A gratitude blog.

    We are unbelievably lucky. You're wondering why I'm including you since I don't even know your circumstances? What your life consists of? I don't need to. I'm talking about how lucky we both are to be alive. We may have many other things to be thankful for or nothing else at all. Regardless we are living so that will be the base of our thanks.

 Why even be thankful for things in our life, accomplishments etc? If you are a pure atheist who doesn't believe in thanking God or a higher being , maybe you've questioned the purpose of this exercise. However its much more than that. Learning the art of gratitude enables you to benefit from the things you do have as opposed to the things you don't. It gives you a passion for life and motivates you . Essentially, it brings you happiness. So its not just a case of being submissive and worshipping an entity up there, its for yourself.

    Thus ladies and gentlemen, in this blog I am to going to write down the main things that I am grateful for  in the hopes of brightening my day and hopefully inspiring you to do the same!

Things I am grateful for....

1. My life. To be alive in this world. I don't know why I'm here or where I'm headed after but I'm alive now and that's great!

2. My mobility. A great fear I have is paralysis. It would be the worst thing that could happen to me and so I am so glad that I have the ability to move freely to wherever I want.

3.My Vision.  I have my sight to be able to see the beautiful things the world has to offer and witness incidents take place and all the big events in my life. Our ability to see is overlooked each and everyday. What would you do without your sight? Just imagine it, total darkness no matter what. You are so lucky to be able to read these words, see these colours. Take advantage of that and really see what's around you, take in the pigment of the colours and observe closely the different sights when you're on holiday or just in an unfamiliar place.

4. My hearing. I felt this needed to be in a seperate section to vision because they're both so important individually. Most of us have a passion for music don't we? Imagine not being able to listen to your favourite song or just feel the way only music can make you feel. Or even certain noises, people talking to you. I think we take all our senses for granted much too often, every day basically.

5. My health. My general health. To be able to get up every morning with no pain or difficulty. To have no physical setbacks, its a blessing. I really should use this revelation to exercise more...

"The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.

Friedrich Nietzsche"

6. The people in my life. My family and friends who surround me. I always have someone to turn to and people to share jokes with, big events and everything really. Connecting with people and being able to share their emotions is kind of beautiful when you think about it. Not everyone is so lucky to have people in their lives with whom they have benefiting relationships.

7. My connection with myself. I've always been someone who is well connected with themselves. I check in with myself a lot to (no matter how cliche it sounds) ensure that I'm happy and following my honest convictions.  Some people aren't as fortunate. So many lose themselves by getting caught up in life and they live day by day without being completely honest with themselves.

8. My Opportunites and Circumstances: I don't know if everyone reading this is so fortunate but I feel so grateful that I am in a peaceful country, which is not at war or enduring a terrible crisis at the moment. I live in a first world country, which may be in a recession, but there are still so many opportunities out there for me. I'm also so grateful for everything I own, there are so many people out there with terrible circumstances in their lives but when you don't encounter them everyday you can forget how lucky you are. Also, we live in a modern age! We have amazing technology at our fingertips and there are so many more rights for women, gays and blacks than there were years ago. Its a great time to live in.

9. My talents. I may not be the best at everything I want to be and since I use to be a perfectionist this fact led me to forget about the things I was good at. We are all good at something and we should value those things! I believe we all have a purpose in the world and no matter what you will fulfill that purpose. Your talents contribute to your purpose which is exciting. So act on them even if you just have one and that one talent is polishing shoes or making buttons. Still counts.

10. My Imagination and dreams . Without them we'd all be pretty boring. Wouldn't we?

I feel like because life is so vast that I'm definately leaving something out or in ten minutes I'll think of something that really should have made my top ten and because it didn't it'll just vanish or something. ;)Despite this, here are my top ten things that I am grateful for in my life. The headings probably aren't that different to yours but the content sure is! I hope you can take the time now to ponder on what you're most grateful for in your life. Trust me it'll lift you out of a bad mood in an instant!

    Of course the question is, 
                                              What are you most grateful for?

                                                                                         Love,
                                                                                               Rachel=)

Makeup VS Intelligence?

I'm telling you, there's brain power required in putting on mascara...

