Challenge Accepted

Decided on a change. I'm going to turn my life around, and it's starting right now.

This is my first change.

Everyday, I will be attempting to challenge myself. New tasks, new activities, new ideas. I'm open for challenge requests and I will be attempting to post daily.

Life begins, now.

The bird that stole your dreams.

summer

Summer and I often don't get along. Not only does it bring the potential of being locked away indoors because of horrid sunburn, but it also surfaces the many issues I have with my body. Trips to the beach are often in par with a string of thoughts about how I wish I stuck to my clean eating and exercising regime, or how I wished I had those 'hot-blonde-surfer-beach-chick' kinda feet.

It gets quite ridiculous.

I see those total babes wearing those skimpy bathers I wish I could pull off. The super tanned, fit males who I would never catch a glimpse from.

Though lately, I also see the families. The grandparents. The rest of the beach goers. The beautiful men, woman, children that I forget to see because I'm too busy worrying about the super models.

They help me remember that simple things often pointlessly consume much of our time.

J.

Inkheart

I read Inkheart for the first time today and I must say, it made me miss reading more than anything. I used to read every day, for hours on end, and then technology and school took over.

But I have made a promise, not a new year resolution, not a goal, but a promise - to lose my mind in the wonders of the imaginary worlds that have been created by many, so that my daily life is intertwined with thoughts of these wonderful and frightening stories.

"If somebody says to you: 'Things are this way. You can't change them, ' don't believe a word."

J.

year of dates

Something simple and sweet to make for a loved one. Make up a list of 'couple activities', cut them out and pop them in envelopes!
Being spontaneous is always fun - it'll definitely add excitement to your relationship.
If you're stuck for ideas, here are a couple of mine:-Volunteer for a day -Weekend camping trip
-Market scavenger hunt $10 -Build a fort -Catch a train to an unknown destination

all alone

What do you do, when everything you have known for the majority of your life, seems like it is going to disappear? The whole reason for your entire current existence in life, just vanish? 

How do you feel, when you're the cause of the disappearance? The spark that ignited the dwindling flame? 

Who are you, if you don't even know how to comfort the ones who lose everything? The ones who feel they are to blame.

Who are you, when you are all of these? When you are all alone among a crowd of people. When you feel like you have nothing even though you know you have everything.

And then, it doesn't end. At which point, do you continue from?

J.

same love

'And I can't change, even if I tried. Even if I wanted to.'

Are we who we are because of our upbringing? Our surroundings? Or are we literally born this way?  Majority of us are taught that it is a mixture of both, both our nature and nurture create the person we see in the mirror. I'm still on the fence, as I am about most things in life.

I know - biologically - there are many things about ourselves that we can't change. I know - physically - there are many things about ourselves we can change, but psychologically? Can we alter our personality to the point of complete difference? Is one's mind given up to the world, simply responding to each event in life? Or is it possible to actually change our minds? 

As curious as I am about much of what I don't understand, what I don't know, I honestly accept that. Curiosity sparks change, it's the first step to truly gain knowledge, the one thing that keeps pushing humanity to develop.

And I am content with being curious.

J.

Happy New Year

Last year, I spent my New Years Eve in my room, crying. I don't exactly remember why - I think it had something to do with the fact I didn't want to be happy, and because I wasn't happy because I didn't want to be, and not because of a real problem, I was even more unhappy. Figure that one out.

This year, however, was simply great. I spent the Eve of New Years Eve in Phillip Island, celebrating a friend's mum's 50th. To be honest, it was actually one of the best nights I have had - his family are some of the happiest people I have ever met and there was a constant inflow of hilarity and all the awkwardness I usually feel around new people, was absent.

The variations between families still shocks me, I find it hard to comprehend how some families work perfectly, and others do not at all, despite similar situations. I just hope my own future family will be as gorgeous as I imagine. 

