Causing you to feel confident about yourself or eager to learn or do something

13 Ways to Be More Eager to Learn and Succeed in Life

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Every good thing starts with a desire or eagerness to do something. The same goes for success stories. The more you keep pushing yourself to be knowledgeable and eager to learn, the clearer the way to success becomes.

Curiosity not only helps you in excelling at the professional front, but a study found that it also improves memory and learning. [1] The study revealed that curiosity releases a chemical linked with motivation, dopamine. Dopamine could motivate you more than any words ever could!

Undoubtedly, without a genuine interest or curiosity to learn, you cannot expect yourself to be naturally inclined to learn new things. Eagerness to learn is where your success starts. Let’s not forget that Newton discovered gravity when he was curious as to why the apple fell on the ground rather than going upwards. The list is endless.

So, how can you be more eager to learn and grow into a more successful person?

Here are 13 ways you can naturally increase your eagerness to learn and keep feeding your curiosity to stay focused on your learning goals.

1. Show Your Eagerness

Express your eagerness to learn more in your workplace. Take up every learning opportunity that is presented to hone your skills.

You can also continue taking informational interviews and job shadowing opportunities to keep your curiosity burning. Keep asking more questions and show that you are enthusiastic to learn.

Also, reflect your curiosity towards learning by attending seminars, getting certifications, and enrolling yourself in online courses.

Here are more ways to train your brain to crave learning:

2. Stay Updated

Be it technical or general news, try to be updated on current developments. Stay on top of the news as it can be fodder for all your conversations and could play a vital role in widening your network.

Keep an eye on the latest trends in your field of work. You never know when something new will pop up and become the next big thing.

3. Don’t Stop Developing Your Skills

Make it your goal to update your resume with new skills now and then. Acquired skills and knowledge can help you have an edge in your career. With job requirements changing every day, learn to be eager to learn to stay ahead.

4. Look for Challenges

The best way to learn something new is to start doing something new. Don’t put off your personal or professional projects when you can do them now.

Challenge yourself continuously and look for ways that can help you evolve your career. Gain expertise in what you want to master. Taking up difficult tasks can unleash your capabilities and help you discover your strengths and weaknesses.

5. Learn Lateral Thinking

Thinking outside the box lets you look for answers that could lead to innovation and improved solutions. You never know when a single thought could prove to be a seed for something huge.

Don’t restrict yourself to conventional methods when it comes to learning and developing your skills. Find out what works for you and apply it to your life.

6. Be Open to New Experiences

When you are offered something new at work, try to accommodate it. If it’s a new task with an unfamiliar technology, don’t hesitate to take it up. If it is something that you have not tried before, accept the challenge.

Trying out new things can be a great way to have new learning experiences. Get over the fear of failure if you want to achieve true success.

7. Start to Be Interesting

Being genuinely interested in something makes you interesting as well. It also makes you endearing to the people who are willing to share the knowledge.

By asking the right questions to satiate your curiosity, you can show your passion for learning and start up conversations with people of higher authority with confidence.

Your strong sense of curiosity shows you as you truly are. Your ventures get the extra appeal from your mentors or leaders when it shows its ability to continuously evolve.

8. Gain Initial Knowledge

While it is quite common to be curious about something you don’t know, what keeps you more curious is when you start learning it. Having an initial knowledge of any subject will let your curiosity flow in the right direction and help you become eager to learn. You will know what questions you need answered, and this also makes way for focused learning.

9. Ask Questions

Put yourself in a place where it is easy for you to ask questions. An environment that is welcoming of curiosity is a great one for intelligent minds to thrive. Remove any barrier that could stop you from being curious.

10. Surround Yourself With the Right People

You are an approximation of the people you spend the most time with. It is inevitable that your close circle has a definite influence on your behavior and life path. Hence, it’s important to collect wisdom from those who are around you, and by surrounding yourself with the right people, you can stay curious and keep evolving.

Here are some examples of the people to surround yourself with:

Having these three kinds of people in your circle helps you have open-minded individuals who can share their knowledge and experiences you need to keep pursuing your goals.

11. Find More Meaning to Life

Not being curious can make your life monotonous and boring, especially when you aren’t eager to learn. When you have the drive to find meaning in all things around you, you become naturally curious.

A curious mind is more satisfied as it knows there is more to life than existing. You will keep finding new ways to enjoy and experience life.

Never settle, and keep expecting bigger things from life.

12. Take Action to Stay Motivated

Set a goal and be motivated to commit to accomplishing it. You can draw up work schedules or learning schedules to keep you on track. The sense of pride and satisfaction you get from accomplishing something adds all the flavor you look for in life.

Don’t give up on yourself and stay motivated to keep tasting the sense of accomplishment. The more driven and motivated you are, the more naturally curious you will be.

13. Get Better at What Makes You Happy

A core need for a healthy mind is confidence and self-efficacy. This comes from your conviction on your abilities. When you learn outside of your own interests, it shows you new ways to get better at something and helps increase your confidence and self-esteem. Your achievements and accomplishments cement this feeling.

Final Thoughts

Learning to be eager to learn as an adult makes it easy for you to behave well in social situations. The constant drive to mastery is fuel to progress. It stimulates your creativity and helps you see the world from a different perspective.

Knowledge gives you the ability to see connections you may have not noticed earlier. Your curiosity boosts your creativity, and your creative solutions will keep getting you curious to attain higher levels of perfection.

That said, learning, unlike any other activity, requires active participation and trains your mind and body to perform at their fullest potential. Try not to let go of any learning experience, and always keep your curiosity mode switched on!