It has come to my attention recently that a debate took place where the motion lay that "Women who wear makeup are less intelligent than women who don't". It struck me as a very interesting argument and so I thought I'd share my opinion. Male readers, don't fret if you feel like this post does not apply to you. You're opinion on this is equally valuable!

Firstly I would like to re define the sentence.

1. I don't think it should be limited to just women's intelligence. It is becoming much more popular for guys to wear makeup too.

2. I'm going to investigate what they mean by intelligence. I mean, it such a broad word, isn't it?

3. I'm also going to look at the fact that the declaration does not go into why a person might be wearing the makeup.

So, lets begin!

The main issue I have with the accusation is that you don't know why the person is wearing makeup. We don't all wear it for the same reason, to impress people. Some of us like to wear it because its a collection obsession, just like match cards and stamps, there is so much makeup that it genuinely becomes a hobby to collect it. As well as this, I know that I'm obsessed with colours, and makeup is all about that. There are thousands of different lipstick, blush and eye shadow shades to have fun with. And that's just it, Makeup is an art. Its  a method of expression and creativity only on our faces instead of a paper canvas.However I am well aware that people have taken to wearing makeup for insecurity reasons. Many don't feel pretty without it on and may not even leave the house barefaced! This is where the claim can be justified.

What is intelligence? I think most people agree that there is not only one type. Yes, if you're a student you're encircled by the thought that "book smart" intelligence is the only one and I think in this world we live in, Knowledge as an intelligence is ranked far too highly. Its a type of intelligence to know loads of stuff whether it be the names of presidents, the location of different countries or tonnes of historical facts, however it is not the be all and end all. There are many other types. Sensitivity is a type of intelligence, I count that as being able to feel the emotions of other individuals easily. There's an intelligence in being able to come up with ideas and engage in deep thoughts and think philosophically. Common sense is intelligence (one which I possess little of, I was packing ingredients for a dish to be made in school once, the recipe required salt so I brought in the whole bottle. I mean it didn't give me a measurement...?)

And there are various others which I have not mentioned. Intelligence is a very complex matter which is simplified much too often to the point where it has lost its detail. There is one type of intelligence, however, that I have not mentioned. I believe it is an intelligence to look past the images you see in magazines and on billboards of super glamorous models, and see instead a fake idealism, photo shop and a corrupt business.

To be able to hold your own and stand your ground. To be so connected with yourself that you can't be fooled,even slightly by the media, into changing yourself. That is an intelligence. And so going back to what I said earlier about many wearing make up to cover insecurities, I think this is the only justification that people who wear makeup are less intelligent. They have become sucked into the media and have lost the art of questioning it. That is an intelligence lost. But it is one type, and one type alone.

Overall, I completely disagree with the statement. To me, even the idea that wearing make up affected other types of intelligence is ridiculous. The action of putting lipstick on will not cause you to forget your history dates or drop 10 IQ points. I feel that where most people debating this are coming from is from a very stereotypical place. However stereotypes do not belong in the world of truth so saying that every one who wears make up is a barbie doll is false. I love make up because its so fun to mess around with and everyone has their different reasons for wearing it. Don't judge a book by its cover!

What do you think? Do you think people who wear makeup are less intelligent than those who don't?

Love,

Rachel!=)

