So many times I've stayed at houses and it's very awkward to open stuff like sealed TP, milk and juice cartons, tissues in the guest room--even after being told to help myself to anything needed. I buy new or extra stuff just for guests, but open it beforehand. Rip open maxi pad/tampon packages, take toothpaste out of the cardboard, remove the foil tops from lotions, leave at least two opened boxes of tissues around, etc. It takes the weirdness out of a guest waiting until 11 am the next day to meekly ask if they can actually use it, even if they already have been told to have at it. And it makes everything run smoother when we don't have to have conversations about why they needed something.

Edit: Clarification for the people fixating on the TP part of this: Of course I open toilet paper instead of quietly sitting in my own waste for the entire weekend for the sake of politeness, spreading my filth all over the furniture. But the host doesn't have to make it weird. If there's a pallet of TP sitting on top of your dryer, break me off a piece of that, and leave it on the back of the toilet. Be kind to your guests. Leave a couple rolls out.

I once read that on flights, when they serve drinks in cups, you can ask for the whole can. Small thing, but it never occurred to me. I tried it – and it worked!

Another example: I’m currently looking for a new house. The previous owners had some really cool installations, and I was hesitant to ask if we could take them over. I did anyway – and they said yes, leaving them for dirt cheap!

Same goes for a career raise, sending an application or growth opportunities. Just ask!

The lesson? Sometimes just asking opens doors you didn’t even think about. Worst case, you hear “no.” Best case, you get something you didn’t expect!

Ever been in a heated argument or faced someone who was unnecessarily aggressive? Instead of matching their energy, do the opposite & lower your voice.

People expect anger to be met with anger & when you respond calmly, it disrupts their emotional momentum.

It forces them to mirror your calmness, de-escalating the situation naturally.

It signals confidence & the most composed person in a conversation holds the most power.

Real-life example: A guy at the airport was yelling at the gate agent over a delay. Everyone around was tense. I simply said, “Hey, man, I get it, but yelling won’t fix it. What do you actually need right now?” His whole attitude changed. He sighed, nodded, and started talking normally.

My in laws were born in the 30s and the last time we had a gathering, I put on a play list of hits of the 50s. Over the course of the evening, this brought back all kinds of memories and they regaled us with stories of youth we'd never heard before. It was a delightful window into that era of their lives.