No matter what age or shape you are, a few small steps can change your whole perspective on how you look and how you feel. Follow 10 simple style steps for a new you.

• Forget about the word “fashion” and think “style”.
• Even if you stay at home, make an effort to dress everyday as if you are going out. This changes your whole approach to even the most mundane household chores. You will find you have a more positive attitude and are less inclined to be reduced to a couch potato, in your slovenly sweat pants and baggy T-shirt.
• Clear out your closet. Get rid of those items which are outdated, do not suit you or simply do not make you feel good. Make room for that new wardrobe of clothes that you are going to build, slowly, piece by piece.
• Take stock of how many classic items you currently have in your closet.
• Start building new outfits which will prove versatile and timeless – go anywhere and do anything. You should aim to have a wardrobe base of well cut, classic pieces and a few cheap fun, fashionable outfits that are right on trend, which can be replaced every season.
• Ensure that your wardrobe is built around some style staples which will take you from season to season and can be dressed up or down. A good coat, a little black dress, a wrap dress, well cut denims, a classic pair of black pants, cashemere cardigan and a stylish crisp white shirt. Update these looks every season with some fab accessories.
• Buying a really great bag and a pair of look-at-me shoes, which will transform any outfit. Transform your “walk” into a “wiggle”.
• Get to know your body shape. Are you a pear, apple, brick, hour glass or inverted triangle? learn how to dress for your body shape.
• Learn how to play down your flaws and make the most of your assets Learn how to disguise big hips, stomachs or a larger bust and learn what not to wear if you are short or flat-chested.
• Shop smarter. Ask yourself a few key questions regarding what suits you before you shop and plan what to buy in advance.

There is never a better time than the start of the new year to create a brand new you. The first important step is to detox your wardrobe, clearing out those outfits which do not make you feel good. The second is to learn what cuts and colors work best for you and the basic style rules of women's fashion.

So many teens tell me that tobacco ads have had absolutely no influence over them. I agree that tobacco ads will not change your conscious mind — but they may be getting through to your unconscious mind more than you realize.

What is the unconscious mind? While your conscious mind is analytical, and makes (mostly!) sensible, rational decisions, it's your unconscious mind that often throws common sense out the window. It's the creative part of our minds, and it cares little for right or wrong. It just knows what feels good or bad, regardless of the consequences.

For example, an overweight person may have made a responsible and conscious decision to diet, but their unconscious mind still remembers the sweet taste of ice cream. The conscious mind's will to diet can be overcome by the power of the unconscious mind, and the memory of delicious ice cream. "Willpower" is literally the conscious will's power to repeatedly resist the strong desires of the unconscious mind.

In this powerful and motivating section of his anti-smoking assembly program, Mr. Reynolds discusses tobacco advertising. The vivid stories and facts he relates in his anti-tobacco talks are designed to empower youth to resist the onslaught of cigarette ads and peer pressure.

Using the anti-smoking ads below, Patrick makes great fun of tobacco advertising. He emphasizes that smoking looks very un-cool, and is no longer socially acceptable.

Both middle school and high school youth enjoy this section of his anti-tobacco assembly program. Humor is a key ingredient of his talks.

Let's look at someone trying to quit smoking. For most addicted smokers, the addition is about half-mental, half-physical. This varies with each individual.

The physical portion of the addiction is to nicotine. The psychological part of the addiction is to the relaxing, familiar sensation of handling the cigarette, watching its curling smoke, the deep and relaxing breathing associated with inhaling and exhaling, the taste, and so on.

When quitting, a smoker's conscious mind says, "I will stop smoking — no problem." But the unconscious mind has been conditioned that cigarettes give pleasure, and that's all it can focus on.

The addicted, unconscious mind says, 'Give me a cigarette — now!' It only recognizes what feels good, or what doesn't feel good. It demands a cigarette without regard to right or wrong, and rebels against the conscious mind's decision to not smoke.

During the process of quitting, however, a new habit of being a nonsmoker forms. The unconscious mind gradually gets used to not smoking, and the urges to smoke die away. [See our cool Quitting Tips for more information on how to quit smoking.

Each December, during Bibah Panchami, the Hindu world re-enacts and celebrates the marriage of Ram to princess Sita, as told in the epic, Ramayana. King Janak (Sita's father) proposed a test of strength for the suitors of his daughter. To prove their worth, suitors had to string the great bow of Lord Shiva.

Kings, Chieftains and warriors visited from afar but no man could even lift the bow. Ram, however, lift the bow with ease and when he tried to string it, the bow shattered into pieces. Ram and Sita were married in Janakpur (now in eastern Nepal) and their marriage is celebrated to this day. Each year, idols of Ram and Sita are taken on procession and their marriage re-enacted during a week long religious fair. Bibah Panchami reflects the devotion of Hindus to Ram, perhaps the most popular of the incarnations of Vishnu, and to Sita - model of the ideal Hindu woman.

