DEAR HARRIETTE: My next-door neighbor recently took up the piano. He practices every evening. Sometimes it is pleasant. Other times it’s annoying, as he is not good at it yet. But I admire his tenacity. It’s pretty cool seeing an adult take up an instrument.

I don’t play anything, but I do like to watch TV, and my wife and I watch a lot of movies and stuff on Netflix. Sometimes we binge-watch shows well into the night. We try to keep the TV at a respectable volume, but you know how some movies are -- there are loud scenes with music, gun fights or other loud sounds.

My neighbor has begun to complain about the noise from my TV. He even went so far as to speak to the super about it. I was appalled. I have endured his music well into the night -- or even during the day, when I don’t want to hear it. I have never once complained. And now he’s trying to get me in trouble with the building. How should I handle this? -- Too Loud

DEAR TOO LOUD: Before letting your anger get the best of you, knock on your neighbor’s door and ask if you can sit down and talk. The goal of this conversation should be to come to a compromise that both sides feel comfortable supporting. Tell your neighbor that you received the formal complaint from management, and you thought it best to talk face-to-face before going down a more formal road.

Tell your neighbor that you know that you sometimes play the TV loud and late, and you will try to be more conscientious of the time and volume moving forward. In turn, tell him that you are sometimes bothered by the constant piano playing. While you never mentioned it before, it does irritate you at times. Ask if he can curb playing at certain times in exchange for you lowering the volume.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am working on a project for which I had to sign a nondisclosure agreement. I did so, and I don’t have any reason to talk about what this company is up to. Or at least that’s what I thought. But I’m noticing that as I talk to my friends about the work I am doing, I sometimes share bits here and there about this project. My friends are just regular people and not in the media or anything, but still, I’m wondering if I should be saying anything to anyone. It’s hard to work on something and not be forthcoming about the project. My friends are accustomed to me telling stories. How can I manage my friends and this NDA at the same time? -- Shhhh

DEAR SHHHH: When you sign an NDA, you need to take it seriously. It is a binding legal document that states specifically how you are to protect the intellectual property to which you become privy by virtue of working with the company. That likely includes details about the project and the people with whom you are working.

How you handle this with your friends is by telling them that you have signed an agreement that forbids you from talking about what you are doing. Apologize for not being able to share juicy tidbits the way that they have grown accustomed to in the past. But stand your ground. Change the subject. You never know what might happen if one of your stories gets relayed to the wrong person.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my best friends and I have lost contact. I could blame this on the fact that she got a job and moved to another state, but something just does not feel right. We checked up on each other while at separate colleges, so I know distance can’t be the single factor in breaking our bond.

She recently celebrated her birthday, and I reached out to her on Facebook and wrote a heartfelt message. I noticed that she viewed my message, but she never responded. This shocked me, and I have no clue as to why she no longer talks to me. I am not sure how to resolve this, but I want my friend back. -- Lost Friend

DEAR LOST FRIEND: Whatever occurred with your friend has prompted her to remain distant from you. You cannot control whether she will respond to you, but you can take one more step. Call her and see if she will answer the phone. If she does, tell her how much you miss her and point out that you know that something is off between you two, but you haven’t got a clue as to what it is. Ask her to tell you what’s going on. Request that she tell you if you have done something to offend or hurt her.

If she doesn’t answer the phone, send her a note that outlines your questions. Do not approach her in an accusatory way. Instead, tell her that you miss her and want to have your friend back, but it is clear to you that something is holding her back. You would like to know what it is. Even if she does not intend for you two to remain friends, let her know you would appreciate hearing from her as to why she has broken from your friendship.

DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my good friends decided to let her hair go gray. It looks nice on her, I suppose, but I have no interest in “going natural” like that yet. In my industry, it is hard for women to stay strong and vital after a certain age. Even though that sucks, I need my job and feel like keeping a youthful look helps me. My issue is that now my friend keeps pestering me to be like her and go gray. How can I get her to stop? -- Go Gray

DEAR GO GRAY: You hit a nerve when you start talking about image, age and work, especially for women. On one hand, we live in a time that is more welcoming to women. We have at least six women running for president of the United States. This is impressive. And yet, sexism still exists. Equal pay remains a dream rather than a reality for most women. And ageism, especially for women, is real in the workplace.

The good news regarding beauty and hair is that many women are feeling comfortable enough to choose different looks and colors. That your friend chose to go gray is fantastic for her. That you are making a different choice should be just as fine for you. Tell her that you begrudge her nothing for making her personal choice. Ask her to respect your choice and to stop badgering you to follow her lead.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am 23 years old, and when people ask me what I want to pursue in life, I am unsure how to give the proper answer. This confusion is not because I cannot find a passion, but because I have too many passions that come to mind. None of them really relate to the others, so I feel as though I cannot simply list them because it makes me sound scrambled.

My first passion is music. I played violin for eight consecutive years in middle and high school, and I have gained a love for music of all genres because of it. I want to perfect my skill and play professionally. I just did not choose to study that in college, so getting a job in that field is on pause. Next, I love cooking and want to open a business one day with my family recipes perfected. However, I have no real restaurant experience and no consecutive culinary arts courses under my belt. Lastly, I want to study holistic medicine and become a practitioner who can help others heal naturally. This is personal to me because my health issues were diminished thanks to holistic care, and I want to pay it forward.

Each passion requires focus and attention, and I hate having to choose to explain what I want to do in my life. Sometimes this is because I fear I will not be able to accomplish it all. -- Passionate Thinker

DEAR PASSIONATE THINKER: You have three strong ideas. Choose to develop one at a time. You may want to look for work in a restaurant so you can learn the business from the ground up. Look for restaurants that are similar to what you want to open, and apply there. In the beginning, just about any job could be OK. You should learn all positions if you want to run a successful restaurant. Meanwhile, practice your music and possibly start taking lessons again. Continue to read and do independent research on holistic care.

When you talk to others, lead with the restaurant. See if you get any traction around that. Give yourself time to build your knowledge base. You may be able to enjoy each of your interests at different stages in your life.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Every time I see one friend of mine, I bring him a gift of some kind. There’s no rule about it. I just love him and always want to bring him a token of my love. The thing is, he never gives me anything. He is nice to me when we are together, but he is pretty aloof otherwise. I like the attention I get when we are engaged, but I think I am too pliable. He doesn’t have to do anything but show up. Should I stop bringing him gifts? Am I going too far? -- Selfish Friend

DEAR SELFISH FRIEND: If you are feeling taken advantage of, slow down on your giving. You cannot expect your friend to pick up your practices. You are the one who likes to shower him with gifts. But if that doesn’t make you happy anymore, stop it. You also need to acknowledge that your friend is the way he is. If you have been accepting him unconditionally, it may seem jarring to him if you suddenly change.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)