Mark Manson

Life Advice That Doesn’t Suck

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The Only Way to Be Truly Confident in Yourself

Learning how to be confident presents a conundrum: How are you supposed to be confident when you have nothing to feel confident about?

H ow are you supposed to be confident about something when you have nothing to feel confident about?

Like, how are you supposed to be confident at your new job if you’ve never done this type of work before? Or how are you supposed to be confident in social situations when no one has ever liked you before? Or how are you supposed to be confident in your relationship when you’ve never been in a successful relationship before?

Same deal goes for relationships. No confidence in intimacy will lead to bad breakups and awkward phone calls and emergency Ben and Jerry’s runs at three in the morning.

And seriously, how are you supposed to be confident in your work experience when previous experience is required to even be considered for a job in the first place?

The Confidence Conundrum

If you’ve always lost in life, then how could you ever expect to be a winner? And if you never expect to be a winner, then you’re going to act like a loser. Thus the cycle of suckage continues.

This is the confidence conundrum, where in order to be happy or loved or successful, first you need to be confident… but to be confident, first you need to be happy or loved or successful.

So it seems like you’re stuck in one of two loops: either you’re already in a happy and confident loop, like this.

Or you’re in a loser loop, like this.

And if you’re in the loser loop, well it seems damn near impossible to get out.

It’s like a dog chasing its own tail. Or Domino’s ordering its own pizza. You can spend a lot of time cuticle-gazing trying to mentally sort everything out, but just like with your lack of confidence, you’re likely to end up right back where you started.

But maybe we’re going about this all wrong. Maybe the confidence conundrum isn’t really a conundrum at all.

If we pay close attention, we can learn a few things about confidence just by observing people. So before you run off and order that pizza, let’s break this down:

How to Be More Confident

The obvious and most common answer to the confidence conundrum is to simply believe that you lack nothing. That you already have, or at least deserve, whatever you feel you would need to make you confident.

But this sort of thinking—believing you’re already beautiful even though you’re a frumpy slob, or believing you’re a raving success even though your only profitable business venture was selling weed in high school—leads to the kind of insufferable narcissism that causes people to argue that obesity (something that is more detrimental to your health than smoking cigarettes) should be celebrated as beauty and that it’s, like, totally OK to carve your name into the Roman Colosseum, because, you know, selfies.

A lot of people soon realize this doesn’t work and so they take a different approach: incremental, external improvement.

They read articles that tell them the top 50 things confident people do, and then they try to do those things.

They start to exercise, dress better, make more eye contact, and practice firmer handshakes.

This is admittedly a step above simply believing that you’re already confident and that you don’t belong in the loser loop. After all, at least you’re doing something about your lack of confidence. And actually, it will work—but only for a little while.

So no, external improvement is not a sustainable solution to the confidence conundrum. And feeling as though you lack nothing and deluding yourself into believing you already possess everything you could ever dream of is far worse.

The only way to be truly confident is to simply become comfortable with what you lack.

Read that again.

The big charade with confidence is that it has nothing to do with being comfortable in what we achieve and everything to do with being comfortable in what we don’t achieve.

People who are confident in business are confident because they’re comfortable with failure. They realize that failure is simply part of learning how their market works. It’s a reflection of their lack of knowledge, not a reflection of who they are as a person.

People who are confident in their social lives are confident because they’re comfortable with rejection. They’re not afraid of rejection because they’re comfortable with people not liking them as long as they’re expressing themselves honestly.

People who are confident in their relationships are confident because they’re comfortable with getting hurt. They’re not afraid to be vulnerable and tell someone how they feel and then establish strong boundaries around those feelings, even if it means being uncomfortable (or leaving a bad relationship).

Building Confidence Through Failure

The truth is that the route to the positive runs through the negative. Those among us who are the most comfortable with negative experiences are those who reap the most benefits.

It’s counterintuitive, but it’s also true. We often worry that if we become comfortable in our failures—that if we accept failure as an inevitable part of living—that we will become failures.

But it doesn’t work that way.

Comfort in our failures allows us to act without fear, to engage without judgment, to love without conditions. It’s the dog that lets the tail go, realizing that it’s already a part of himself. It’s the Domino’s that cancels its own order, realizing it already has the pizza it wanted. Or something.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to publish this article comfortable with the fact that some people will probably hate it. And eat my pizza.

Get a Handle On Your Emotional Bullshit

Emotions make life richer and more fulfilling—and they also make us do the stupidest shit sometimes. Find out how to get a handle on your emotional shit once and for all. Put in your email address in the form below to receive my 47-page ebook on emotions.

You’ll also get my monthly newsletter, lovingly called Mindfuck Monthly. You can opt out at any time. See my privacy policy.

8 ways to trick yourself into feeling confident, even when you’re not

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We asked Elman for her best tips for feeling confident and body positive.

Think about the days you did feel confident

Just like we all have moments where we feel down on ourselves, we also all have moments where we look in the mirror and think, «Dang, I look good.» On the days you’re not feeling super confident, try to remember that one time you did.

Think about how you felt and channel that energy. Michelle told INSIDER, «Ask yourself one simple question: ‘How would I be acting right now if I was feeling great?’ What would you be doing, how would you be standing, how would you be breathing?»

Try to get yourself into that mindset again, or at least pretend you’re there.

Adjust your posture

Amy Cuddy’s wildly popular Ted Talk from 2012 explained the way your posture affects how you feel, using «power poses» as a tip to increase self-confidence. Slumping can make you feel more sad, while sitting up straight and holding your head high can make you feel instantly more powerful.

