businesses [...]

“I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university” — Albert Einstein

Molly Ford — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 06:45:58 +0000

How to be Smarter: When moving, set aside a screwdriver to put at the top of one of the boxes. It will probably be one of the first things you need in your new house, and you don’t want to dig through a bunch of boxes to find it. How to be Prettier: If you are heading out [...]

“The friend who holds your hand and says the wrong thing is made of dearer stuff than the one who stays away” — Barbara Kingsolver

Molly Ford — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:35:32 +0000

How to be Smarter: In general, there are two reasons for why you should be doing something: either doing it brings you joy, or doing it puts you on a path that will get you closer to your final goal. If something doesn’t fulfill either of these two purposes, it might be time to stop doing it. How to [...]

“If all you can do is crawl, start crawling” — Rumi

Molly Ford — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:58:26 +0000

How to be Smarter: The best thing you can do for your own happiness level is to engage in the job that you do. Ask questions, think strategically, and befriend co-workers. These will all help you in your career path, but, perhaps more importantly, they will help you enjoy the place you spend 8 hours a day. [...]