Confidence is a funny thing. It can be elusive, hard to define, and even harder to attain. It’s a quality that can be faked, postured, and imitated, but only the truly confident man can claim it as their own. If you want to boost your confidence and become your best version of yourself, read on.

4. You Take Risks. 

When it comes to success in life, it pays to be a risk-taker. Confident men are not afraid to take chances and seize new opportunities. You understand that failure is a part of life, and you are willing to take risks in order to achieve your goals. Playing life safe isn’t an option. While there is no guarantee of success, confident men know that the rewards are worth the risk.

5. You Know How To Compromise. 

It’s easy to get carried away with always getting what you want, but truly confident men know how to compromise, haggle, or just negotiate for a mutually beneficial outcome. A confident man is never greedy because he knows his value—he knows exactly how much value people should give him in return. Compromise is simply a means to an end.

The Bottom Line.  

Self-confident men have a lot to offer the world. They are risk-takers who aren’t afraid of failure and pursue their goals with passion. They set high standards for themselves and live lives that inspire others. Their positive attitude and confident body language make them stand out in a crowd. So, if you want to improve your life, try adopting some of the characteristics of a self-confident man. You won’t regret it!

Shopping for your significant others Christmas gift shouldn’t be treated like a chore to check off your to-do list. With just a bit of planning and consideration, you can impress the special woman in your life with a meaningful, memorable gift. So, this year when shopping for that special someone, get her something she’ll love. With that said, please avoid these Christmas gift-giving mistakes at all costs:

5. Small Kitchen Appliances.

Like it or not, a mixer or a toaster oven often carries the implication that you’d like her to spend more time in the kitchen. Gifts like these send an unintended message that simply isn’t heartwarming. Even if it is the hottest, most amazing new appliance on the planet, a woman is likely not going to appreciate it as a gift.

6. Cleaning Products or Supplies.

Believe it or not, my father once gave my mother a vacuum for Christmas. What may be even more surprising is that they’re still married. Just as is the case with kitchen appliances, anything that purportedly makes cleaning the house or doing laundry easier is not a proper gift-giving item. It’s the kind of thing that you bring home from the hardware store on a random day just because. Even then, you should tread lightly.

7. Weight Loss Programs or Gym Memberships.

Like it or not, one of the worst gifts to give women is membership in a gym or weight loss program. This is the opposite of the message she wants to hear—that she is beautiful no matter her size or shape. She may drop hints all the time that she wants to lose weight or tone up, but, like many of the gifts on this list, this is something she will have to invest in herself, on her own time, when she is ready. The same can be said about home exercise equipment. Unless she has specifically asked for weights or a treadmill, don’t risk insulting her with these gifts.

8. Gift Cards.

A gift card specifically shows exactly how much money you spent on the recipient. The potential for insulting a woman is high, as it sends the message that you simply could not come up with anything to purchase. It also shows a lack of interest or laziness on your part. If you want to give a gift that cannot be wrapped or must be purchased in the future though, why not create your own gift certificate? For example, a night at her favorite restaurant or a weekend getaway (just make sure that the gift is about her taste, and not yours). A gift certificate to a football game or a weekend fishing trip would likely be additional gifts not to give a woman.

By Adam Bailey

Being chosen as “the best man” isn’t just to fill out a list that comes with the wedding invitation. At the risk of sounding like a pageant contestant, being the best man is a privilege that comes with responsibilities. That the groom—likely your best friend—has trusted you to be dependable when it comes to all things wedding-related.
While that sounds straightforward—it is not so simple. After all, the groom has asked you to stand by his side during one of the most significant events of his life. If you haven’t done this before, or if you would like to know what it takes to become the “best” best man, here’s a list of what to do so you can easily perform your duties.

Don’t Forget Small Talk.

Weddings are a celebration of love, so share some around. Make time for key family members and their friends—so introduce yourself and explain how your and the groom’s friendship came about. Why? Because for the older generations, a wedding’s appeal extends past the free bar. Any anecdotes about when you first met the bride, or how you and the groom are such good friends, will be fondly remembered. And appreciated.

Nail the Speech.

Best to follow the three F’s: fitting, full of sentiment (not innuendo), and funny. Deliver the first two and the third will follow. Setting out to be hilarious ends in failure ninety percent of the time—so don’t try to be the exception. Poke fun at the groom, even tease the bride about what she’s got herself in for, but this is no place to be dishing up dirt. Pleasantries like “Doesn’t the groom look dashing today” and “Everyone’s excited about your future” go down well.