Back onto NYE - after a horrendous car trip back to Melbourne from Phillip Island (due to the nauseating aftereffects of alcohol) I had to freshen up and head into the city for work. Stupidly, I hadn't eaten properly for a few days and for the next 8 hours, I felt like I was going to keel over and die of starvation.

Working in the city was actually quite rewarding, despite the sore legs and lethargy, the 'thank yous' and smiles we received made my day. I probably should explain I was working for the council, marshaling Yarra Park, I was near one of the main entries/exits @ Richmond Station - I have honestly never seen more people in one place in my life.

Over 90,000 people came to our area to see the family fireworks and the one thing that stood out the most, was the feeling of community and joy that every single person walking past exuded. It was beautiful and inspiring to witness this - the ability of the human race to share something special, that the beauty and excitement of one night can subside difference and conflict.

This is why I love working with people, because though there is bad, there is ALWAYS more good.

J.

seize the day

I wish I’d had the courage to live life true to myself, not how others expected of me. I wish I didn’t work so hard. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

These are the top 5 regrets people say aloud whilst on their deathbed. Having regrets is a regret in itself, but all of us here have the opportunity, right now, to wipe away the possibility of having these thoughts. 

Turning 18 recently has made me realise that my whole life, right up until this moment, is simply the beginning. Every second is a new start to the next part of our life, with every second comes a new opportunity, a new chance to start afresh.

Have you ever felt like you haven’t done anything with your life? Like a whole week has passed by without anything worthwhile happening? I used to, all the time. I constantly made the excuse that I was too busy. That having school and other responsibilities was too time consuming, and I would get around to everything else, “someday”. 

Here’s the reality that I have only very recently realised- if you’re busy now, you may still well be just as busy in a year’s time, so why wait? Why not start enjoying life now? Life is going to transpire, whether we like it or not, and instead of letting this happen, instead of letting the days fly by, forgotten, make your time more memorable.

All it takes is little steps. Small challenges, small goals. Give every day just a tiny bit of meaning. Why not give something new a shot for a week? Or even 30 days? Think of something you have always wanted to do, and do it. The desires you have at the moment may not ever pass, but time will.

How many of us here reflect on each day? I know I don’t, a lot of the time there isn’t much to reflect on. Just imagine if you did something that had a point, every single day. Imagine looking back at your year and remembering April as the month you trained for a marathon, September as the month you gave up junk food. Think back to February, what did you do? What happened in that month? If the answer is ‘nothing’, aim to make your next February a month to remember. Daily challenges, weekly challenges, or even monthly challenges, could literally change your life.

Life is scary. Life is a big open space that we are left to fill and most people only take up a miniscule portion.  No matter how young or old we are, no matter how much of life we have experienced, there will always be room to fill. We never know where life will take us, where will you be in a year? We look to the past and the future so often, but what about the present? Instead of thinking about tomorrow, think about right now. Think about what you can do in that exact moment, that exact place, that will add a spark to your day

Don’t let yourself have regrets. Make the most of every moment you have. I’m not suggesting to ‘live every day as it was your last’, but rather, live every day so you don’t forget it. Memories are all we have once something is gone, so why not make them great?

J. 

[This is part of a speech I wrote, that won me a public speaking award at a YOTY quest]

the importance

In my family this year, Christmas spirit has been lacking - in fact, it was lacking right up until about 11am this morning. 

All types of unexpected trouble has come our way, with money and changing plans - moods have been swinging and home has been the place I have least wanted to be. Even my attempts to decorate the house with what's left of our dwindling collection of Xmas decorations, failed.

Though everything is in full swing now, the past few weeks - my final results coming out, uni preferences and now, christmas - have been tough.

But every year is tough. For everyone, everywhere, there are tough moments. 

But when we are happy, we forget the bad.

I think that's the most disappointing thing about growing up - the older you get, the more you try to relive your past happiness and the more you are let down by the fact that it won't be the same. We focus on our inability to celebrate like we usually do, rather than focusing on looking forward to the celebration that we still get to have.

I think I need to stop trying to exhort such things upon life, and focus rather on moulding what I have in front of me.

J.