Feeling confident is not always easy but can be vital to a successful outcome in stressful situations such as job interviews, first dates and auditions. Sure, the best way to look confident is to actually be confident, but “being confident” is much easier said than done when you are up against many candidates for the same job. Since you only get one chance to make a good first impression, it is often important to know the techniques to come across as confident. These techniques and habits are not only advantageous in critical situations, but can actually help you to feel more confident as you practice them.

Appearing confident starts with posture. Body language is the the first thing people read about you and an open body language helps both partners in communication feel more engaged. Sit our stand tall. Keep your shoulders back and down. A hunched position exudes insecurity or fear. Open your body language to receive the person you are coming into contact with. Keep your arms or legs uncrossed. Crossing your limbs indicates that you are unwilling to share or receive information. Leaning back or to the side can signal to other parties that you are not interested in what they have to say. If you are interested, smile. Smiling is the fasted way to give another person a good feeling and to receive a good feeling in return. There is a reason that the smilie emoticon was invented for text chat. We respond quickly and naturally to the smile. A person who can easily smile through a difficult question or situation exudes confidence like no other.

The number one reason for stage fright is lack of preparation. Go into every situation ready. If you are auditioning, know your piece very well. If you are interviewing, practice with someone else before you go in. Know the information you wish to share and be ready for as many questions as you can. If you are going on a date, do not try to answer in a way that you think the person wants to hear. Instead, be yourself and be honest. This has the advantage of weeding out the people who you might be incompatible with. Your date may not respond to you, but if that is the case it is actually good. You have saved yourself the trouble of finding out that information at a later time. Remember that you deserve a mutually beneficial relationship.

If an opportunity arises to show your abilities, take it. However, be humble when you receive praise. You have talents or abilities that are unique to you. Explore these and find opportunities to share them as often as possible. You have value, so show it off. Be careful however not to peacock around too much because this can actually show insecurity rather than confidence.

Maintain eye contact. There is nothing that shows insecurities like looking away or at other things during a meeting. If you are with one person, establish eye contact early and maintain it. You can use your eyes to charm and connect with another person if you just have a few simple guidelines. Most psychologists say that the inability to maintain eye contact is often received as an intent to deceive. An insecurity may not actually be an intent to lie to someone else, but it is how you will be perceived if you do not meet someone else’s eyes and keep them.

Most cultures around the world equate honesty with the ability to converse while maintaining open eye contact. In the animal kingdom, the act of looking away is interpreted as the act of submission. It is a natural defense mechanism. When you engage another this way, you are saying that you are not afraid and you accept them. If you have nothing to hide, keep those eyes on the person you are with and you will be rewarded. Most people focus on one eye or another; dominant eye to dominant eye. However, if you find yourself looking from one eye to the other, focus on the space between both eyes and you will give a better impression.

If you are addressing a group, pick out the friendliest faces in the crowd and meet them with your eyes. Most of these people will be nodding along with what you have to say. Use them as your base, but don’t neglect the others. Meet everyone’s eyes but continue to come back to the friendliest of the group.

Be sincere. There is nothing to gain from making false statements or not being honest. You can’t fake credibility and people respond best to sincerity and genuine interest. You have a lot to offer, so there is no reason to lie about it. Most people fudge a little on their resume, but if you fudge a lot it is going to show. After all, consider who you enjoy speaking with. Who are you going to trust?

Approach everything as an opportunity to learn. When we dwell on our failures, we fail to give ourselves the ability to gain valuable insight from them. If you botch an interview or a date, it is fine. Everyone does. The people who choose to learn from their mistakes are the ones that have the most success. The more you put yourself out there, the more confident you will become.

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Science can’t always explain human ailments and illnesses, and even more often it cannot explain human behavior. Some of the world’s strangest people are those who have done extraordinary things, and other are those who are medical marvels. Some of the most baffling medical conditions and new technologies lead us to believe that there is much in the medical world that we just don’t understand.