Moderation is Key.

Enjoy yourself at the wedding, especially at the reception. It is, after all, a celebration that calls for serious fun and merrymaking—so by all means dine, drink, and dance throughout the night.
That said, while it may be customary to drink with your fellow groomsmen or take a swig of whisky during the morning preparations, don’t go overboard. Drink in moderation and if you can, skip the cocktail bar, especially before your big speech. If you are bringing a flask, please don’t drink from it before the reception. Nobody likes or wants a drunk Best Man.

Enjoy Yourself.

Don’t forget that it’s an honor to be chosen as the best man, not a chore. Such bravado can be hard to come by in today’s worlds—so embrace every moment and make sure you’re the “best” best man you can possibly be.

Boys, the big day is coming up. It’s the Superbowl of Summer, the High Hamburger Holiday—the Fourth of July is near. That means stocking up on beer of all kinds, plus sunscreen and ground beef and maybe some Advil and Gatorade. To help you live your best Fourth of July-celebrating life, here’s a list of a few of the best activities in creating an Independence Day to remember!

Have a Block Party.
Gather all the neighbors on your street and get together for a block party. Have all the dads bring their grills, along with coolers of meat and beer; the moms can bring salads and desserts; and the kids would have water balloon fights and light some fireworks. Stuff your faces with all the hot dogs and potato salad we could eat.

Light Up the Grill.
Barbecues and grilling have been a part of our observance of America’s freedom since the early days. And whether it be hotdogs or burgers, you know what they say about good food: they bring people and families together.

Blow Stuff Up.
Remember all those fireworks you bought earlier in the day? After the sun set, the parents would take the kids out to the fields behind our houses to light fireworks.

Watch Some Epic Fireworks.
An Independence Day celebration is never complete without an iconic display of fireworks lighting up the night sky. Go sprawl out on some grass with your hands behind your head and watch the loud bursts of color explode in the sky. Some of the area’s
best and brightest fireworks celebrations include Freedom Fest (Shreveport-Bossier City)
It’s the perfect way to end a day full of food, family, fun, and patriotism.

4. Make Certain Toys Disappear.

Your kid will be gifted toys that make unholy noises— high-pitched sounds and piercing chirps that grate on your ears and, eventually, your soul. Trust me when I say you’ll want to destroy—cough—I mean remove these things at all costs. But the moment you try to do so in view of your child will be the moment when that stuffed abomination becomes his favorite toy ever. Do the proper adult, manly thing, and raid the toy bins under cover of darkness. Then dump the karaoke microphone and singing robot where he’ll never find it—like at the bottom of the Red River or North Dakota. No kid under the age of three will remember that toy, and older kids can always be blamed for “losing” the toy.

5. Ignore The Tantrum.

Children are smart—smarter than we give them credit for. They know they have the upper hand. All they have to do is cry or be cute or maybe throw a little mini-tantrum to get what they want. And, yes, most times we cave in. But there comes a point where we become smart as the parent. We allow them to cry themselves to sleep. They realize tantrums no longer work when the father sits back and says, “You know what? You can cry all you want. This house is soundproof. No one will hear you, and no one will care. I’m going to go watch the game.” That’s when you get the upper hand.

9. Outsource The Areas Where You Are Weak.

You and your wife probably have complementary skill sets. Use that to your advantage. Say she’s calm and organized, whereas you’re stylish and a better-than-average line cook. Let her handle buying the clothes while you whip up a bomb grilled cheese sandwich for lunch.

10. Strategically Time Your Daily Chores.

When it seems like a tantrum is coming, dive into kitchen cleanup. When your wife looks at you to take care of the tantrum, you glance back like, “See? I’ve got my arms submerged in dishwater right now! You got this, honey!” 

11. Say No To Pre-K Algebra and Language Lessons.

In most societies, children are left to grow up at their own pace. In our society, most parents can’t wait to turn them into dutiful little pupils. It’s amazing to see perfectly normal middle-class parents using flash cards to teach arithmetic to 2-year-olds. STOP! STOP! STOP! That is insane. We’ve developed this idea that we must optimize our kids—and all that is doing is stealing their childhood. It’s ok to them be kids—after all they are, in fact, KIDS!

12. Whatever Mom Says Is CORRECT.

A happy wife is a happy life!