New Life

A Beautiful Day

I thought that my heart couldn't get any bigger, 

I have a big heart so I never thought it would expand even more,

But then something amazing happened to me.

On April 1st I became a big sister to a beautiful little girl.

When I held her in my arms for the first time I couldn't keep a huge grin off of my face,

I literally felt like my heart ballooned as I looked down at her sleeping face.

Getting to have your family grow is one of the best feelings in the world,

it's important to realize how lucky we are to have family.

They are always there for you,

you are connected to them in a way you will never be with your friends,

at the end of the day they are who you rely on.

I now have one more person who I can cherish and look after.

Words cannot describe the joy that gives me.

Getting a new family member also reminds me of how much I love all of my family.

Without them I would not be where I am today.

Rejection

Get back up again

A fear that many humans share is the fear of rejection.

In all realms of our life we can get rejected. From our friends to our work it can be safe to say that almost everyone has been rejected before. 

The real challenge isn't the rejection itself but how you react to the rejection.

Letting rejection ruin your life isn't really an option, considering that in reality you will get rejected over and over again. Everyone needs to learn to deal with rejection in their own way that works for them.

Personally I find going for walks or runs very therapeutic. I plug in my headphones, stuff my hands in my pocket, put my head down and walk. I think about what I've been rejected from, let myself dwell in the sadness and pain for a while. But then I look up, I think about the bigger picture. One rejection, or even a string of rejections (as bad things always seem to happen on the same day) does not define me or my life.
I remind myself of all the things I have accomplished, however minimal or insignificant they seem. I think of all the things that I can still accomplish in my life.
I have a whole future ahead of me, even when it seems bleak.
Sometimes we don't get what we want. That's the way of life.
I like to think that perhaps we get rejected because it is a sign that we were heading down the wrong path.

 A rejection could just be a redirection.

So next time you get rejected, remember that the possibilities out there are endless.

As on of my favorite figures once said:

Always Ask

If you never ask, you never know

Yesterday I attended an event hosted by Levo Leauge about negotiation. It was a great event and I was fortunate enough to meet a number of talented women.

One point that was made about the art of negotiation that really stuck with me, perhaps because it is also a personal philosophy of mine, is that you should always ask.

You will never be able to get what you want unless you ask for it.

Just having the courage to ask a simple question can get you a long way.

Asking questions can open up your ability to negotiate. Starting a dialogue gets a conversation flowing, which allows you get your opinions and views across to the other person. It helps you understand someone else better and allows them to understand you better.  

I learnt a lot at the event and would encourage all of you to go to Levo.com and check it out!

Remember, next time you wonder if you should ask a question, just go and ask it! 

If you never ask, the answer is always no.

On that note always feel free to ask me questions! 

Going Hungry

Lent

Lent, as many of you know, is a Christian holiday where you give up something you cherish for 40 days, the number of days Jesus spent fasting and fighting off temptation in the desert. 

Lent officially starts on Ash Wednesday which falls on 5th March this year.

Lent has in some ways spread beyond religion as people who are not religious also sometimes give up something they love during Lent.

This morning I came across an article in The Guardian by Keith Hebden, an Anglican parish priest, 

"This Lent I will not eat food, to highlight all the hunger around us"

Keith Hebden will not eat food during lent, limiting his diet to fruit juice in the morning and vegetable stock in the evening. He has decided to do this to showcase the hunger that is occurring across Britain.

According to the website EndHungerFast , founded by Keith Hedben, 5,500 people were admitted to hospital for malnutrition last year.

Malnutrition does not normally get associated with developed countries such as Britain. The fact that there are people being deprived of food is distressing, especially when we take in to account that many people in Britain overeat. 

I am not brining about this story in order to convince anyone to fast for Lent. 

I am bringing it up as it is an important issue facing Britain today and we should be aware of it.

One small way in which we could help is by joining National Day of Fasting, which is happening on 4th April. This campaign is being done in order to raise awareness to the British Government that people do care about people going hungry in our country.

As for Lent if you choose to give something up Good Luck!

Even if you are not religious maybe you just want to give yourself a 40 day challenge.

Or 22 day challenge like I did earlier this month.

Either way I wish you all the best of luck! 

Judgement

Who am I to judge?

