“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” — Thomas Jefferson

How to be Smarter: Sometimes choices have already been made, and so the type of advice needed is really support for the direction you have decided to move in. If a decision has been made, instead of asking a friend “for advice” ask them “for support”; this changes the conversation from ways you could have managed the situation differently to support for the way you have decided to go.

How to be Prettier: Blow dry your hair in a different room than the bathroom; the moisture in the air left over from your bath/shower usually makes the drying process take even longer.

How to be (less) Awkward: A paradox of feeling comfortable at social events is that doing things that feel uncomfortable in the short-term actually make you more comfortable in the long-term. Saying hi to someone new is very nerve-wracking the first five times, but by the 15th time, it’s much easier. If networking or meeting new people makes you nervous, remind yourself that doing something that feels scary at this moment will make it much easier the next time so you won’t have to feel this way again – it will get better.

This was originally written for Parade magazine; you can read all my Parade columns here. xo, Molly