Michelle told INSIDER something similar: «Changing how you are positioning your body tricks your mind into holding the emotion that you would hold in a more upright posture.» The next time you’re feeling particularly down, try correcting your posture.

Repeat a positive affirmation

Keeping a positive affirmation tucked away in your mind is always a good idea — pulling it out when you need it can help you feel good about yourself. Think of something that works for you. You can look for ideas online or just think up something on your own.

The phrase definitely doesn’t need to be complicated or long. Michelle told INSIDER, «When I feel scared, I say, ‘You’ve got this.'»

Simple as that. Repeat it in your head until you actually feel it.

Refuse to talk negatively about yourself

The main reason many of us don’t feel confident is that we don’t really let ourselves. We are, after all, our own worst critics. There are tons of things we say to ourselves that we would never even think of saying to anyone else (except maybe our worst enemies).

When you feel those thoughts coming on, actively push them away. Michelle told INSIDER, «I don’t actually believe in ‘faking confidence’ in that if you are acting and behaving confident, then you are confident. While me not talking negatively about myself led to this portal of confidence, and I, in a way, ‘faked’ it, it also wasn’t faking it because when you don’t vocalize those thoughts, those thoughts actually [decreased], so I actually was more confident.»

Every time you think something bad about yourself, immediately think of something good to counteract it.

To stay or cause to stay in a liquid, esp. in order to improve flavor or

to become soft or clean:[I] Let the tea steep for five minutes.[T] This stain(пятно,окрашивать,пачкать) will come out if you steep the cloth in cold water. \ Leave the cloth to steep in the dye overnight. \We had pears steeped in red wine for dessert.

To be steeped in something is to be filled with it or to know a lot about it:[T] The college is steeped in tradition.

— [C or U] the condition of living without unnecessary things and without comfort, with limited money or goods, or a practice, habit, or experience that is typical of this:The wartime austerity of my early years prepared me for later hardships. \The austerities of life in a small rural community were not what I was used to.

[U]a difficult economic situation caused by a government reducing the amount of money it spends:People protested in the streets against austerity. \The government today announced new austerity measures. Military spending continues even in periods of austerity.

expose – экспОус

— verb [T] (BE SEEN) to make something covered or hidden able to be seen \ to remove what is covering something so that it can be seen::The plaster was removed to expose the original brick wall. \ He damaged his leg so badly in the accident that the bone was exposed.\ In my cartoons, I try to expose the silly and absurd ways that Americans behave.

(MAKE PUBLIC)

to make public something bad or dishonest:The review exposed widespread corruption in the policeforce.The newspaper story exposed him as (= showed that he was) a liar.

— If a man exposes himself, he shows his sexual organs in a public place to people he does not know.

— to publicly show that someone or something is bad or dishonest:He was exposed as a fraud and a liar.

— (BE HARMED)

to create a situation or a condition that makes someone likely to be harmed:His behavior on the Senate floor exposed him to ridicule. Be sure your child wears sunscreen whenever she’s exposed to the sun.

(GIVE OPPORTUNITY)

to create conditions that allow someone to have the opportunity to learn or experience new things:Kate was exposed to new ideas when she went to college.

noun [C]a public report of the facts about a situation, especially one that is shocking or has been kept secret:Today’s newspaper contains a searing exposé of police corruption.

adjective [not gradable]

explaining or describing an event or situation:expository writing

adjective (INTERESTED) interested in learning about people or things around you:[+ to infinitive] I’m curious to see what’s going to happen on the political scene.

adjective (UNUSUAL) unusual and therefore worth noticing:A curious figure in a red cape and black boots darted into thebuilding.

Curiosity – кюриОсэти

(INTEREST) an eager desire to know or learn about something:Just out of curiosity(просто из любопыства) I decided to go through the files.

(STRANGE OBJECT)

› [C] something that is interesting because it is rare and unusual:The museum had a collection of mummies and Egyptian curiosities.

adj severe, or showing disapproval:a stern look/warning / voice She is her own sternest critic. \ Journalists received a stern warning not to go anywhere near the battleship.

If something, such as a job, is stern, it is difficult:The country’s president is facing the sternest test of his authority since he came to power five years ago.

Hard, harsh, or severe in manner or character: a stern disciplinarian.

Difficult to endure; oppressive: stern necessity.

Noun the back part of a ship or boat A rope over the stern towed the little boat.

Adverb He sternly reminded his son to drive carefully.

They repaired and maintained aircraft and overhauled their engines.) the car from stem to stern. from one end to another. Now, I have to clean the house from stem to stern. I polished my car carefully from stem to stern.

adj willing to accept or be influenced by a suggestion:She might be more amenable to the idea if you explained how much money it would save. Do you think the new manager will prove more amenable to our proposals?

adj giving or showing careful attention to every detail:a meticulous housekeeper \meticulous research

Adverb She meticulously planned every decorating detail.

very careful to behave correctly or to give attention to details:He was always punctilious in his manners.