In general I try not to be a judgmental person however recently I feel like I have been slipping up a bit.

I do not purposely want to judge people but when looking in retrospect at certain conversations I have been a bit too judgmental for my liking.

Therefore I wanted to reaffirm my reasons for not judging people and hopefully help you realize or reaffirm why we shouldn't judge people.

When we judge another person, it really just reflects more on our own character. Do you really want to be the person who judges everyone they meet? or who judges their friends?

We don't know what everyone has been through that has made them who they are.

Some people are insecure so constantly seek affirmation 

Some people are cold and closed off because they could have suffered in the past from having their trust betrayed

Some people are closed off because they might not be able to open up easily

Everyone has gone through something else in the past so who are we to judge them?

I don't want to be judge for the way I dress or how I look, so I should not judge others for the exact same things.

Even if you are not religious I believe the Bible does have some valuable quotes for life:

"Do to others as you would have them do to you"

Luke 6:31 

So next time you are about to pass judgement on someone stop and think before you do.

The World in the Future

  Where do you want to live?

Recently I came across an article/video which showcased a vision of how the world should be by Jacque Fresco. The Venus Project redesigns the world in hopes of a better one for our future. His ideas are interesting albeit a little unrealistic at this moment in time.

Although it could just be me being pessimistic about whether a world like his design would actually work.

The Venus Project via BBC and Youtube

I have often imagined a world that is different from the one we live in. Many books, movies and TV shows often challenge and provide ideas about how the world could be, whether it be worse, better or simply different.
In my ideal world we would live on a beach half the year sipping cocktails and spend the other half gliding down crisp slopes on skis. (Maybe just a little fantasy world, not a very practical one).

The ideas that are floating around right now really do beg the question what world do you really want to live in?
Just to let you all ponder those thoughts.

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

Californian Time

Californian Time

I love California. The beauty it holds is hard to compete with. Beaches, mountains, sunsets, whatever your heart desires can be found in a single state.

Venice Beach via Instagram

However one major issue I have with California is most peoples interpretation of time. People often say how Californians are laid back but the true extent to which people are did not hit me until I was there.

When someone says they are 20 minutes away, they are more likely to be an hour away.

When a party starts in the afternoon, it actually starts in the evening.

By no means is this true for all people in California, but it does seem to be the norm especially around Los Angeles.

The almost loss of concept of time can be seen as freeing to some, there are no boundaries or rules to adhere too. 

But to someone brought up with a need to not only be one time but five minutes early to everything it is a struggle.

Even though I do not fully understand the lack of time, I did learn some valuable lessons.

Taking a deep breath and not worrying about when you will get somewhere can do you some good.

Life is not a race, being a little late occasionally won't kill you.

Not having solid full proof plans does not mean the day or occasion will be a disaster.

Sometimes all you need is to forget time in order to have a good time.

Bringing a child into this world

Why bring a child into this world?

Usually while watching YouTube the adds that pop up before my video irritate me. 

However, one particular add inspired me not press skip after the first 5 seconds.

Although I am certainty not planning on having a child in the near future I do still sometimes think about it.

Why would I want to bring a child into the world that we live in now? 

The terrible occurrence in our world make me question whether a child would have a good life if they were born now. 

Our world is full of technology, war, loss, unemployment, insecurity, natural disasters and environmental change.

To me it seems like the world isn't quite bright enough to bring more life into it.

But after watching the ad on Project Sunlight that appeared on YouTube I have been given hope.

The world may at times seem bleak, but we as people can change the world and make it a better place.

Our (future) children can do the same.

The advances we have made are extraordinary.

We mustn't forget that our futures and our future generations futures are still bright.

Dance

Dance

"We should consider every dat lost on which we have not danced at least once."

- Friedrich Nietzsch

When I get stressed out with work or just life in general I put in my headphones, crank up my music, let lose and dance away.

The music takes over and my body moves to the beat any way it wants too. 

Life can be stressful, it can get you down,  but jumping around to a great song can make you feel like a new person. Emotions get stirred, your adrenaline gets pumping and life doesn't seem all that bad.

For any Grey's Anatomy fans out there Meredith and Cristina's "dance it out" moments are really the epitome of dancing and letting go. In fact, my roommate Rachel and I have had our own little dance parities several times when we just need to blow off steam and it works like a charm.

