Q: Try not to dominate conversations. If you do all the talking in a conversation, people will feel like you’re talking at them. Instead, let other people talk and only provide input when they’re finished. This makes you look like a polite, attentive person who cares what other people have to say.  Don’t interrupt a person while they’re speaking. People don’t like being cut off. Always let them finish what they’re saying. Of course, still answer questions if the person asks them. But don’t just look for the next time you can start talking about yourself again. Allow other people to talk. Keep conversations going by asking the other person about themselves. Give people the opportunity to open up and talk about themselves. They will appreciate talking to someone who listens to them. Even a simple, “How are you doing today?” makes people feel like you care about them.  Don’t just ask superficial questions. Demonstrate that you were listening by asking questions based on what they person was saying. For example, if someone is telling you about their vacation and mention they got a flat tire, say, “Wow, how did you fix the tire?” This shows that you’re not only interested, but were paying attention to the story. Don’t look distracted while conversing with people. Checking your phone or computer constantly makes you look rude and uninterested. Put your phone down and look away from the computer. Make eye contact with the person so they know you’re paying attention.  If you do have to check your phone, excuse yourself and say, “Sorry, I have to check this for one second.” If you are actually busy and don’t have time to talk, be polite about it. Say, “I’d love to talk some more but I have a work call to make. I’ll see you later.” Get excited when someone tells you something. If they share a piece of good news or an accomplishment, congratulate them. A simple, “That’s great!” will make them feel like they really did accomplish something and that you care about it. People sometimes get shy when you compliment them. If they say something like, “Oh, it’s no big deal,” you can follow up with, “Well just know I’m happy for you.” This maintains the personal connection with the other person without making them uncomfortable. It’s possible someone will congratulate or compliment you in a conversation. Thank them sincerely for the compliment, and then return a compliment. This makes you look both gracious and generous at the same time. A coworker might say that you offered a great idea in the meeting today. You could respond, “Thanks, I’m glad you liked it. With your skills I’m sure you can pull it off.” Inevitably, you’ll disagree with people on some of their beliefs or opinions. Keep the conversation friendly and don’t criticize them. Allow them to voice their opinions. That way, they’ll continue feeling safe and happy talking to you.  You can still voice your disagreement without being hostile. Just simply saying, “That’s not the way I see it, but I get your point,” shows that you disagree but also gives the other person credit. If you want to avoid confrontation altogether, you can just ignore their opinion and try to steer the conversation elsewhere.
A: Listen more than you speak. Ask questions about the person. Look away from your phone or computer when speaking with people. Be enthusiastic about what they say. Return compliments if the other person gives them. Avoid criticizing their opinions.

Q: Defining the muscles of the lower back can help the whole area look more structured and bring out features like back dimples. In order to do this, you can either hit the weights and machines or do simple exercises that use your own body weight. You will probably see the best results if you do strength training exercises a few times a week. However, let your back muscles rest by taking days off between training sessions. Shoot for 3 back-strengthening sessions per week, or ask a trainer for their recommendation. Lie on the floor face-down with your arms stretched out straight in front of you. Keep your legs straight out behind you with your feet together. Simultaneously lift your arms and legs toward the ceiling so that only your belly is touching the floor.  Hold this position for 30 seconds before slowly returning to the starting position. Repeat 3-5 times. Start by lying flat on your back with your arms at your sides and bend your knees so that your feet are resting flat on the floor. Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart. From this position:  Lift your hips and squeeze your glutes, keeping all your weight on your upper back and shoulders. Lift 1 leg straight up into the air, and carefully lower your hips toward the floor and raise them again 12-15 times before returning to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. to strengthen your whole back. To do a deadlift, use a weighted barbell. Stand with your hips shoulder-width apart and get into a low squat, then grasp the bar with an overhand grip. Keeping your spine straight and your thighs parallel to the floor, push your hips and butt out behind you. Slowly stand up straight, pushing up through your heels to lift the bar.  Once you've completed the lift, slowly drop your torso and hips to return to starting position. If you are not used to lifting large amounts of weight, try this exercise with only the bar at first. Gradually increase the amount of weight you use. Do 3 sets of 12 reps.
A: Choose exercises that strengthen your lower back. Try the Superman exercise to target your lower back. Strengthen your lower back and glutes with 1-legged bridges. Do deadlifts

Q: Some riddles require creative math skills, such as this riddle: “A barrel of water weighs 50 pounds. What must you add to it to make it weigh 35 pounds?” (Answer: a hole.) Although both enigmas and conundrums often ask the riddle in the form of a question, enigmas are often more complex problems, while conundrums may ask a simple question. With a challenging riddle, it may be helpful to break down the riddle into parts, as demonstrated in Part 2. While breaking down a riddle into parts and considering multiple possible solutions may seem awkward or clunky at first, it will get much faster and easier with practice. One of the most important tactics when listening to or reading a riddle is to not jump to conclusions. To solve a riddle, you will need to consider both the literal and the potential meanings of the words. For example, this riddle asks: “What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries?” (Answer: a towel.) Even though the actions seem contradictory, a towel does dry things and get wet as it dries those things. Try to think of different ways to interpret the clues the riddle gives. Enigmas in particular are often very figurative, meaning they will use words with a literal meaning to convey something metaphorical. For example, this riddle asks: “What has golden hair and stands in the corner?” The answer is a broom: the “golden hair” is the yellow straw of a traditional straw broom, and it “stands” in the corner when it isn’t being used. This is particularly common with riddles that are written to sound like they are asking for an inappropriate or explicit answer. The possibility of multiple answers allows for a laugh from both parties. The goal of a trick riddle is to get you to give the most “obvious” (and also usually most explicit) answer. For example, there are several answers to this riddle: “What four-letter word ending in K means ‘intercourse’?” In order to give the “right” answer (“talk”), you must look past the most common assumptions and think more flexibly.
A:
Determine what type of riddle you’re working with. Consider the possibilities. Suspend judgment on the answer. Practice flexibility in considering answers. Understand that sometimes riddles will try to trick you.