Hitch

noun[C] (DIFFICULTY) a difficulty or troubling fact esp. in a situation that is generally positive:I finally did get a job offer that sounded perfect – the only hitch was the low salary. \ The taping at Channel 4 went off without a hitch (= perfectly).

verb Hitch a ride [T] (RIDE) to get a free ride in someone else’s road vehicle as a way of traveling:Nancy hitched a ride with her husband’s cousin. \ I’ve no car; can I hitch a ride home with you? or He was hoping to thumb a ride to the stadium

verb [T] (FASTEN) to fasten something to another thing, such as a vehicle:We just need to hitch the trailer to the car and then we can go.

stand accused of sth formal If you stand accused of doing something wrong, people say that you have done it:The government stands accused of eroding freedom of speech. \ Partly, this is because none wants to stand accused of racial discrimination.

a statement, made without giving proof, that someone has done something wrong or illegal:The allegations of corruption were not true. \ Several of her patients have made allegations of professional misconduct about/against her.[+ that]

Allegations that Mr Dwight was receiving money fromknown criminals have caused a scandal. Are you able to verify your allegation?

Allege to state that something bad is a fact without giving proof:

School districts are alleging the state has not continued to finance schools adequately.

Note: Usually used to describe legal matters. Police arrested at least four alleged drug traffickers and seized4564 cocaine paste wrappings from three houses.

verb to order someone to go to a court of law to answer questions, or to order the appearance of documents in a court of law:to subpoena a witness\ A friend of the victim was subpoenaed as a witness by lawyers representing the accused.[+ to infinitive] They were subpoenaed to testify before the judge.

Noun a legal document ordering someone to appear in a lawcourt:Subpoenas were issued to several government employees.

to ask for information:Shall I inquire about the price of tickets? [+ question word] She called to inquire when her car would be ready.[+ speech] «Where are we going?» he inquired politely. [I] Officials from around the country have called to inquire about the program.[+ question word] Phil inquired whether I wanted to meet hisroommate.

Adjective You have a very inquiring mind.

inquire into something

to try to discover the facts about something:The committee had no right to inquire into his politics. \ The Coroner’s Court is responsible to inquire into the causes and circumstances of certain deaths.

Might I ask/inquire/know

used in questions to show disapproval by being more polite than is expected:And what are you doing in there, might I ask? Might I ask what you are doing with my wallet?

verb (FALL)

[I or T] to (cause to) lose balance and fall down: The statue of the dictator was toppled (over) by the crowds. \The tree toppled and fell.

to force a leader or government out of power:The church was prominently(прОминентли, отчётливо видно\заметно) involved in the struggle that toppled the dictatorship. \ The government toppled after several large public demonstrations.

noun [C] an activity or plan of action, often in business, that involves risk or uncertainty :His most recent business venture ended in bankruptcy. \ She advised us to look abroad for more lucrative business ventures.

Verb to risk going somewhere or doing something that might or to risk saying something that might be criticized: be dangerous or unpleasant:[I always + adv/prep] He wanted to venture into the mountainous wilderness of the countryside. \She rarely ventured outside, except when she went to stock up on groceries. \ As we set off into the forest, we felt as though we were venturing(forth) into the unknown. \She tentatively ventured the opinion that the project would be too expensive to complete, but the boss ignored her.

To venture something is to attempt it when you arelikely to be wrong or to be criticized:[T] I wouldn’t venture an opinion about that.

[C/U] the general weather conditions usually found in a particular place:[C] My parents like the warm, dry climate of Arizona.

a general attitude, opinion, or feeling:There’s never been a climate of trust between labor andmanagement in this industry.

verb (ARGUE) [I] to argue energetically, esp. in public, in order to achieve a particular type of change:Telephone companies began to agitate for permission to compete in long distance services.

(MAKE NERVOUS)[T] to make someone become nervous because of worry or fear that is difficult to control:Any mention of his son agitated him.

noun [U] He arrived home in a state of agitation.

AgitatorThey blamed the protest on political agitators.

noun unusually strong and esp. rude confidence in yourself:[+ to infinitive] Our mayor has the audacity to claim credit for improvements he had nothing to do with.\ [+ to infinitive] It took a lot of audacity to stand up and criticize the chairman.\ disapproving He had the audacity to blame me for his mistake!

adjectiveshowing an unusual willingness to take risks:The car maker’s audacious goal is to compete with the luxury cars of other manufacturers.

verb to cause someone to be confused or uncertain over something that is not understood:The symptoms of the disease have continued to perplex her doctors.

Adjective Just when it appeared that interest rates were headed up, they fell,leaving some analysts clearly perplexed.

enough, or more than enough, or (esp. of body size)large:There will be ample opportunity for everyone here to speak. \ There’s ample evidence that the lawyer knew exactly what she was doing.\ They had ample warning of the factory closure.

Amply adverb The research was amply funded.

exact and accurate in form, time, detail, or description:The precise recipe is a closely guarded secret. \

very careful and accurate, especially about small details:Years of doing this research had made her very precise in her working methods. \There was a good turnout for the meeting – twelve of us, to be precise. \ The bunker’s precise location is a closely guarded secret. \ He caught me at the precise moment that I fainted(упала в обморок)

precisely exactly:

The fireworks begin at eight o’clock precisely. \ What do you think the problem is, precisely?

noun[C/U] (HAPPENING) an event, esp. one that happens unexpectedly:[C] Break-ins are an everyday occurrence in this neighborhood. \ Street-fights are an everyday occurrence in this area of the city.

noun[C/U] (EXISTENCE)

the existence or presence of something:The tests can detect the occurrence of certain cancers. \ The study compares the occurrence of heart disease in various countries.

adjective pleased with your situation and not needing or desiring it to be better:Skating this year with a sprained ankle, he said he was content just to make the Olympic team. \ He seems fairly content with (his) life. \ [+ to infinitive] They’re content to socialize with a very small circle of people. \ I’d be content with a modest income. \ They were content with second hand clothes.

Contented adjective Our dog leads a happy and contented life.