It is important to take a deeper look into these incredible people and the situations they have had to go through to get them where they are today.

1- The Girl who doesn’t age

One of the most astonishing stories is about Brooke Greenberg, the girl who doesn’t age. This 16 year old is barely larger than a toddler and still exhibits the same physical characteristics as a normal 16-month-old girl. However, Brooke’s condition is completely baffling to the medical community. Brooke’s aging inconsistencies and lack of brain development has made her stay a toddler for 16 years, however she has never been diagnosed with any genetic diseases or chromosomal abnormalities which would help to explain her condition.

Brooke’s condition has been evaluated by numerous doctors with no greater understanding for her health state. Some doctors explain that Brooke’s body has not yet aged past 8 years old, and her body as whole is not aging as a coordinated unit. They go on to explain how her body is somewhat disconnected, with different parts aging at different rates which may help to explain her lack of normal growth. Brooke is able to recognize sounds, but at the age of 16 still cannot speak.

Brooke’s lack of aging has given some hope for a “fountain of youth”, but does Brooke really hold the secret to everlasting youth? Scientists and doctors alike are still mystified by her condition. Time may be the only factor that can tell whether Brooke will start aging normally, or if she is to forever be an adult trapped in a child’s body and mind.

2- Non-Stop Hiccups for 15 months!

Another case of bizarre medical enigmas is the case of Christopher Sands. Have you ever had such a bad case of hiccups that traditional remedies such as a glass of water or holding your breath won’t cure it? Well, Christopher has been suffering hiccups for more than two years.

How does this happen? Medical science is still baffled. Christopher states that he’ll go into 14 hours of hiccupping nonstop, or he’ll not be hiccupping but always on the verge of starting a new attack. His hiccups keep Sands from sleeping and eating and performing many other normal activities. He’s tried countless home remedies trying to battle his hiccups with no success. These remedies have included hypnosis, yoga, and herbal medications, all of which never cured his hiccupping problem.

Doctors claim that hiccupping is normally a problem with the diaphragm, but Christopher’s diaphragm showed no cause of his frequent hiccupping. Mr. Sands is still searching for solutions to his chronic hiccupping and is stated to soon be traveling across America looking for the cure.

3- “The Iceman”

The next case of strange people showcases Mr. Wim Hof, a man who never gets cold. Mr. Hof holds the Guinness world record for immersing himself in ice for over an hour. This strange trait has allowed him to run a marathon in the Arctic Circle in his bare feet and dive under ice at the North Pole.

Now Hof has scaled Mount Everest in his shorts, withstanding extremely frigid temperatures without the protection of cold-weather clothing. Hof states he started his fascination with withstanding very cold temperatures many years ago by trying to swim in icy water. He enjoyed it so much that he did it every day.

Scientists predict that Hof can merely control his reaction to the cold and uses this control to withstand temperatures most other humans cannot. Whatever the cause, Hof is certainly know as the man who never gets cold.

4- Dead or Alive?

This next case of strange people is about a man who was claimed as officially dead from 1976 until 1994, despite all of his efforts to fight the Indian government to prove otherwise. Lal Bihari is a farmer from Uttar Pradesh, India. Mr. Bihari found out in 1976 while trying to apply for a loan that he was considered officially dead by the government. It seems that Mr. Birhari’s uncle has bribed government officials to register Mr. Bihari as dead so that he could claim Bihari’s land.

During his fight against the government trying to claim the fact that he was alive, Bihari found out that at least a hundred others had been in a similar situation and considered dead when they were not. He tried to use his unique situation to his advantage by organizing his own funeral and demanding a widow’s compensation for his wife. He founded the Mritak Sangh for those who were in danger of being killed over their properties. This association now has over twenty thousand members all over India. In 1994, Bihari had his official death annulled after a very long struggle to prove he was alive.

