a better one

* If others give you no respect, monopolise time or walk all over you, ask yourself, " What am I doing to encourage people to treat me like this? " If you want them to change, YOU have to change.

* As always, our challenge is to strike an harmonious balance.

* You decide to control the situation and answer only the questions which you want.

* No explanation is necessary. You don't have to explain your whole life and social calender to everyone else's satisfaction.

* We don't always have to have reasons in life, anyway.

* If you choose to explain yourself, do it because you want to share your thoughts with another person and not because you need their approval.

* The more you stand by your commitments, the stronger you become.

* One of life's important lessons can be learning when to keep our mouth shut.

* Sometimes the best way to get along with someone is to be absent.

* You'll never please all of the people all of the time anyway. You can be doing better things with your time than trying to convince people against their will.

* Praise is the sugar which makes the medicine palatable.

* A couple of intelligent questions will eliminate the problem.

* Get the facts before opening your big mouth.

* Friendship and support is a two-way street.

from the book of making friends by andrew matthews