Contentment (контЕнтмент)Her greatest happiness and contentment was found in being a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother.

Verbto make yourself accept something as satisfactory, although it could be better:We had to content ourselves with watching the sea lions from the shore.

Noun – кАнтент the subject or ideas contained in something written, said, created, or represented:academic/educational content. \ It’s easy to update the content of the Web site.

[U] (AMOUNT) the amount of a particular substance contained in something:This type of milk has a lower fat content.

a set of rules about food, exercise, or behavior that you follow, esp. in order to improve your health:His doctor put him on a strict regimen of exercise and low-fat food. \ After his heart attack the doctor put him on a strict regimen.

Apparent

able to be seen or understood:

[ + that clause ] It was becoming increasingly apparent that he could no longer look after himself.

Apparent also means seeming to be true:

The apparent cause of death was drowning(Драунинг), but further tests were needed.

according to what seems to be true or what is likely,based on what you know:The computer trouble was apparently caused by a programming error. \ Apparently it’s going to rain today.

Enterprise is also the willingness and energy to do something new that takes a lot of effort:[U] They’ve showed a great deal of enterprise in setting up this project. \ We need someone with enterprise and imagination to design a marketing strategy.

expropriate – икспрOприэйт(присваивать публичные средства\имущество)

verb to take and keep money or property belonging to someone else \ to take away money or property especially for public use without payment to the owner, or for personal use illegally:: \ Demanding the government expropriate more of other people’s money is another matter. \ He was discovered to have been expropriating company funds.

Expropriation

Expropriator

to take something, especially something necessary or pleasant, away from someone:They were deprived of food for long periods of time. \ Its intent was to deprive a class of people of rights afforded to another class. \ The move will deprive American diplomats of their main protection force in Iraq. \ Closing the station would deprive both tribes of free energy-and a lot of money. \ Some parents deprive themselves of many pleasures so that their children can have the best of everything.

to save something valuable from damage, destruction, or loss:After the storm, we were able to salvage some of our belongings, but the house was destroyed.

[U] the origin of people in your family background:Their mother is of Irish descent (= family origin).

noun (ARRIVAL)

› [C usually sing] the arrival of something or someone, esp. when it is unpleasant or unwanted:The descent of dozens of motorcycles terrified local residents.

noun (A WAY DOWN) [C] a way down, such as a path, or an act of coming down:A steep descent from the peak brings you to a meadow. \ The plane is making its final descent into the airport.

an official statement that something must happen:The decree stopped short of a full declaration of independence. \ More than 200 people were freed by military decree. He refused to carry out the board’s decree.

to officially decide or order that something must happen:They decreed an end to discrimination on grounds of age.[+ that] After the earthquake, the government decreed that all newbuildings must be built according to the new standards.

noun [C] (WRITING MUSIC)

› a plan for how the parts of a piece of music can be played by a particular instrument or instruments:an arrangement for trumpet and cello

noun [C] (POSITION)

› a particular way in which things are put together or placed:a flower arrangement

(PLAN)

› a plan or preparation for something, esp. for something to happen in a particular way:She had an arrangement to work at home two days a week.\ Since the hotel was full, we had to make other arrangements. \ They’d made all the arrangements for the party. \ [+ to infinitive] Arrangements were made to move the prisoners to another jail.

an agreement between two people or groups about how something happens or will happen:[+ that] We had an arrangement that he would clean the house and I would cook. \ I’m sure we can come to an arrangement (= reach an agreement).\ You can only withdraw money from this account by (prior)arrangement (= after making plans to do so) with the bank. \ He has some special arrangement with his supplier, which means he’s able to sell his goods more cheaply.

competitive – компЕтитив

adjectiveeager to do better than others in an activity, esp. trying to win in a sports activity:a competitive person \ We will be facing weaker teams, which should give us a competitive advantage/edge.

Competitive also means able to compete at the same level:If we have to lower our prices to remain competitive, we will.

involving competition:

Noun Competitiveness— They will have to regain their competitiveness and to attract private investors.

To compete is also to be part of a sports activity in which you are trying to win:He will compete in track this spring and play football next fall.

a fault of someone or something:My father had some shortcomings as a businessman, but he was a good father.

a fault or a failure to reach a particular standard:Whatever his shortcomings as a husband, he was a good father to his children.Like any political system, it has its shortcomings.

embarrass – имбЭрэс

to cause someone to feel anxious, ashamed, or uncomfortable:He knew that letter would embarrass him and later he tried to get rid of it.

Embarrassed

adjective They sat in embarrassed silence.

Embarrassing adjective

›[+ to infinitive] It’s embarrassing to be caught telling a lie.

EmbarrassinglyAdverb an embarrassingly poor performance

Embarrassmentnoun (недразумение,неловкая ситуация, лёгкий позор) She forgot her lines and blushed with embarrassment. \ Heavily polluted air during the Olympics would be a huge embarrassment to China.

to fail to include or do something:I’d be upset if my name were omitted from the list of contributors. \ She was omitted from the list of contributors to the report. \The Prince’s tour conveniently omitted the most deprived areas of the city.[+ to infinitive] formal She omitted to mention that she would be away next week. \ Of course, they omit the fact that it was Clinton who pushed for and signed it.

(STORY) the plan or main story of a book, film, play, etc.:The novel has a complicated plot that is sometimes difficult to follow.

(SECRET PLAN)

a secret plan to do something that is wrong, harmful, or illegal:The police discovered a plot to rob the bank.

