The Art Of Building Your Confidence

It seems like some people have it, and some people don't.  I know I am not the most confident person in the world, and it often got in my way before I learned a few tricks.  As it turns out, many people who appear confident and on-top-of-the-world are really just as self conscious as you probably are.  Hopefully, this guide will help you fake the confidence you need!

1. Stand up straight and maintain a strong and proud bearing.  Don't fidget or cross your arms, as it seems to carry negative connotations.  A person's body language can tell a lot about them.

2. Make eye contact. I admit, this is hard for me.  But if you simply smile and watch/listen while people talk, everything will go great!  Just be careful not to make too much eye contact.  Find a happy medium that is comfortable for you and who you're talking to.

3. Dress for success! What you wear can have a positive or negative effect on you.  Do you just throw on whatever you feel like 5 minutes before you walk out the door? Or do you take a minute to look in the mirror? People will compliment you for a good outfit.

4. Keep a good mannerism.  Knowing that you are being polite can make your self esteem boost.

5. Be optimistic.  Anything can happen, but as long as you focus on and expect good things, good things will flock to you! This is called the Law Of Attraction.

6. Sound like you are informed.  Instead of jumping to put a word into the conversation, pause for a moment.  Speak calmly, avoiding words like "um" and "uhh".  

7. Do things that make you happy.  You are always more confident when you are enjoying what you are doing.  Make time for you.

8. Get into the groove.  Put yourself in your comfort zone, no matter how scary the situation might be.  Remind yourself that you can do whatever you set your mind to.

9. Keep laughing.  They say laughter is the best medicine.  Even if you aren't enjoying the moment, tell yourself you are and eventually you will be!

10. Believe in yourself.  Know that you can do anything and everything, and the only thing that is stopping you is you telling yourself that you can't.  You can do it!

11. Live up to a good reputation.  If you are honest, kind, reliable, responsible, etc., you will immediately feel more confident because you are a good person at heart.

12. Be healthy.  Exercising and keeping a healthy diet can be the key to living a healthy life.

13. Be happy.  Happiness is contagious, and everyone loves a happy person!

14. Be yourself.  It's so sad when people try to be someone else because they are scared they won't fit in.  You'll bring yourself and others around you down.  Instead, embrace your talents and show the world the kind of person you truly are!

15. Think and act positive.  Surround yourself with inspiration and enthusiasm.  The better you feel, the better your outlook on life will be.

So, you see, all these ways and more can help you train yourself to be more confident.  Just remember that everyone around you feels just the same way you do.  You can do whatever you set your mind to.  Nothing can stop you from accomplishing your dreams.


 
Song: Confidence       Artist: Demi Lovato       Taken At:  American Music Awards 2015

The Combined Gas Laws: The Gas Laws Part 3--- Science Blog Post

Jacques Charles discovered that the relationship between a gas's volume is directly proportional to its temperature in Kelvins when the pressure and number of particles stay the same.  Robert Boyle discovered that the relationship between a gas's volume is inversely proportional to the pressure of the gas when the temperature and number of particles are constant.  But, a third law is created when you combine these two laws: The Combined Gas Law.
The equation for the Combined Gas Law combines the equations for Charles's Law and Boyle's Law into one formula.

      

Basically, you take the Boyle's Law equation and place it over the denominator for the Charles's Law.  It is very simple.  This law can be used when you need to find three changing variables: Temperature, pressure, and volume. You will have six quantities, one of which will be unknown.

For more information, read:

    Wysession, Michael, David V. Frank, and Sophia Yancopoulos. Prentice Hall Physical Science: Concepts in Action. Needham, MA: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2004. Print.

Boyle's Law: The Gas Laws Part Two---Science Blog Post

Robert Boyle of Ireland is another scientist involved in the gas laws.  He was born is Ireland on January 25, 1727 and died in England on December 31, 1691.  Boyle was a philosopher, chemist, inventor, writer, and physicist.  Like Jacques Charles, Robert Boyle also greatly influenced the world of chemistry.
He proved the relationship between the volume and pressure of a gas in a law which we now call Boyle's Law.  Boyle's Law states the a gas's volume is inversely proportional the the pressure of the gas if both the number of particles and the temperature are constant.    
This relationship is described by the equation:

  

In this equation, P1  represents the pressure of the gas before the change occurred, and V1  represents the volume of the gas before the change occurred.  The gas’s pressure after the change happened is represented by P2, and the volume of the gas after the change happened is represented by V2.    