5- Musicogenic Epilepsy

What happens when the mere thought of a certain song will send you into an epileptic seizure? One young lady by the name of Stacey Gale was experiencing that exact occurrence. One evening while Stacey was enjoying a cookout with friends, she experienced a seizure when the song “Temperature” was playing. Stacey also had a similar experience at a restaurant. It became so bad that Stacey had to get a part of her brain surgically removed to try and control her seizures.

Scientists claim that seizures caused by something like a certain song playing may be triggered by the part of the brain that processes emotions. Certain types of music can overlap with the parts of the brain that causes seizures.

Most people who experience seizures can control them through medication. If that is not effective, however, doctors may consider brain surgery as the only way to control outbreaks. In Stacey’s case, she could only find relief in surgery, as even the thought of the song started to trigger seizures.

6- First-Ever Face Transplant

One of the most extraordinary cases of medical miracles is the case of Connie Culp. She was the very first recipient of a full face transplant in the United States. Connie’s story is a sad one. In 2004, Connie’s husband shot her in the face and the turned the gun on himself. Connie’s face was mutilated, bone fragments and shotgun pellet embedded in her face. It took over 30 operations to get her where she is today. The doctors used parts of her ribs to reconstruct her face and cheekbones and she had her upper jaw fashioned from one of her leg bones.

In a 22-hour operation, doctors used the muscles, nerves, blood vessels and bone from another woman who had just died. This surgery was a success, and now Connie is able to breathe and eat on her own again, as well as smell.

7- Allergic to Water!?

This last case is one that would baffle anyone. Imagine not being able to take a soak in the tub or get your hair wet. The girl who is allergic to water, a rare skin disorder called Aquagenic Urticria, can’t enjoy things like swimming or showering. Ashleigh Morris, a 19 year old Australian teenager, breaks out every time she sweats because of her skin’s extreme sensitivity to water.

The welts that Ashleigh experiences when she comes into contact with water are very painful. Many people wonder how she bathes. Though she is allergic to water, she must wash herself and takes showers for minutes at a time since it is such a painful experience. She stays indoors for hours after each shower just to allow the rash to subside before going out in public.

Ashleigh states that her condition was found after she had a particularly bad case of tonsillitis. After taking a large dose of penicillin, she noticed that she would get painful rashes after she swam or took showers. Her dermatologist studied her condition and found that the penicillin may have altered the histamine levels in Ashleigh’s body, causing this allergic reaction to water. Ashleigh has lived with this condition since she was just 14 years old and continues to live with this very rare skin disorder today.

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Stress is one thing. Anxiety attacks are another. They cripple your daily life. They stop you from living. They paralyze your minds and thoughts. They send you into an emotional tailspin with no end in sight, but a complete crash. Anxiety attacks affect millions of people, keeping them from living productive, happy lives. The panic isolates loving, social people from their closest friends and loved one.

Yet, panic attacks do not have to be the crippling, debilitating force they are. For many people, learning to control them will help them lead longer, happier and more successful lives. The key, like stress, is learning coping mechanisms to hold back anxiety, before it morphs into panic and an attack ensues.

1. Breathe easy

A steady, calm breath in a heated moments cools an anxiety attack. Learning to breathe effectively steadies the blood flow, calms the mind, eases the nerves and ultimately clears the head. When you breath, take in all the air you can for several seconds, then slowly exhale, let the air go. Continue this steadily for anywhere from thirty seconds until several minutes, depending on how strong the attack is. When done, shake out your arms and legs to keep the blood flowing and relax.

2. Rethink the Situation

The tightness. The pangs. The anger. Mental stress manifests itself through panic attacks. Remember most attacks start in the mind as a response to external stress. Therefore, the solution is in your mind. Consider rethinking your situation before the attack takes over. If you’re feeling stressed, imagine yourself as someone else, another person watching you interact with the world. In this case, their perspective would often be that your situation is not as bad as it seems. You’re stressed, but more than you should be. Ask the third-party, all the positive characteristics about your life. A constant stream of positive thoughts is a key weapon when it comes to fighting panic attacks.