Allergies: Anaphylaxis

       I am bringing to you today a very important topic which I have learned is very much overlooked and generally misunderstood in most of our fortunate lives. Do you have an allergy? Most of you probably do. Whether it be pollen, dust, the hoover? Many people in society manage their everyday lives with ease if they have such allergies because they're not major. Now let me put this to you. Imagine if you had anaphylaxis. What's anaphylaxis you ask? That question is the problem. That question is the reason my Transition year class have undergone a YSI project to raise awareness about this subject. I realise you remain yearning for an answer. Allow me to explain.....
        Anaphylaxis, by definition, is an extreme, often life-threatening, allergic reaction to an antigen (e.g. a bee sting) to which the body has become hypersensitive. Doesn't it sound frightening? Ordinary things in life like nuts, eggs or milk, which most people consume without even realizing it through chocolate bars, meals out etc. However for someone suffering from anaphylaxis, life isn't so simple. They must avoid these triggers or they will have a serious reaction in the form of a shock. The triggered sufferer will begin swelling, develloping hives, lowered blood pressure and dilated blood vessels. If an anaphylactic shock is not treated immediately it can be fatal. What's terrible is that some severe sufferers don't even have to consume the food which they are allergic to, sometimes it is enough for them to smell it and a reaction will ensue.
       So as you can see, its a very serious issue which many people are ignorant of. Now let me guide you to another few thoughts. Picture a young sufferer of anaphylaxis having fallen head over heels in love and the big moment, the first kiss is about to take place. Fireworks are ready to pop, candles alight and the stars have shifted into alignment. What could go wrong? Well anaphylactics cannot have their kiss without checking that their partner has not eaten the food they are allergic to within a certain time frame. Complicates matter, doesn't it? Now lets envision the whole family going out for a nice meal at the local restaurant. Unfortunately, because of the fact that many restaurants do not cater for allergies, the sufferer will find it incredibly hard to eat there. Even if restaurants do serve allergy-friendly meals they do not guarantee absolutely no cross-contamination. Obviously these are just two common examples of the difficulties severe allergy sufferers face in their day to day lives. What everyone reading this needs to realise is that this condition seriously impacts on the lives of those affected!
          And now for a few stats:
- In the USA, Anaphylaxis cause the deaths of between 500- 1000 people each year
- The frequency of anaphylaxis is increasing
- Anaphylaxis occurs in all age groups.
- The most common fool allergies are 1. Peanuts 2. Milk 3. Shellfish
       I'm sure anyone who lives with anaphylaxis everyday by being a sufferer or close relative will read and think it a very brief synopsis however my aim was not to overwhelm you but to introduce the idea that Allergies are serious and not just confined to a sneeze in the middle of summer. My groups' project "Strategies4Allergies" predominantly aims to raise awareness for this good cause and to ultimately improve the lives of allergy sufferers in our community. I hope after reading this, ye guys will think more about underlying issues in society and if ye see collections for Anaphylaxis please give what you can! Your money is certainly going to good use:). If you're Irish why not check out www.anaphylaxisireland.ie, there you can learn a lot more detailed information. They also have a facebook page and a twitter so connect away!
                                                                      Love,
                                                                         Rachel!=)

Sluts and Whores

Slut?

   

     Sluts and Whores. Terms we use to describe women who sleep around and wear "too little" clothing. And the funny thing is that 90% of the people using either word are women. I've used it myself, when I was younger. I mean I'm definitely not a candidate for the slut group, a convent some may say, but provocative is certainly not a word you'd use to describe me. All the same though I think its a word that should be eradicated from alls' vocabulary for many reasons.
    The first being the fact that it is none of your business how a woman chooses to dress. If you are worried about how women are being made into sex objects and used then it still doesn't make sense to start calling them names and blaming them. If you're a woman, just because you do not wish to dress provocatively does not give you the right to call other females out for doing so. Often its a jealousy thing, other women become envious of the way these so called "whores" get huge amounts of attention from men. I don't know what your jealous of? You're jealous of being looked upon as a sex object, only from the chest down? Why would you desire that type of attention, those type of men? And if you're a man, you don't own your girlfriend/wife/ any woman. You cannot dictate how they dress or what they do. Its not like the old days where women were ye're puppets. Women are independent and have so many more rights now. They have their own style and beliefs. As we always did, in case you didn't know;)
    Also, and a very important reason, is that there is no male equivalent of the term "slut" and that's definitely not because men are straight laced and faithful. If a guy sleeps with a load of women its looked highly upon in his circle of friends, he's the boss and is pushed up a notch. If a girl sleeps around however she gets called these derogatory names by her peers and no one tries to look further into why she did it. Or just simply leave her to a  judgement free life. Where is ye're justification in that? Its highly sexist and unfair.
     As well as this, many women feel it is a type of feminism to show off the female body. They don't necessarily do it to impress men. I agree that it is more feministic to dress femininely (or provocatively as some do) than to dress like a man because we should be able to prove that we're equal to them while wearing high heels and lipstick. Why try and become like them? With this being said, it is essential for all women to feel free after years of oppression. They can wear and do what they wish just like men can.
    I've always emphasised though that women shouldn't feel the need to be sexy and promiscuous. So many girls do feel that they have to wear so little clothing when they go out to impress men and I believe this pressure is wrong. We are not mere objects and we deserve so much more than to be thought of as that. And just remember, if you think you're special because some guys staring at your chest in a really low top? He's done that and will do that to any woman he meets. Millions of women have 'amazing' bodies.
     To conclude, I think we females especially need to quit using these horrible words towards our fellow girls. We should be so proud on how far women have come to be able to dress and do what they like and even if you know they're just acting this way to impress men then pity them, don't become angry with them! Its hardly their fault that society's voice for the male species has made them insecure now is it? Show a bit of mercy because you may one day feel that too. I vow never to use the word "slut" or "whore" again because neither word tells the story or  the reasoning behind the girl standing in front of me.
   