For one year after the death, the soul of the dead wanders around awaiting entrance to the under world and it is the inescapable duty of living relatives to provide it with substance, comfort and peace once or twice each year and Bala Chaturdasi is one of them. The relatives pay homage to Pashupatinath and offer grains while taking a round of the temple.

It lasts for five days and is marked by worship to different animals such as crow, the dog and the cow, five various days. The most important day is Laxmi puja. The most endearing sight of this festival is presented by the illumination of the entire town with rows of tiny flickering lamps on Laxmi puja. In the evening of this day, the Goddess of Wealth, Laxmi is worshipped at every household and it is on her welcome that myriad of lamps are burnt. On the fifth day sister show their affection towards their brothers with puja and feed them with delectable food. They pray for their brother's long life to Yama, the Hindu God of death.

Mani Ramdu is a Sherpa festival celebrated during the autumn at the Tengboche Monastry in the Everest region. Lamas and Sherpas gather at the monastery for five days - 'for the good of the world'. There are plays, masked dances, prayers and feasts.

Demons are quelled and the pious are rewarded. The festival is very colourful and ideal to combine with a trekking expedition in the Everest region.

It is truly the national festival of Nepal. Every Nepali is stirred by the prospects of joy that this festival is supposed to bring with it. The change of mood is also induced psychologically by the turn of autumn season after a long spell of monsoon, introducing clear and brilliant days, an azure blue sky and a green carpet of fields, the climate is also just ideal at this time, it is neither too cold nor too warm.

The Nepalese cherish their Dashain as time for eating well and dressing well. Each house sets up shrine to worship the Goddess at this time. Barley seeds are planted on the first day in every household and nurtured for nine days. During this period Goddess Durga Bhawani is worshipped and offered a lot of blood sacrifices. Buffaloes, goats, chickens and ducks are killed by the thousands at the temples at military posts and in every household. One of the main center that witnesses the animal sacrifice in a Large scale at this time is the Hanuman Dhoka palace on the ninth.

On the concluding day of the festival called the Tika, the elders of the family give Tika to their junior members and to other relatives who may also come to seek their blessings. The fresh shoots of the barley's are also given. Family feasting and feeding of guests is a common practice at this time.

Like Gai Jatra, this also heralds a week of religious and cultural festivity in Kathmandu. There are several face of this festival. On the night when this festival begins members of the family in which death has taken place within one year, go around the town limits of Kathmandu burning incense and putting lamps along the route. The same morning a tall wooden pole representing the statue of Indra and large wooden masks of Bhairab are put on display in the bazaar. Several groups of religious dance like the Devinach, Bhairava and Bhakku as well as Mahankalinach come into life during this week. The week also commences with pulling of chariot of Ganesh, Bhairava and Kumari in Kathmandu. On this historical day, King Prithvi Narayan Shah made a victorious march with his troops into the town and ascended the throne of Kantipur the old name of Kathmandu displacing the Malla King Jaya Prakash Malla.

Teej is a festival of womanhood. This is a special festival for married women who are supposed to fast all day and bathe in the holy waters of the rivers. Dancing, folk songs and the red color sari that are worn by them on there wedding day dominate the day of Teej. Red is a symbol of joy and happiness in Nepal and the color used for marriage ceremonies. Married women are supposed to wear a lot of red. The days recall the heavenly occasion when Parvati, daughter of the Himalaya, won the hand of Lord Shiva after severe meditation and fasting. On the fist day of this festival mothers send sweet, meat, saris to their daughters' houses. On this day group of women gather together to feast. At midnights, the women begin a fast in emulation of Parvati. The second day is for worship. The married ones ask for happy and productive marriage and a long life for their husband. Those yet to tie nuptial knots ask for a good husband. It is believed that their married life will be long and happy and they will not lose their husbands if they celebrate this festival. The entrance to Pashupatinath Temple is a good place to watch as crowds of women come down to the river, dressed in brightly colored saris with red marks on their foreheads.

Rishi Panchami falls on the third day of Teej. On this day, the seven rishis, or sages, of the Hindu pantheon are worshipped by women to cleanse all sins of the previous year. Sages are the symbol of the purity of religion and holy practices in this earth. On this day women clad in red dress descend to the holy Temple of Lord Pashupatinath to pray to Lord Shiva. Women clean their teeth and bathe at the holy rivers especially at the Bagmati River near the Temple of Pashupatinath.