Imagining yourself as someone else opens you to a new experience where you see yourself more objectively for a few moments.

Some people create imaginary friends that fulfill the role of the third party. They imagine, “What would my imaginary best friend say to me?” Because it’s their best friend, the response will be soft and gentle.

3. Practice before you Panic

Simulating a panic attack might seem like the worst thought for some, but a fire drill is better than being unprepared for a full-blown blaze.

Imagine a panic attack before it happens. Imagine the worst panic attack. Imagine your thought process. Then when you think you might be at the brink of an anxiety attack, practice breathing. Think happy thoughts about your life. Remember pleasant childhood memories like the pies your grandmother made or the community park where you swung happily with friends. Grab a picture of a happy time and imagine yourself in that situation. Feel those pleasant emotions.

Do this several times and train your body to respond differently. By doing this, the next time you’re in an anxiety attack, your subconscious should give you better control over the attack. The mental trigger of a happy thought will trigger better breathing, a calmer state and stave off a full-blown panic attack.

The practice also teaches you the negative thoughts and emotional roots of your panic attack. Knowing the thought processes shows you where to let the healing begin.

Learning to cope with your panic attacks will help you cope with stress and the rigors of daily life. If you learn to cope, you will breathe joy into your life where stress used to live.

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Have you ever wondered why it is impossible to remember what groceries you need without a list? Why is it musicians can remember the lyrics to hundreds of songs and are able to recite them on cue? If you were able to remember trivial details about the people you meet in your every day life it would make quite the impression on your colleagues, business associates and subordinates. In fact, Jesus Christ used the very technique of remembering the names and family and friends of his disciples. It is a winning way of influencing your friends and making them feel they are an important part of your life. Never again will you have that embarrassing moment at a party when someone who remembers you comes up and says your name, but you can’t say theirs.

The reason that musicians can remember the words to so many songs is that rhyming song lyrics work as mnemonic devices. They tap into our brain’s natural ability to use the power of rhyme as a memory tool. By saying the rhyming word we are more easily apt to remember the word which makes up the second half of the rhyme.

From the time that we are infants we are taught things through the power of rhyme. Some of the first things we learn as children are how to tie our shoes and do other every day things, and we learn to do them using mnemonic devices. Some of the most memorable children’s writings were by an author known as Dr. Suess. What made him so popular? His I-Can-Read books used familial rhyming schemes to help children anticipate what words would be coming next. This increased the confidence of children who read his now immortal writings. Many of his stories can be memorized and recalled word for word at the drop of a hat because they use the power of rhyme.

So what are Mnemonic Devices?

There are two basic types of mnemonic devices. There are those which use rhyme as a memory tool and there are those which use the first letter of each word to form an acronym. Acronyms are great memory tools which help you to remember anything from complex formulas to the answers to common trivia questions. If I were to ask you to name each and every color of the rainbow in the correct order, without using any form of mnemonic device, you would likely be hard pressed to come up with an answer in under 5 seconds. What if I told you that I can answer this without even having to think? What if I told you my five year old can name the colors of the rainbow in the correct order without even pausing to think?

It sounds amazing, but it is just the simple use of a mnemonic device which allows her and I to remember such trivial facts as the colors of the rainbow. The colors, in the correct order are Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. Can you take a guess at how I recall this so easily? The answer is with a mnemonic device. In this case I have used an acronym to recall the fist letter of each color, since there are only so many colors in the spectrum, it is quite simple to deduce the names just by knowing the first letter. The acronym for memorizing the colors of the rainbow is: ROY G BIV. It sounds like an interesting name for a person. That is probably what makes it so easy to remember. It sounds like a very strange name, and we rarely forget the very strange. The cognitive power of your mind is not to be underestimated. You will be surprised at how little it takes for your mind to memorize anything and everything through the use of simple memory tools and mnemonic devices.