         Do you know what's sad? I couldn't find an anti-slut quote to end this post with. Shows something....

                                                    Do you believe in promiscuity?
                   
                                                                                   Love,
                                                                                      Rachel=)
   

 

Quotations Sunday: 24/02/2013

Today's quote is one that I recommend sticking  on your bedroom wall as a helpful reminder for when you come in feeling distressed after a row with your Mom or dejected after a day that didn't quite go your way.

Its a quote that really transfers the power over to you, the way its phrased is personal and just sinks in. This morning I read a piece where someone was talking about how it is not possible to be happy all the time. From my experience I agree, things happen in life where you can't react with a smile however there are also those times where you have the power to pull yourself out of a self-pitying session and make yourself happy.

I received some disappointing news this weekend and usually I would have gotten upset over it and spent some time thinking negatively and worrying but I genuinely thought of this quote and I didn't allow myself to. I brought my usual logical self back and thought how pointless it would be if I got upset over this.

And its true. Isn't it? Isn't being sad just a huge waste of time? Now, we'll need to put this into perspective. I'm not saying to just glide on by in contentment when someone you love dies or something tragic like that happens but I'm talking about when you break up with someone or get a bad result in a test, then its important to not waste your precious time being down. And do you know what's great about your life? You can control it. Just because everyone expects you to be upset about something doesn't mean you have to be, you can surprise them by being strong and just letting the incident go. One thing I've learned through the course of my life is that there are go to be a lot of people who love to see you upset. It comes from their own  internal depression and need for others to feel down also. They will keep bringing up the incident just to try and catch a flicker of pain on your face. Those people are extremely difficult to deal with. However you can. Its just a case of truly letting your hurt go instead of having it masked inside you, almost waiting to be brought to the surface again. As I said in a previous post, "the best way out is through", to get rid of your sadness I feel its important to think about the situation rationally and then I guarantee you the pain will fade away and it won't seem as bad.

Time is precious. I feel like every old person I speak to tells me that the years have flown by and to enjoy my youth. The days go slowly but the years go fast, have you never heard that?  And its true even for me. I can't believe I've lived a whole 16 years of my life, it flew! I mean, most people believe that we only live once so time is extremely valuable, we can't waste it wallowing in despair! We need to realise that such wonderful things surround us and that sadness won't accomplish anything!

Be productive. Change whats bad in the world but do it with an energy, not in a depression.

My favourite ways to cheer myself up are:

-Think about the situation logically, I say it all the time but emotions can hide the solution to a problem.

-Genuinely think of the positives to the situation. If you didn't do as well as you thought in an exam be glad you passed, if your significant other broke up with you, be glad that you're free to move on and out of a relationship that wasn't working. 

-Watch something that makes you laugh. Laughter's just the best thing ever. Am I right?

- If you're lucky enough to have someone to turn to who really does care about your happiness talk to them about it. Sometimes just saying things out loud can help you make sense of them.

-Keep yourself busy. Immerse yourself in work or set up a blog;)

-Everything seems better after a good night's sleep.

-Don't allow yourself to stop taking care of you. Give yourself a face mask or shave if you're a guy. If you don't have the energy to keep up your routine, you're just letting the sadness take over you.

-Remember the very important phrase, "life goes on". The future will be brighter. Don't lose hope. I know you can only think about your current pain but try and see the broader picture.

-Keep up your self esteem by picking things out that you like about yourself and all the accomplishments you've made in your life. I'm sure you'll find loads!

-Try meditation or yoga. I freaking love that stuff!

