Be aware of your volume

Crank up your favorite song... actually hold on a second 

Walking down the street or sitting in the tube you can see many people zoning out jamming to the music blasting through their headphones. 

I like many others have a commute to class so I am one of those people listening to my tunes and on occasion even singing them out loud (usually when no one else is around). 

My eclectic music taste means I could be blasting anything from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Ariana Grande. 

As many others do I also listen to the music in the charts which sometimes includes music with many explicit words. Some of these songs are extremely catchy and can often get stuck in peoples head, which can lead to a person humming or singing the song without being completely conscious of where and when they sing the song. 

Normally I wouldn't see a massive problem with this, however recently I saw the video below via Upworthy

Via Upworthy

I was shocked when I saw such young kids singing these lyrics. I am sure that many of these children don't completely understand what they are saying, which makes the video even more worrying.

It worries me because it is scary to think we could be encouraging young kids to use such crude and demeaning language without thinking about it twice.

Therefore I urge everyone to think twice before turning up their music or singing such songs while out and about. 

We all need to be more aware of how we are influencing the children of today for they are our future.

22 Days

The Challenge

Oh sweet Nutella,

how you love me so,

always there in my time of need,

but now I must let you go.

Oh candy,

you can be sweet,

you can be sour,

either way I accept you,

you make me happy,

but alas I must take a rest.

Just look into those lit up eyes of Rachel & mine via Instagram

For 22 days I am not allowed to eat crisps, candy, Nutella or anything similar. My friend, Rachel, and I agreed that for 22 days I would not eat the banned foods. As a bonafide sweet tooth I needed some sort of incentive to keep this deal so a penalty was arranged. 

Every time I ate an elixir of life (aka candy) I would have to pay Rachel £20.

This deal could end up being rather lucrative for Rachel, but I am determined to stay strong. I have made it

one week so far and although there are moments where I almost cave I stick to my guns.

This challenge was brought about for many reasons but the main reason was simply my lack of control when it comes to candy. Rachel has lived with me for one and half years and has therefore witnessed the days where all I eat is Goldfish, Nutella and Sour Patch Kids. This unhealthy albeit delicious life style is not good for me in the long run and Rachel, the caring friend she is, has tried to get me to eat better for a long time now. So shout out to Rachel who is awesome for everything she has done to help me!

I am hoping that after the 22 days are up I will not rush back to my old ways, but in fact learn that I do not need candy and should see it as a treat rather than as a meal. 

Its a challenge but its worth it.

I advise anyone who is struggling with their guilty addictions to try this challenge with a friend. The amount of money can be varied but for me I knew it had to be on the higher side for me to stick to my cleaner eating.

Good luck to all those who try!

Fluctuation

In life we fluctuate

All aspects of the world include some form of fluctuation. 

Seasons cause temperature to have highs and lows,

The moon wanes and waxes,

Currencies appreciate and depreciate, 

life can be great or terrible.

The important thing about fluctuations is to realize that they occur. Too often people get stuck seeing the up and never the down or vice versa. 

Being too optimistic or pessimistic can have its flaws.

The key is to see the balance.

Friendships I have found are particularly sensitive to fluctuations. There are friends who in one moment you could not be any closer too, and the next you could feel distant. 

One medium that brings this about , I find, is distance. 

It can either bring about a feeling of separation or bonding.

Some people have the attitude out of sight, out of mind, this can create distance in a friendship. 

However, this distance, physically and emotionally, can be of benefit. 

Seeing something from a distance can make you appreciate it more. So you could realize how much you value a friend and it can make you closer in the long run.

Being able to take a break from a friendship can help you revitalize yourself. You want to be the best friend you can be to your friends, this can sometimes be accomplished by being able to take a break from a friendship.

The time span of such fluctuations in friendship can be extremely variable and can sometimes not happen for years. 

Regardless of what fluctuation you look at I believe that:

Cycles are woven into every fabric of life