Your neighbor buys a brand new BMW -- the same one you eyed in a catalog last week -- and you burn with envy. Your coworker purchases a new house and invites you to a housewarming party. You debate whether to turn down the invitation only because you're angry that you haven't found a home for yourself after a frustrating two-year search.  There will always be things others possess that we wish we could own, too.  But comparing yourself to others and always trying to keep up with the Joneses is the wrong approach. If you want something badly, work hard to acquire it -- whether that means saving money for years, cutting vacations for a while, or angling for a promotion.  Once you have it in your possession, take pride in the fact that you accomplished a huge goal by virtue of your hard work -- that you rewarded yourself with something you truly deserved.  In other words, what you achieve should revolve solely around you -- not what others do o...

It isn't being a good cook or a hardcore sports fan, though those things definitely help. A secret to winning a man's heart is to be supportive of his decisions, whether they involve his health, appearance, education, or career. Among the many things a man seeks in a woman is encouragement . He wants a partner who will encourage him to follow his dreams, no matter how outlandish they may seem at first. Even if you find his plan to leave the medical field and become a professor preposterous, for example, don't lambast him for it. Hear him out and see what he has to say. His reasons for wanting to make the switch may be totally valid. Every man desires a woman he can confide in -- someone who inspires him to reach for the stars, not shoots down his every aspiration. If you take exception to all or most of his plans, you can rest assured he'll come to one conclusion: you are not the person he sees himself having a future with. In the end, men want someone who bel...