DEAR HARRIETTE: I have recently been spending time with people who are clearly out of my league. I met one woman on the beach a few summers ago when I was visiting friends. We liked each other instantly, and she has introduced me to her friend group. I totally enjoy spending time with them, but I don't even begin to know how to reciprocate. I feel weird inviting them over to my home, because it is tiny by comparison. I do have other friends over. I don't have a second home, a boat, a timeshare in the Caribbean or any of that stuff. I do have an interesting life, and these people seem to like me a lot. Should I just relax and be me? I know I should, but how do I show them how I live without turning them off? -- Feeling Less Than, Jackson, Mississippi

DEAR FEELING LESS THAN: Chances are great that your friends already know more about you than you think. They probably like you for who you are as a person and how comfortably you fit in with them wherever you find yourselves. If you think it is possible for you to learn to enjoy the moment that you are in, it will be easier for you to find ways to invite them into your world.

If you feel comfortable in your home, invite the one you like the most over for tea or drinks or dinner. Share your life with that friend and see how it goes. Honestly, though, it starts with you feeling comfortable with who you are. That comfort and ease will rub off on whoever authentically cares about you. Anyone else does not deserve a seat at your table.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been on a serious exercise routine for the past three months, and I feel good about being on it. I get up even when I don't feel like it and either do exercises at home or go to the gym. This is so new for me, I can't even tell you. I'm beginning to feel like crap, though, because hardly anything has changed. I know I shouldn't be getting impatient, but I see these reports from people saying how they took some pill and lost weight miraculously. I'm afraid to do that, but I really want to lose weight and get fit. Could I be doing something wrong? -- Frustrated, Chicago

DEAR FRUSTRATED: The best way to find out what you should be doing to reach your optimum health is to visit your primary health practitioner. Get a complete physical and ask about your exercise routine to see if it matches with what you need to achieve specific goals. Your doctor should be able to help you identify your ideal weight, body mass index, etc. You probably will need to alter your diet, and you may need to accelerate your exercise routine. Get professional guidance, and know that significant results often do not reveal themselves for a good six months. Don't give up. Make this a lifestyle choice, to become and stay healthy and fit.

DEAR HARRIETTE: It is so hot that I am finding it hard to go to work or do anything else for that matter. I know it probably sounds ridiculous, but I feel like I sweat all day long, from the moment I wake up until ... well, it doesn't really stop. I feel like my job is going to be in jeopardy if I can't get my act together, but I don't know how. OK, so I am overweight, but I'm not going to be able to lose a significant amount of weight during this season, so I have to figure out something else. I don't have enough vacation time to take the summer off. What can I do to be able to survive this season? -- Sweaty and Frustrated, Atlanta

DEAR SWEATY AND FRUSTRATED: You haven't said what type of work you do. But in general, I would start by recommending that you select a wardrobe of clothing that is made of natural fibers, like cotton and linen. These fibers can breathe and are easier to wear in the stifling heat and humidity. When you shower, end with cool water. Make sure, however, that you clean your body thoroughly with soap in order to prevent or at least minimize body odor. Consider lightly dusting your body with odorless body powder, which can help to cool you down during a hot day. Drink lots of water all day long. Avoid spicy food. Do your best to stay out of extremes -- either freezing air conditioning or outdoors in the elements. Attempt to stay cool by not getting too cold or hot.

I also recommend that you make an appointment with your doctor to review your medical history and determine if there are any underlying medical issues that need to be addressed that may cause excessive sweating for you. If your doctor will allow you to exercise, definitely get into a fitness routine, preferably either early in the morning or in the evening when the temperatures are more forgiving.

DEAR HARRIETTE: When I was growing up, I used to play board games with my family all the time. Now that I have my own family, I feel like all we do is watch TV or my kids are in separate corners playing on their electronic devices. I don't want to be that mom who gives in to the trends of the day, but it is really tough to get them to want to engage. And when I come home from a super-long day at work, it is hard for me to get enough energy to want to do anything big with them. How can I shift things for my family? -- Wanting to Connect, Detroit

DEAR WANTING TO CONNECT: What was your favorite game as a child? Start there. Introduce the game to your children when you do have energy. Invite them to play with you for a specific period of time. Suggest that all electronics -- phones, televisions and other devices -- be turned off during that time. Make the game a fun experience. Then invite them to play with you again in a few days.

You can also limit their screen time and phones on a daily or weekly basis. Introducing a fun alternative can make it feel like a choice rather than a punishment.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been hosting students from other countries for several years now. They come through a formal service, and everything is set up according to a particular schedule and financial plan. This year, we had a problem, though, because one of the students came without the proper amount of money she needs for the month that she would be staying with me. From the first day, she asked me to lend her money, saying that her money would be coming in soon. "Something happened," she explained, so now she has to wait a week or so. I contacted the agency, which assured me that she was supposed to have all of her ducks in a row.

So now I am stuck paying for this young lady out of my own pocket, which just isn't the way that this whole thing works. She is a young woman from another country. I can't just let her starve. But I need to figure this out. Can you help me? -- Border Patrol, New York City

DEAR BORDER PATROL: Go higher up the food chain with the agency that sent this young lady to you. Get someone on the phone who can talk through the protocols that you have in order. Review whatever contracts you use for this hosting work that you have been doing. Explain the young lady's situation and request that the agency wire money either directly to you or to her (with your knowledge) so that she has enough money to take care of herself. If the agency refuses and you are unwilling or unable to take on her debt, ask to make arrangements to send her home early. You can put your foot down, even though it will be difficult.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I don't really get along with my brother-in-law. He talks a lot, and it irritates me to no end. When I go over his house, I have to endure him talking and talking and talking about every little thing imaginable. He is the opposite of what I think men should be like. He reminds me of a woman who is the head of a group of girlfriends. I'm not kidding. He just talks forever, so much so that my sister hardly gets a word in edgewise, or at least it seems that way to me. I don't hear her complaining, but I can't imagine that she likes it. How can I spend time with my sister -- whom I love so much -- without having to be around him all the time? -- Drown Him Out, Boston

DEAR DROWN HIM OUT: Instead of going over your sister's house randomly, make dates with her when you are going for a specific reason that revolves around her. You can even schedule dates with her outside of the house -- anything from going grocery shopping together to going to exercise class or out for drinks. Get some alone time in with her so that you can fill your cup. Then, when you are at their home, practice patience. Listen for a while, but don't stay too long. Or go in the other room when it gets to be too much.