In this festival teen-aged boys dressed up as cows, parade the streets of the town. This costume springs from the belief that cows help the members of the family who died within that year to travel to heaven smoothly. Some are also dressed up as an ascetic or a fool for achieving the same objective for their dead family members. Groups of mimics improvise short satirical enactment on the current social scenes of the town for the entertainment of the public. The week beginning from Janai Purnima actually unfolds a season of many good religious and cultural activities. All the Buddhist monasteries open their gates to the visitors to view their bronze sculptures and collection of painting for a week. At Patan, one observes the festival of Mataya at this time.

The festivity of Gai Jatra itself lasts for a week enlivened by the performance of dance and drama in the different localities of the town. The spirit of the old festival is being increasingly adapted by cultural centers, newspaper and magazines to fling humour and satire on the Nepalese Social and Political life.

The full moon of the month of Shrawan, the day when this festival is observed is considered sacred all over Nepal and is celebrated in different manner by various groups of people of Nepal. However, the most widely accepted mode of celebration is that on this day all the twice-born caster take ritual bath and they change their sacred thread. Everyone gets strings of thread on his wrist from the Brahmans a protective mark for the whole year. This day is also held sacred for bathing in Gosainkunda. One can also see a pageantry of the Jhankris attired in their traditional costume as they come to bathe at Kumbheshwor at Patan. These Jhankris also visit the temple of Kalinchowk Bhagwati in Dolkhas district where they go to bet their healing powers as they are the traditional healers of the Nepalese villages.

Following the arrival of the monsoons and the planting season in the fields, Bhuddists in the Kathmandu Valley observe the Gunla festival. The month long event celebrates a 'rains retreat' initiated 25 centuries ago by the Buddha.

Gunla is a time for prayer, fasting, meditation and religious music. Worshippers climb past jungles, stone animals, great statues of Buddha and begging monkeys to the hilltop at Swayambhu where daily prayers begin before dawn. Oil lamps, prayer flags, religious statues and paintings adorn the monasteries whilst temple bells chime and powerful incense fills the air. Important statues are put on display and the teachings of Lord Buddha are remembered as the rains feed the rice crop.

This day which falls on the full moon of the month of Baisakh is celebrated to commemorate the birth attainment of enlightenment and the death of Gautam Buddha, the founder preacher of Buddhism, more that 2500 years ago. Prayers are sung and worship is offered by the Buddhists in leading Buddhist shrines throughout the country including Lumbini in the Rupandehi district, which is the birth place of Buddha. There is a great fare held at Lumbini on this day.

This festival is the biggest social-culture event for the town of Patan. It begins with the chariot journeys of the most widely venerated deity of the Nepal valley, who resides in his twin shrines at Patan and Bungamati. His popular name is Bunga Deo, but non Newars call him also by the name of Red Machhendranath. The wheeled chariot is prepared at pulchowk and pulled through the town of Patan in several stages until several month later it reaches Jawalakhel for the final celebration of this festival called the Bhoto Dekhaune. The two Machhendranath of Patan and Kathmandu form part of same cult of Avalokiteswara in the Mahayan religion.

Bisket Jatra takes place in and around the Bhaktapur district of Kathmandu during April and is one of the more important festivals. Events are begun with the erection of the yosin pole (below, centre-right). Images of wrathful, almost demonic deities are placed on tottering chariots.

They are offered blood sacrifices, flowers and coins. There follows a tug of war between north and south in which the more vigorous (and intoxicated) younger men vie to drag a chariot in their direction and win good luck for the following year. Wherever the chariots (or raths) stop along the brick paved streets of the town, lamps are lit and devotees spill into the surrounding streets and alleys. Other gods and goddesses are carried around to take in the sights. At Bode village, there is a tongue-boring ceremony for the dedicated to reserve a place in heaven.

The festival has two sides of its celebration. Its cultural side involves the Newars of Kathmandu, who celebrates it for several days, the idols of the Gods of many localities are taken in a procession in their area in portable chariots. Every households will be feasting at this time. A demon called “ Gurumapa” is also propitiated at Tundikhel. The other aspects of the festival is provided by the function organised by the Royal Nepalese Army at Tundikhel in the afternoon of the main day. Horse race and acrobatic shows are presented at this time in which His Majesty the King will be present. A meeting of Kumari, Bhadrakali, Kankeshori and Bhairab at Asan on the second day of the main celebration is another highlight of the festival.

Between March and April, family blessings, red vermillion power and the sacrifice of goats and ducks are the customary ways of praising the heroic victory of Ram over the evil King Rawan in the Ramayan epic.

At this time, devotees must also pay homage to the Mother Goddess, Durga as the source of all power and of the powers which enabled Ram to achieve his victory.

This is known as Holi. Holi is the festival of colour. It is observed for eight days just before the full moon of Phalgun and during this time people indulge in colour throwing at each other. This festival does not have any religious flavour as it is practised in the hills of Nepal. Nevertheless, the festival has got some official status. Because the colour festival is always heralded by the sticking of a wooden pole with colorful streamers beside the old Royal Palace at Basantapur by the arrangements of the Government Religious Endowment Office.

