INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Striking is the art of punching and kicking your opponent. In order to compete with the strong person face to face, you'll need to develop striking skills. Find a local gym and talk to the trainer about taking classes.  The most popular and effective striking arts include American boxing, Muay Thai Kickboxing, and Karate. When fighting a strong person, use your speed to your advantage. Try to dodge their punches without getting hit. Don't think you can become efficient at striking or at any martial art, without going to an official gym. Muay Thai for example, has been developed for several hundred years and requires an immense amount of skill. Many fights end up on the ground, or in a wrestling or grappling situation. This can pose an obvious disadvantage if you are competing against someone that's strong. If you're able to learn how to grapple however, you will have the advantage against someone who is untrained in any grappling arts.  Popular grappling arts include wrestling, Greco Roman wrestling, Judo, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.  Going to the ground may even be a better situation if you can get top control or your opponent is efficient at striking. ”Rolling” or grappling practice is the best way for you to get experience. Take every opportunity to grapple with someone bigger and better than you when you attend your class. Once you have trained and refined your technique, sparring will give you a real experience if you get into a fight. While they could never substitute real training and sparring, instructional videos can give you a glimpse into different ways you can protect yourself from a strong person. If you can't afford a class, or there isn't one in your area, this could be an alternative.  Do not rely on instructional videos before trying to beat a strong person. Make sure to check the ratings on the instructional video before you purchase it, so you know that others have found it effective.

SUMMARY: Train in a striking martial arts discipline. Learn how to grapple if the fight goes to the ground. Watch instructional videos on how to defend yourself.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Clean, empty formula cans make excellent storage containers for crayons (or markers or colored pencils). If desired, you can cut strips of paper or fabric and use them to decorate the can. You can also use a formula can as a piggy bank. Cut a slot into the center of the lid for money, then secure the lid. Decorate as desired. Baby food jars are transparent, so they make great storage containers for small items. Use them for buttons, beads, thumbtacks, paper clips, and anything else you can think of.  Baby food jars work especially well for spices. Be sure to label them clearly. Alternatively, use them to store paints. The boxes from wet wipes can be used to store makeup, hair accessories, first aid supplies, arts and crafts materials, and anything else that fits. Since these boxes are made from plastic, which is waterproof, you can also use them to store family photos or important documents.

SUMMARY: Store crayons in old formula cans. Make a piggy bank. Use baby food jars for storage. Use wet wipes boxes to store various supplies.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Purchase the oil recommended for your paper shredder by the manufacturer. Different shredders will use different oils and will usually sell the oil where you purchased your shredder. If you are using an old and/or out of warranty paper shredder, you can use canola oil as a substitute rather than purchasing oil. The oil produced by some brands is actually just repackaged canola oil so you can save a little money by using canola oil. Setting the shredder to manual mode allows you to control the direction that the blades are rotating and the length of time that they are moving. You will need this for oiling the paper. While the paper shredder is off, squirt a line of oil lengthwise across the paper entry. This puts oil along the entire length of the blades. Start the paper shredder in the reverse direction and keep it in motion for 10-20 seconds before stopping the blades. This way the oil is spread and redistributed around to the entire cutting assembly. Turn off manual mode and restart the machine in automatic mode for normal use. Pass at least two or three more pieces of paper into the shredder so that they absorb the extra oil left on the blades.

SUMMARY: Obtain manufacturer-approved oil. Set the shredder to manual mode. Squirt a little oil along the paper entry line. Run the shredder in reverse for 10-20 seconds. Put the shredder back to automatic mode. Feed a few papers into the shredder to absorb the excess oil.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Adults spend a lot of time worrying about how others perceive their behavior, but this leave you feeling stressed and self-conscious. To feel more youthful, even just temporarily, don’t worry about appearing stupid, silly, or crazy.  For example, don't worry about how loud you are laughing. Just enjoy the feeling. If you start to worry about what other people might think, push these thoughts aside and focus instead on how good it feels to laugh, joke around, or play. Many of the activities you can do to feel more like a kid will require you to let go of your inhibitions and worry less about what other people may think. This may be hard to do, but you can start out small. Watch a funny movie and laugh as much as you want. Worrying about how other people view you prevents you from feeling like a kid, but so does judging other people. Kids are often more accepting and open-minded than adults, so try to follow their example.  When you catch yourself thinking negatively about another person, make yourself think of something nice instead. This might feel forced at first, but it will help retrain your brain to stop being judgmental and start being positive. Psychologists suggest that one of the best ways to reduce your judgmental attitude about other people is to start being nice to yourself since judgement comes from a place of insecurity. Make a list of your best personality and character traits. Read this out loud every morning, and you'll notice that you have a better perspective on the world and the people around you. Feeling like a kid again involves embracing spontaneity and a less structured schedule. It is difficult to feel youthful and free when you have to worry about upcoming appointments, meetings, or responsibilities.  While not every day can be unscheduled or open, try to avoid making lots of commitments for your days off. Plan activities with friends or family, but don’t set a specific time or precise schedule. For a brief time, allow yourself to let go of adult responsibilities. Laundry, bill paying, and cleaning won't help you feel like a kid again. A lot of adults feel the need to spend all of their free time engaged in specific, productive activities, but this is not how most kids live. It might take some effort, but allowing yourself to feel okay about having nothing to do will help you relax and feel more youthful.  Giving yourself time to be bored provides you with the time to imagine, explore, and think about whatever you’d like. Most adults discourage themselves from daydreaming, but experts say daydreaming and a healthy imagination often lead to more productive and creative ideas. Few things are more stressful than being responsible for everyone else and their schedules. To feel more like a kid, occasionally let someone else take charge.  Ride in the backseat of the car instead of driving. Let someone else decide what to eat for dinner. Instead of managing an activity or outing, just sit back and enjoy the day. As adults we often feel like we have to follow rules all the time, but kids are often more adventurous. While you shouldn’t violate laws or ignore your responsibilities, try breaking a few unwritten rules of adulthood.  Stay up late on a work night. Eat dessert first. Watch a movie in the middle of the day.

SUMMARY:
Release your inhibitions. Stop being judgmental. Toss your planner or schedule. Embrace being bored. Let someone else take charge. Break a few rules, within reason.