(GROUND)

a small piece of land that has been marked or measured for a particular purpose:a garden plot

(MARK)

› mathematics [T] to mark a paper or use a computer to show the position of a number or represent a solution to an equation (=mathematical statement) and create a graph (=drawing)

[T] To plot something is also to mark or draw lines showing a route on a piece of paper or a map, or to put numbers on a piece of paper to show how amounts are related:He plotted a course between Hawaii and Tahiti. \ We measured and plotted the amounts of chemicals that were released in the countryside.

noun [C usually sing] (FUTURE SITUATION)

› the likely future situation:The economic outlook is good \ The outlook for today is cloudy and dry at first with showers later.

(ATTITUDE)

› a person’s general attitude or way of thinking about something:He has a positive outlook on life.

(VIEW)

› [C usually singular] formal what you can see from a particular place:From the top of the tower, the outlook over the city was breathtaking.

(SUBSTANCE) not allowing liquid to go through:How does glue bond with impervious substances like glass andmetal?

(PERSON)

If someone is impervious to something, they are not influenced or affected by something:He is impervious to criticism and rational argument.

(DISAGREEMENT) noun

noun (OPINION)

› [C] formal an opinion expressed in an argument:[+ that] It is her contention that exercise is more important than diet if you want to lose weight.

noun (COMPETITION)

› [U] the act of competing in order to win something or to achieve a position of leadership:The big names slowly dropped out of contention at the tournament

curtail – кётЭил

verb [T]

US /kərˈteɪl/

to reduce or limit something, or to stop something before it is finished:He had to curtail his speech when time ran out.

Curtailment

noun [U] US /kərˈteɪl·mənt/

Adjective

US /ˈɪn·sə·lənt/

(of a person or a person’s behavior) intentionally and rudely showing no respect:Students were often inattentive, sometimes even insolent, and showed relatively little interest in their work.

InsolenceThe first nanny was dismissed for insolence and the second for abusing(абьЮзинг) the children.

InsolentlyThe party breaks up when Myrtle insolently starts shouting Daisy’s name, and Tom breaks her nose with a blow of his open hand.

Adjectivenot listening to what is being said or giving your attention to what is happening:Barbara has been inattentive in class lately.

InattentivelySure, it’s idiotic to bike without a helmet, just as it is to cross the street inattentively while on a cellphone.

Attentive

listening carefully:

an attentive audience

If someone is attentive, they are very helpful and take care of you:

He was very attentive to her when she was ill.

A good teacher is always attentive to their students’ needs.

Attentivelyhe children sat listening attentively to the story. Read them attentively and understand them.

to cause something to be respected and considered important when that is not deserved:I’m not even going to dignify that stupid question with an answer.

noun [U]

US /ˌsel·fəˈstim/

respect for yourself:The program is intended to build students’ self-esteem. \ Does he suffer from low self-esteem?

verb (MAKE CHANGES(чЕнжес))

to change something slightly to make it fit, work better, or be more suitable:[T] Adjust the angle of your monitor so you can easily read it.[I] You need time to adjust to a new situation.

to arrange your clothing to make yourself look tidy:She adjusted her skirt, took a deep breath, and walked into the room.

(BECOME FAMILIAR)

AdjustableThe height of the steering wheel is adjustable.

AdjustmentOnly a few adjustments were needed to make her dress fit perfectly.

adjective Internecine war or fighting happens between members of the same group, religion, or country:internecine war/warfare

noun [C/U]

US /əˈtrɑs·ɪ·t̬i/

› an extremely cruel act, or the committing of such acts:[C] The commission reports that atrocities were committed by all sides during the struggle.

noun (OPINION)

[S] your opinion of someone or something: In my estimation a lot of other banks are going to have the same problem. \ He sank in my estimation (= my opinion of him fell) when I saw how he treated his wife. \ The first novel was successful, whereas the second, in my estimation, was not.

Whereas – верЭз в то время как \ тогда как

Conjunction

UK /weərˈæz/ US /werˈæz/

compared with the fact that; but:He must be about 60, whereas his wife looks about 30. \ You eat a huge plate of food for lunch, whereas I have just a sandwich. \ She actually enjoys confrontation, whereas I prefer a quiet life.

(PRODUCT)

› a name or symbol on a product that shows it was made by a particular company, and that it cannot be used by other companies without permission:Velcro is a registered trademark.

(TYPICAL)

› something very noticeable that a person typically has or does:He was wearing one of the brightly coloured ties that are his trademark.She gave one of her trademark smiles. \With his trademark sense of humour, physicist Stephen Hawking announced plans to search for alien life.

Important – импОртант

of great value, meaning, or effect:an important discovery[+ that clause] It’s important that you tell the doctor all your symptoms.

Important also means having great influence:an important modern artist

Stress

noun (WORRY)

[C/U] worry caused by a difficult situation, or something that causes this condition:[U] Luis is under a lot of stress right now.[C] \ It’s hard to cope with the stresses of raising a family.

noun (FORCE)

› [C/U] a force that tends to change the shape or strength of an object:[U] If a metal object experiences constant stress, it may bend or break.

noun (PRONOUNCING WORD)

the pronouncing of a word or syllable with greater force than other words in the same sentence or other syllables in the same word:[C] The main stress in the word «command» is on the secondsyllable.

Noun (IMPORTANCE)

› [U] special importance or emphasis that is given to something:There’s constant stress on status in this community.

Stressful adjective Working in the emergency room of a major hospital is highly stressfull work.

(GIVE IMPORTANCE) (подчекрунть)

› to give special importance or emphasis to something:I’d like to stress the differences between our opinions.

