Life...is what you make it.

The new handbook for living from Reader's Digest.

Get a good night's sleep

"Poets and authors can't rhapsodize enough about sleep. It's the "balm of hurt minds" and "nature's soft nurse" (Shakespeare), a "gentle thing" (Coleridge), something that "covers a man all over, thoughts and all, like a cloak" (Cervantes). But where are the wise words about how to catch the zzz's that are essential for good health? Try these.

Develop a bedtime ritual

By following the same nightly routine—washing your face, brushing your teeth, spending a few minutes meditating—you're sending your body a simple but powerful signal that now is the time to start winding down. A bath, a good book, and some soft music may also help. Head for bed around the same hour every night.

Declutter your brain

Every time you start thinking about bills unpaid, work undone, or children gone astray, shift your mind to something less stimulating. Deep breathing is a great stress reducer and can distract you from your worries. Lie on your back and inhale as deeply as you can through your nose, counting slowly to 10 in your head. Then slowly and gently exhale for the same count through your mouth. Repeat several times.

Keep a worry book

Put a notebook and pen beside your bed. When you wake up and start worrying, jot down everything that's bothering you, along with any strategies you've thought of that will solve the problems to which they're related. Then close the book, put it on your nightstand, turn out the light, and go back to sleep. Your worries will be waiting for you in the morning.

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Score great seats

Why does everyone else end up with seats to the playoff game on the 50-yard line or in the front row to hear Bruce Springsteen? No doubt these people are rich enough to buy those premium seats from a broker, lucky enough to wind up with tickets from their brother-in-law's boss's boss, or know a few tricks that you don't. So if rich or connected doesn't describe you, here are a few ways to nab a sweet seat.

Join a club

When you join a particular team's or performer's fan club, you are often given first crack at the best seats to their events, usually before tickets are available to the general public. Sign up to receive newsletters, event notices, and any other exclusive information the club may give out.

Be patient

Inventory is constantly changing, so keep checking back to see which seats or dates may have opened up. As the event nears, the venue or event producer is likely to make more seats available.

Search more than one site

Check StubHub, Craigslist, and eBay—all at once—in order to comparison shop. And be sure to check out seatgeek.com, a search engine that aggregates ticket listings from various sites, rates how sweet a deal they are on a scale of 0 to 100, and provides price forecasts, allowing users to time their purchase for maximum savings.

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Fly a kite

That song from Mary Poppins makes it sound so easy, but most of us who haven't done it in a while are more like Charlie Brown, with our kite stubbornly hugging the ground or catching in a tree. Luckily, kites are more user-friendly and reliable than ever. The flimsy paper-and-sticks frame of the 1950s has given way to sleeker variations made of polyester sailcloth and carbon rods. Today getting the thing airborne is, well, a breeze.

Ditch the diamond

Forget diamond-shaped kites. Instead, go with a triangular delta kite or a sport kite, both of which have two lines that let you steer them on their journey.

Choose a wide-open space

Avoid areas where the wind is blocked by buildings or trees, and steer clear of those with power lines. The beach is picturesque, but the kite could land in the water. Your best bet is a large open field with unobstructed wind.

Launch it like a pro

Have a companion hold the kite or lean it against a post or tree. Then walk 100 feet (30 m) into the wind while letting the string out on the ground. Gently pull the kite out of your friend's hand, and it should soar instantly.

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Inspiring Words

Writers, actors, thinkers and businesspeople share their best advice.

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