If you have ever learned to read music (and you really should learn to read music, it is a great way to exercise your mind) you are no doubt familiar with these devices. Mnemonic devices using acronyms are the same tools which music teachers use to teach their students the notes on the staff. Guitar teachers even use them to help their pupils memorize the notes on the open guitar strings with greater ease. Who can forget the simple devices for memorizing the bass and treble clefs on a musical staff? Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge and Good Boys Deserve Fudge Always.

Mnemonic devices are also frequently used as learning tools by math teachers. The method for memorizing Orders of operations in mathematics is BEDMAS, for Brackets, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition, and Subtraction. In fact, many of the mnemonic devices we were taught in school are so memorable they have become tiresome and annoying. Who can type a word like conceive or receipt without remember the old “I before E, Except after C” a mnemonic device using rhyme.

If you have attempted to use the power of memorization to amaze and impress people but have been unsuccessful you are likely approaching it in the wrong manner. Many people use the approach of Rote Memorization which is a method a shocking your brain into memorization through the use of flash-cards or another quick question and quick answer method. Many people think they can use this hard-hitting method of improving their memory but it is actually highly ineffective.

Your brain uses a large portion of muscle memory in your day-to-day routine. This means that when you are going through a typical cycle your brain doesn’t have to work as hard and uses its’ muscle memory as something of a “cruise-control”. This is also called muscle retention, and it can be a good thing and a bad thing. Muscle retention can be built up and augmented. The result of this is your brain is operating at higher levels when it is in this cruise control mode. The brain is a glutton for punishment and your brain is challenged, it grows as does any other muscle. A common practice of body builders is to to “shock” their muscles in order to produce higher ranges of muscle memory and promoting more rapid muscle growth. This works with fantastic results for most muscles and it is the concept behind using flash-cards for memorizing mathematics. However, Rote-Memorization is highly unpleasant and does not produce results as effectively as mnemonic devices.

Using mnemonic devices establishes new neural pathways in your brain, which allows you to more quickly access information with almost no effort. Are minds are naturally attune to word play such as rhyme, homonyms, acronyms and other literary devices. Most of the information that we need to remember consists of arbitrary sequences such as phone numbers, postal codes, account numbers, first and last names, dates and years, all such boring combinations of data. The human brain more easily remembers information which is spatial or personal. we remember things that affect us because they are either surprising, humorous, sexual or provocative in some way. Mnemonics can be used to memorize entire lists of information or single important details such as what year the Bill of Rights was adopted by Congress. It is one of the first ways our mind learns to absorb and store vital information such as how to tie your shoes.

Examples of Mnemonic Devices

Memorizing the number of days in the months:
Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November;
All the rest have thirty-one
Excepting February alone:
Which has twenty-eight, that’s fine,
Till leap year gives it twenty-nine.

When did Alaska and Hawaii become part of the United States?
the United States:

’59 was the date,
When Alaska and Hawaii became new states

Mnemonic Device for remembering the order of the planets:
My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

How to memorize the signs of the zodiac:
he Ram, the Bull, the Heavenly Twins,
And next’ the Crab, the Lion shines,
The Virgin and the Scales.
The Scorpion, Archer, and the Goat,
The Man who holds the Watering Pot,
And Fish with glittering scales.

Advancing the power of your memory is one of the most important steps you can take in improving your mind power. Once it becomes effortless to recall information you will be able to impress and influence people with your amazing memory. Memorizing trivial details about your friends, all the important numbers and dates you need to know, the names and phone numbers of everyone you’ve ever met, and even important business information can be a great way to get ahead in many aspects of your life. Advanced memory is used by many mentalists and hypnosis experts as the basis of many of the psychic effects that we see created on television and in theaters and street performances. You too can master the power of your memory with mnemonic devices.

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