For me dancing is an integral part of life;  do it every day.

Whether it be at a concert, at a club or in my pajamas at home.

Via Instagram

So next time you get overwhelmed, just put on your favorite song and dance away

'Like'

Today in class I started to notice how often people use the world 'like' when they speak. It is a habit that I recently realized too many people in my generation have picked up. Unfortunately I have to include myself in the 'like' generation however I am trying to lose it as quickly as is possible. 

Once I started noticing how often others, and myself for that matter, use the word like I became instantly agitated every time I heard the word. 

I mean like its not like we actually write like with the word like all the time because like it is like not grammatically correct like.

Although the previous sentence might be an over exaggeration it proves my point as to how annoying the word is. I can be almost positive that not one of you can go re read that sentence and not want to blow a fuse.

Therefore I propose a challenge to everyone who has fallen into the like trap. How about we all try to go one day without using the word like. It may mean that you have to pause a couple of times while speaking but at the end of the day it may help you improve your conversation skills. 

I will certainly try to accomplish this and wish everyone else good luck with the challenge!

Everybody's Free

Everybody's Free

While listening to Spotify Radio the song "Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen" by Baz Lurhman made an appearance:

I vaguely remember being shown this in Secondary School, but have not come across it again until just a few hours ago. Listening to the lyrics of this song, or as I would more aptly put it words of advice, made me realize a few things.

Although this song was made in 1999, it applies to the world just as much now as it did back then.

People are not alone as we sometimes think. The lyrics express views and give advice that I feel everyone looks for. 

Even if not all the phrases apply to everyone, there are a few that I would hope everyone could relate too. 

Without being aware of it, I wrote about one message in my last post 20 Seconds, 

"Do something everyday that scares you".

Even if this song only brings you one inspiring message, it is still one more you had before you listened to the song.

Most of all the song shows that we all worry, we are not alone in our thoughts, and at the end of the day we can all make it through to the end. 

20 Seconds

20 Seconds

"All you need is 20 seconds of insane courage"-Benjamin Mee

Fear inhibits people from making tough decisions. 

Fear stops people from telling the truth.

Fear.

If people never did anything that scared them, the world would arguably be a boring place, where we all walk on egg shells.

Doing something that you fear, can end up changing your life. Whether it be a positive or negative, it can make you a stronger person.

Therefore there is great importance in doing something that you fear every day.

Fear isn't necessarily always the same. 

You can be afraid of sending that message to an old friend, afraid that they won't respond to you.

It could be that you fear that conversation you know you have to have with your parents.

You could be afraid to finally send in that cover letter to that internship you yearn for, but are afraid of being told you simply are not good enough.

The problem with not facing your fears, is that they can come to own you, to control you.

Fear can stop you from living.

But only if you let it.

Just do something, however small or big, that scares you because at the end of the day you will not know what happens unless you try.

20 seconds of insane courage can sometimes be all you need to do something you're afraid off.

Whether it be a 20 second speech, 

The 20 seconds you need before hitting that send bar, 

The 20 seconds before submitting your application to an internship

Try it.

Give yourself those 20 seconds.

Overcome a fear.

Peace and Quiet

Peace and Quiet 

In a world where every other minute people are checking their phones or tablets for texts, Facebook, twitter, instagram, news stories and more, finding pure peace and quiet seems almost impossible. Yet while traveling over fall break that is just what I found. 
A place that was pure bliss, where I was disconnected from the world. 

Bliss in Tuscany via Instagram

The ability to think without being interrupted by some bustle occurring has long escaped me. It was a joy to be able to get time to think uninterrupted. Thoughts often take people on walkabouts about their lives, other peoples lives, even the meaning of life itself.
When I was just letting idle thoughts float through my, admittedly sometimes over hyper mind, I was able to realize an important thing I wanted to do.
I wanted to write more.
I was not exactly sure about what and am still not sure.
However I will write, whether it be about my latest idle thought,
an issue I feel is important or simply what I did over the weekend. 

I. Will. Write. 

Hopefully my posts will be stir all sorts of thoughts and emotions. Most of all I hope they inspire others to think. to write, to realize all
the great things we can do with our lives.