This festival is most impressively observed in the month of January, February by the Sherpas. They organize folk songs and dances on this occasion. These dances can be seen in Khumbu, Helambhu and other northern regions on Nepal and also at Baudhanath in Kathmanduu.

This is the most famous and celebrated festival of Nepal which attracts large crowds from far flung places both in India & Nepal. The festival is consecrated in honor of Shiva. It is observed by bathing and holding of a religious fast. All Shiva shrines become the places of visit for “Darshan”, but the greatest attraction of all is held by the temple of Pashupatinath in Kathmandu.

One gets to see thousands of Hindus devotees coming to visit the temple of Pashupati. Among them are a large number of Sadhus and Naked ascetics. Many people like to keep awake for the whole nights keeping vigilance over an oil lamp burnt to please Shiva. Children are seen keeping awake similarly over a bonfire in many localities. In the afternoon an official function is held to celebrate this festival at Tundikhel. The Royal Nepal Army organizes a show in which series of gun fire are sounded. The ceremony is witnesses by His Majesty the King.

The Swasthani Festival takes place between January and February. The Goddess Swarsthani's three eyes burn like the sun. She is the ultimate giver of gifts although if insulted, she can make life miserable.

By worshipping Swasthani, Parbati attained Lord Shiva as her husband. In the worship rites of Swasthani (as set out by Parbati) the Swasthani Scripture is read every evening for one month.Worshipping Swasthani is believed to remove curses, unite parted relatives and could result in limitless gifts.

The Basanta Panchami and Saraswati Puja festivals are held in January. Basanta (or Spring) heralds one of the loviest seasons in Nepal. Crowds gather in Kathmandu's Durbar Square as a band plays the song of spring and dignitaries welcome the new season.

As Swayambhu and at the Nil Barahi Shrine near Lazimpat in Kathmandu, a different celebration is held in which Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning, is worshipped at her temples. Artists, musicians, teachers and students bring offerings to her.

A Sankranti signifies the first day of any month in the nepali calendar year. Maghe Sankranti is the beginning of the holy month of Magh, usually the mid of January. It brings an end to the ill-omened month of Poush (mid-December) when all religious ceremonies are forbidden. Even if it is considered the coldest day of the year, it marks the coming of warmer weather and better days of health and fortune.

This day is said to be the most significant day for holy bathing despite the weather. This ritual usually takes place at the union of sacred rivers and streams. Sankhamole, on the banks of the holy Bagmati river, below Patan, is thought to be amongst the most sacred sites for this purpose, though there has been a decline in the fulfillment of this ritual in the recent years due to water pollution in the river. But people still go in the wee hours of dawn just to sprinkle themselves with the water. They pay homage to various deities specially the temple of Red Machindranath and Agima Ta.

In addition to holy bathing and worship of shrines, certain auspicious foods like till laddoos (sesame seeds ball cakes), chaku (molasys), ghee (clarified butter), sweet potatoes, khichari (mixture of rice and lentils) and green leaf spinach are taken on this day. Families come together and share these delights. Married daughters and families are invited to parental homes for festivities and blessings. Yet another occasion to renew family ties. Many homes have pujas (religious ceremonies) conducted by priests with chanting from holy books, for which they receive alms.

Like any other holy celebration Maghi Sankranti also has a legend of its own. It recalls that once a merchant from the town of Bhadgoan despite of his thriving business noticed that his supply of sesame seeds hadn't diminished. When looking into the matter he found an idol of the Lord Vishnu hidden deep beneath the seeds. Since, then on this day the Til Madhav idol is worshipped with the belief that god will continue to be generous in the supply of food and wealth on the Bhadgoan community. It's also the day commemorating the death of Viswapitamaha, the elderly grandfather of two families of Pandavas and Kauravas, between whom the famous battle of Mahabharat took place. He was determined not to die until the way to the region of gods opened. While lying on the bed of arrows he discovered words of wisdom on life and death. Eventually, through his free will he succumbed to death. Hence it's believed that those who die on this day go to heaven, released from the burden of rebirth.

Maghi Sankranti, is yet another occasion which renews the faith of Nepalese people in the heavenly powers.

On this day a popular festival held in honour of the white Machhendranath, who is actually the Padmapani Lokeswara, whose permanent shrine is situated at Matsyendra Bahal in Kel Tole in the middle of the bazaar in Kathmandu. A huge chariot of wood supported on four large wheels and carrying tall spire covered with green foliage is made ready for receiving the image of the divinity on this occasion and for dragging in the old town. There is such a spontaneous and heavy turnout of the devotees to pay homage to this God, who is also said to be “ Embodiment of Compassion” at this time