(PRONOUNCE)

› English to pronounce a word or syllable with greater force than other words in the same sentence or other syllables in the same word:In the word «engine,» you should stress the first syllable.

adjective between the stars:interstellar space

verb (RADIO/TELEVISION)

C1 [I or T] to broadcast something, or to send out or carry signals using radio, television, etc.:Radio Seven transmits on 201 medium wave (= uses those particular radio waves to broadcast on).The information is transmitted electronically to the central computer.

verb (PASS)

C2 [T] to pass something from one person or place to another:a sexually transmitted disease \ Cholera is transmitted through contaminated water. \ Some diseases are transmitted from one generation to the next. \ Somehow your panic and fear transmits itselfto the horse that you’re riding. \ Germs transmit disease.[I] To avoid delay, transmit by fax.

noun [C]

US /ˈbreɪkˌθru/

› an important discovery or development that helps to solve a problem:The Polaroid camera was a technological breakthrough\ Scientists are hoping for a breakthrough in the search for a cure for cancer. \ A major breakthrough in negotiations has been achieved.

verb (PROMISE)(посвятить себя)

› US /kəˈmɪt/ [I/T] -tt- to promise to give yourself, your money, your time, etc., to support something:[I/T] They wouldn’t commit (to giving) enough time or money to the project. \ Like so many men, he has problems committing himselfto a relationship. \ The government must commit itself to improving healthcare. \ Once we have committed to this course of action there is no going back. \ We have committed ourselves to stamping out racism in our organization.

commit himself to express an opinion or to make a decision that you tell people about: Neither candidate would commit himself on the issue of tax reform. \ I think I can come but I won’t commit myself till I know for sure.

(PUT)

› /kəˈmɪt/ [T] -tt- to actively put information in your memory or write it down:These rules must be committed to memory. \ I wouldn’t want to commit these comments to paper.

verb (CRIME)

› US /kəˈmɪt/ [T] -tt- to do something illegal or considered wrong:He committed a crime in providing the information to a reporter.

verb (SEND)

› [T] formal to send someone officially to prison or hospital:He’s been committed to prison for fraud. \ He was once committed to a state mental hospital.

a group or collection of twelve:a dozen eggsI brought home a half dozen/half a dozen (= six) eggs.

› [-er/-est only] treating someone in a way that is right or reasonable, or treating people equally and not allowing personal opinions to influence your judgment:All he asks is a fair chance to prove his innocence. \ I’m willing to do my fair share of the work (= equal part).

If a game or competition is fair, it is done according to the rules:It was a fair fight.

(AVERAGE)

Adjective [not gradable] neither very good nor very bad:He’s good in physics but only fair in math.\ Films are rated on a scale of poor, fair, good and excellent. \ I was fair at science but it was never my thing.

(QUITE LARGE)

[before noun] large or great in comparison::We’ve had a fair amount of rain this week. \ We’ve had a fair number of applicants. \ It’s a fair-sized garden. \ We’ve come a long way, but there’s still a fair way (= quite a long distance) to go.

(CORRECT)

› [not gradable] likely to be correct; accurate:The architect’s drawing will give you a pretty fair idea of what the completed house will look like.

If something is fair, it is reasonable and is what you expect or deserve:I thought it was a fair price that she was offering. \ I’m willing to do my fair (= equal) share of the work.All the workers want is a fair wage for the work that they do.

it is only fairused for saying that a particular action is correct or reasonable

it is only fair (that): It’s only fair that I should pay half of the cost.

it’s fair to sayI think it’s fair to say (that) you’ve done less of the work than I have.

to be fair considering everything that has an effect on a situation, so that a fair judgment can be made:He’s done the job badly but, to be fair, I gave him very little time to do it.

fair enough something you say to show that you understand why someone has done or said something:«I’m just annoyed with him because he’s behaved so badly.» «Fair enough.»

(WEATHER)

› [-er/-est only] (of weather) pleasant and dryFair weather was forecast for the following day.

(PALE)

› [-er/-est only] (of skin) pale, or (of hair) light in color:If you have fair skin, you’ll get a sunburn easily.

(QUITE GOOD)

› [before noun] (of an idea, guess, or chance) good, but not excellent:I think I’ve got a fair idea of (= I understand reasonably well) what you want.\ She’s got a fair chance of winning (= there is a reasonable chance that she will win).

(BEAUTIFUL)

› old use or literary (of a woman) beautiful:a fair maiden

all’s fair in love and war (There is no Rules) All’s fair in love, war and Christmas shopping.

A fair crack of the whip

Noun a large public event where goods are bought and sold, usually from tables that have been specially arranged for the event, and where there is often entertainment:I bought a wooden salad bowl at the local craft fair.

a large show at which people who work in a particular industry meet, and sell and advertise their products:a book/antiques/toy faira trade fair

verb (MAKE CERTAIN)

› also ensure to make something certain, or to be certain about something:[+ (that) clause] Because of the importance of the game, we wanted to insure (that) it would be televised. \ [T] We had reporters check to insure the accuracy of the story.\ The airline is taking steps to ensure safety on its aircraft. \ [+ (that)] The role of the police is to ensure (that) the law is obeyed. \ [+ two objects] Their 2–0 victory today has ensured the Italian team a place in the Cup Final / ensured a place in the Cup Final for the Italian team. \ The company’s sole concern is to ensure the safety of itsemployees. \ You have a legal obligation to ensure your child receives a propereducation.

(PROTECT)

adjective not according to or acceptable to the law:unlawful behavior/business practices/discrimination

the movement of a lot of people from a place at the same time:The hurricane warning caused a mass exodus. \ There has been a mass exodus of workers from the villages to the towns.

