Problem: Article: Unlike appetizers, which offer a variety to please most people in a big party, your main course will be more specific and possibly more polarizing, if a guest doesn’t like the food on offer.  Choose a simpler, universally-appealing meal if there will be lots of kids in attendance. You can expect a small group of adults to be more flexible and willing to try new dishes. If there’s just one or two kids in attendance, consider cooking them a separate, simpler dish, such as a grilled cheese or hot dog. This will give you more freedom to choose a main course just for the adults. for an easier, less formal dish. Chicken is also pretty universally popular and less expensive. You can dress it up with side dishes like roasted potatoes and vegetables.  Plan for each guest to eat about 1.5 pieces of chicken. Spinach, asparagus or portobello mushroom is a good choice for a chicken main dish. for a filling, more versatile meal. You can take beef in many different directions: steak or even tri-tip feels more formal, while ribs will make things fun and messy. Consider the atmosphere you want at your dinner party to choose what kind of beef to serve.  Each guest’s portion size will depend on the amount of bones in the meat. For a boneless cut of meat, buy 4-5oz (115-140 g) per guest. For a cut with bones, such as steak or pork chop, estimate 5-8 oz (115-226 g) per person. And for meat with lots of bones, like ribs, buy 12-16 oz (340-454 g) per person.  Mashed potatoes are a traditional favorite side for steak. For a healthier option, try roasted broccoli or brussel sprouts. for a lighter meal at a smaller party. Fish can easily be overcooked, so reserve fish main courses for smaller groups so that you can pay extra attention to your cooking. It’s a great option for a party with lots of pescatarians, but make sure to serve with side dishes to make a more filling meal.  Buy locally-caught fish for a cheaper, fresher option. You can get creative with fish side dishes, depending on the fish. Potatoes, salad, pasta or even bean salsa can pair very well many different kinds of fish. If the majority of your guests are vegetarians, consider a meat-less pasta with lots of veggies or mushrooms, or even a homemade pizza or frittata. You’ll have the advantage of saving money and avoiding the stress of over- or undercooking meat. Research filling vegetarian dishes on the Internet or in vegetarian cookbooks.
Summary: Choose a main course based on your guests’ preferences. Serve chicken Serve beef Serve fish Serve hearty pastas or frittatas for a vegetarian party.

Problem: Article: The best defense against people who dislike you is to like yourself. When you are confident in yourself, that confidences radiates and other people notice.  Self-confidence comes from knowing that you are good enough (self-esteem) and that you are capable (self-efficacy).  Do an inventory to identify things about yourself that you are confident in versus things that make you self-conscious or insecure. You can start by making a list of all the things you are good at, and a list of things you struggle with. Consider all types of things, like making people laugh, cooking, sticking to a schedule, keeping promises, dancing, etc. You might categorize these things into groups like "social," "emotional," "physical," "cognitive," or others that are important to you. Focus on improving negative thoughts and negative "self talk" (the things you say to yourself in your head), especially on the areas that you feel that you are not good at. When you find yourself doubting your ability or thinking negatively, reframe it. Instead of thinking, "I am so bad at math," think about how good you are at looking for details and solving problems, and say to yourself, "I can conquer this math problem!" The term "disliked" is not very specific. If you think of someone or something you "dislike," you might really be feeling emotions like ambivalence, disgust, distrust, fear, hurt, resentment, jealousy, or any myriad of combinations of these or other negative emotions.  If your goal is to reduce the negative feelings someone has for you, you have to identify why it is that you are disliked. Then, you can work on improving that particular area for that particular person.  For example, if someone dislikes you because she feels you come on too strong, you can try to tone it down around that person. Or if someone dislikes you because you often break your commitments, you can work on being more consistent and keeping your word. Pinpointing why you are disliked might also reveal a simple truth: often times people dislike you for reasons that have nothing to do with you. It is entirely unfair, but completely normal. A person may dislike you because you remind them of someone, because they are just a negative person, or because they are jealous of you-- or a number of other reasons! Sometimes realizing that someone's reasons for disliking you are superficial, absurd, or simply irrelevant to you can help you accept being disliked for what it really is. If others dislike you at school, work, church, home, or any other place in particular, and you cannot figure out why on your own, you might consider asking someone you trust to help you figure out why.  Someone who likes you but will be honest with you is best!  Let them know that you are trying to understand why others dislike you, and that you need some feedback from someone who knows you well. Your trusted friend can help you to recognize the reasons (or lack of reasons) why others might dislike you, and then help you to focus on your own acceptance of the situation.
Summary: Build self-confidence. Identify the root of why you are disliked. Ask someone you trust.

Problem: Article: If you want to achieve something, it's important to make the goals concrete. Take some time to reflect on what exactly you want to accomplish in your life and what steps you need to take to get there.  Make sure your goals are things that you can accomplish on your own. Do not, for example, focus your goals around getting married. As you are setting goals for yourself, be sure they are things that you believe will genuinely help you feel fulfilled, not things that you feel are expected of you. Don't be afraid to change your plan along the way, as long as you're not giving up on something you still want. Aspirations change over time and that's perfectly fine. Remind yourself of your goals when times get tough. Focusing on your end-goal can help you persevere. People often get stuck in life because they get too comfortable. If you want to keep reaching for your dreams, you have to find new challenges for yourself to overcome. This will not only help you achieve more, but it will also keep you more mentally stimulated and fulfilled. This may sometimes require making a difficult or "less safe" choice, but remind yourself that you need to step outside of your comfort zone at times in order to achieve your goals. It's important to be your own cheerleader and to never stop being proud of yourself for everything you accomplish. Rewarding yourself will help you feel satisfied about what you have already done and stay motivated to do even more.  Try setting small, very attainable goals for yourself and celebrating each time you meet one. Your reward can be anything you enjoy, from a day at the beach to a party with friends. When you achieve a larger goal, give yourself a bigger reward, like a great vacation. Focusing too much on goals can cause people to lose sight of life's little pleasures. While it's great to be have dreams, it's also important to slow down and enjoy what is happening in your life at the moment. If you find that you are so wrapped up in work that you are not enjoying life, you need to take a step back and reevaluate your priorities. Working to achieve your goals should increase your happiness, not decrease it.
Summary:
Visualize your future and set goals. Constantly challenge yourself. Celebrate your victories. Don't forget to live in the moment.