Unlike Charles's Law, Boyle's Law is an inverse relationship.  This means that as the volume increases, the pressure will decrease.  Or vice versa, if the volume decreases the pressure will increase.    

For more information, read this book:

      Wysession, Michael, David V. Frank, and Sophia Yancopoulos. Prentice Hall Physical Science: Concepts in Action. Needham, MA: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2004. Print.  

And, also visit these websites:

https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/boyle.html

http://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Boyle

Charles's Law: The Gas Laws Part One- Science Blog Post

Jacques Alexandre Cesar Charles was a French scientist who lived from November 12, 1746- April 7, 1823.  He specialized in the fields of mathematics, Physics, and hot air ballooning.  Charles was also a serious inventor.  He ascended the first helium balloon, and became interested in the thermal expansion of gasses.  Finally, in 1787, he developed what we now call Charles's Law: A gas's volume is directly proportional to its temperature (degrees Kelvin) if the number of particles and temperature of the gas are constant.  In other words, as the volume of a gas increases, the temperature will increase.  If the volume of the gas decreases, the temperature of the gas will decrease.
This is a linear relationship, and can be written in the equation:
    

V1  represents the volume before the change occurs, and T1  represents the temperature before a change occurs.  As guessed, V2  represents the volume after a change occurs, and T2  represents the temperature after a change occurs. 

***This formula only works if the temperature is in degrees Kelvin. 

For more information: 

http://www.britannica.com/biography/Jacques-Alexandre-Cesar-Charles

http://www.chm.davidson.edu/vce/gaslaws/charleslaw.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles%27s_law

An Aurora: The Most Wondrous Sight On Earth- Science Blog Post

INTRODUCTION:

Aurora Borealis (northern lights), are found in the Northern Hemisphere.  Aurora Australis (southern lights), are found in the Southern Hemisphere.

FORMATION:

Either way, the Aurora begins with a Solar Flare.  Charged particles are emitted from the sun.  These particles collide with molecules and atoms in the atmosphere after they impale Earth's magnetic field. Photons, or little bursts of light, are created.  These photons create auroras!    

COLORS:

No matter where these lights are located, they come in many different colors.  When the photons/electrons collide with oxygen, red and green auroras occur.  Pink and purple auroras are caused when collisions with Nitrogen occur.  Other colors include yellow and blue.  All red auroras are very rare.  The lights extend from 80 kilometers to 640 kilometers above Earth's surface.   

LOCATION:

They can be best seen in an irregularly shaped oval at the magnetic poles called the Auroral Oval.  Quite often, the auroras in the north and south are mirror images of eachother, happening at similar times with similar colors and shapes.  Though, the northern lights have been seen as far south as New Orleans, USA. The southern lights occur in a ring around the southern Indian Ocean and Antarctica, and aren't often seen anywhere else.  

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

http://www.aurorahunter.com/how-the-aurora-borealis-form.php

http://www.northernlightscentre.ca/northernlights.html      

 

The Science Behind Earworms- Science Blog Post

Merriam Webster's Dictionary says that an earworm is "a song or melody that keeps repeating in one's mind".   I am prone to earworms.  But what exactly is the science behind them, and how do you get rid of them?

Approximately 90% of people get them once a week.  Like today, I had Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield in my head.  Hopefully, this recap of NPR's John Donvan's interview with psychologist Vicky Williamson will help clear up the topic of earworms.

First, it's not clear what really causes these sudden bursts of melody, but scientists have some pretty good ideas, including stress, memory triggers, and your emotional state.  Sometimes, the song we hear in our head is a perfect replica of the original. 

Many songs you hear, such as children's songs, are songs you have heard hundreds of thousands, and as a result you hear them constantly.  It seems like repetition is the key. The more you hear it, the more you seem stuck with it.

But, fortunately, you can beat earworms.  Listening to a different song, going for a run,  or doing a crossword puzzle may help.  It is quoted in the article that, "Some people think the British national anthem sung slowly is good for getting rid of earworms".

Another website I can across said that earworms may be the brain trying to close a gap in rhythm, scale, or lyrics. Some songs are more catchy than others, too.  There are songs that are important to us for a while, we are overexposed to them.  

Hopefully, scientists will eventually come up with a cure. 

For more information, go to:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earworm

http://www.npr.org/2012/03/12/148460545/why-that-song-gets-stuck-in-your-head

https://www.exploratorium.edu/music/questions/earworm.html