Resentment noun [U] There is some community resentment toward the school’s new policy. \ He feels/harbours (a) deep resentment against/towards his parentsfor his miserable childhood.

adverbshowing happiness or enjoyment:Her eyes sparkled merrily.

informal without thinking about the result of what you are doing or about the problems it might cause:The factory has been merrily pumping chemical waste into theriver for the past ten years.

Merry – мЭри happy or showing enjoyment:

the merry sound of laughter She’s a merry little soul.

adjectivesuitable for your purposes and needs and causing the least difficulty: Our local shop has very convenient opening hours. \ A bike’s a very convenient way of getting around. \ [+ that] It‘s very convenient that you live near the office. \ [+ to infinitive] I find it convenient to be able to do my bankingonline. \ I shop here because it’s convenient.

adverb convenientlyOur house is conveniently located near the station.

near or easy to get to or use:a very convenient bus serviceOur new house is very convenient for (= near to) the kids’ school. \ It’s not really convenient for you to come this afternoon.

experience – икспИриенс

noun [U] (the process of getting) knowledge or skill from doing, seeing, or feeling things:Do you have any experience of working with kids? (= Have you ever worked with them?)\The best way to learn is by experience (= by doing things). \ I know from experience that Tony never keeps his promises. \ I don’t think she has the experience for the job (= enough knowledge and skill for it).

something that happens to you that affects how you feel:

I had a pretty unpleasant experience at the dentist’s. \ It was interesting hearing about his experiences as a policeman. \I did meet him once and it was an experience I shall never forget.

Verb to have something happen to you, or to do or feel something:The community has experienced rapid residential growth. \ She began to experience sharp pains in her elbow.

adjectivehaving or seeming to have unlimited knowledge:They give the impression that the magazine is omniscient.

Omniscience nounOne would have to be omniscient to know whether or not omniscience exists.

the feeling of being entertained or made to laugh:She looked at him with amusement. \ I play the piano just for my own amusement (= to entertain myself, not other people).

something that entertains you, or the state of being amused by something that entertains you:For the children’s amusement, Elizabeth helped them put on a play.

something that amuses you by making you smile orlaugh, or the state of being amused by something that makes you smile or laugh:We watched the clown with great amusement.

amuse verb

to entertain someone, especially by humorous speech oraction or by making them laugh or smile:I’ve brought an article from yesterday’s paper that I thought might amuse you.[+ obj + to infinitive ]\ I think it amuses him to see people make fools of themselves. \ Apparently these stories are meant to amuse.

to keep someone happy, especially for a short time:We amused ourselves by watching the passers-by. \ Shall I put on a DVD to amuse the kids?

to make someone smile or laugh:His subtle humor amused me.Her ability to hack into computer systems did not amuse hersuperiors.

Amusing adjective One amusing story after another kept the audience laughing.

(of a person or of behaviour) praising people in authority in a way that is not sincere, usually in order to get some advantage from them:There was sycophantic laughter from the audience at every one of his terrible jokes.

Sycophancy – сикафанси

Outage— Aутедж

[C] a period when a service, such as electricity, is not available:The radio news reported power outages affecting 50 homes.

to make a high, complaining sound, or to complain continually:If you don’t stop whining, we won’t go at all!

to make a long, high, sad sound:Leon’s dog was sitting by the door whining, so I thought I’dbetter take it for a walk.

Ensue – инсъУ

Verb to happen after something else, especially as a result of it:The police officer said that he had placed the man under arrest and that a scuffle had ensued.\ Chaos ensued when 60 charter schools run by one company were all suddenly closed.\ After his outburst, a long silence ensued. \ If his nation follows Greece into a debt crisis, financial disaster could ensue.

noun (HAPPINESS)

[U] a feeling of happiness that something unpleasant has not happened or has ended:She breathed a sigh of relief when she finished her exams. \ After the exam, I felt an incredible sense of relief.

Relief also means the reduction or end of pain:Aspirin may give you some relief.

(HELP)

› [U] food, money, or services for people in need:disaster relief \ an international relief operation \ relief agencies/supplies

(RAISED AREA)

› [U] a method of raising shapes above a flat surface so that they appear to stand out slightly from it:Coins have pictures on them in relief.

a sculpture made from a flat surface in which the forms are raised above the surface:stone reliefs

Организация стока поверхностных вод: Наибольшее количество влаги на земном шаре испаряется с поверхности морей и океанов (88‰).

Общие условия выбора системы дренажа: Система дренажа выбирается в зависимости от характера защищаемого.

How to Be More Confident

This article was co-authored by Guy Reichard and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Guy Reichard is an Executive Life Coach and the Founder of HeartRich Coaching & Training, a professional life coaching and inner leadership training provider based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He works with people to create more meaning, purpose, well-being, and fulfillment in their lives. Guy has over 10 years of personal growth coaching and resilience training experience, helping clients enhance and transform their inner worlds, so they can be a more positive and powerful influence on those they love and lead. He is an Adler Certified Professional Coach (ACPC), and is accredited by the International Coach Federation. He earned a BA in Psychology from York University in 1997 and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from York University in 2000.

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Confidence is important for positive social interactions, performing well in school, and advancing your career. If you feel like your confidence is low, you might shy away from new opportunities or avoid things that you find difficult. With these tips and tricks, you can work toward building your confidence and raising your self-esteem to tackle anything that life throws at you. Becoming more confident takes time, so keep going, even if it gets tough.