And guys...... DON'T COMFORT EAT!:P

Do you have any good tips to cheer yourself up when you're feeling down?

Love,

Rachel.=)

Fear

Isn't fear the weirdest thing ever? I came up with the idea of writing about this when I had the misfortune of stumbling upon a most undesirable picture from "The Exorcist" on the Internet and spent the whole night paranoid. It only hit me then how irrational fear is. I mean, where does fear even come from?

Coming from a-totally-non-qualified-definitely-not-an-expert-just-a-human-being-who-has-experienced-it-way-too-often's perspective I feel like fear is such a complex matter and the fear of seeing a scary film is very different to being afraid of saying what you believe. The reason I say that is because when I see a scary image I sort of go numb and freeze, then I have the natural instinct to try and get away from it. With fear of dealing with people, thinking about the future, you're not panicking, you're more kind of exaggerating everything in your head and thinking about what could happen. And I suppose that is what fear does. It blows everything up way out of proportion and it plays tricks with your mind. Your imagination is much more frightening than reality when fear has taken control of the reigns.

So I guess what we should address is the question of "What is fear?" Why do so many of us have the same reaction to scary pictures and why are so many people are afraid of spiders? I think it could be a reflection of what we see around us. Everyone's afraid of these things so the actions and feelings get instilled in us also. But that doesn't really sit with me. How can it feel so natural? Maybe its the fear we saw in their eyes that frightened us and whenever we see that thing by which they were frightened of again, we associate it with that time of fear. Also, touching on my belief in reincarnation I'm not going to dismiss that our fears don't come from past lives. It kind of makes sense doesn't it? We can't explain why we're afraid of something in this life because our memories from lives gone by have faded so much. All that remains are the feelings because feelings are infinite. 

Other than that I find it ridiculously difficult  to figure out why we have fears for no apparent reason.

If I were to speak about the other type of fear I mentioned, the fear of the future, the fear of failing. That to me is definitely due to external sources and once again society. Society has told us how to behave, what future is the best and we fear we can't live up to that. I don't know why we do, but we do. We're often afraid to give our opinions because we think people will reject them, stare at us or that it'll just go really badly. We don't rationalise it or more importantly forget about it, because even if they do all those terrifying things in your head, it doesn't even matter. And about the fear of failing in our future lives. I know I'm convinced I'm going to end up homeless because everything I'm interested in is so easy to fail in or just simply doesn't produce jobs.  In general though, people are afraid to chase their dreams for fear of failing and ending up as something you hate for the rest of your lives. All of these common fears are derived from Mothers, Fathers, Teachers, Aunts, Uncles, The Media and others telling us that your life is a success if  you become a doctor or a lawyer and make X amount of money each year. You have a nice house, attractive spouse of the opposite sex with whom you make 2 kids, a boy and a girl (at an appropriate age, mind you.) This is what's deemed stereo typically perfect in society and many of us have a fear of not achieving that.

Now I want to discuss the power  of fear. The utter grip it has over our thoughts, our actions, our feelings and our lives. After I saw that petrifying photo I was talking about, why couldn't I just forget about it? I lay in bed and I kept checking every inch of my room to make sure she hadn't just popped in to say hello. I deemed every unexpected object to be her and my heart would stop for a split second until I realised it was just a blouse. I don't even know why I wanted to keep looking, surely I'd want to delay seeing her for as long as possible??? I guess I wanted to try and regain some of the power that fear had taken from me.

You become so engrossed in fear. The people around you kind of dwindle away and you act towards them in a manner that's not like you. You might turn to anger or tears but in whatever way you do its negative so as we all can testify, fear affects our relationships with others.

Its so important to try and eliminate our fears, to add a dollop of logic to our lives, because only then can we live all our dreams to their fullest. Who doesn't want that? 

They say the best way to eliminate fear is to just face it. Then you'll be free from its clutch. I totally believe in this. I make sure I don't shelter my eyes when a ghost pops up in scary films because my imagination will be worse than whats in front of me and the motions of fear that I go through(squealing, clutching the blanket, tensing up and shaking) all lead to the initial fear building up and building up.

Making fun of scary things also helps enormously. Laughter is a curing and preventative medicine so if you laugh, you're not only tricking your body into thinking you're happy and releasing endorphins and all that jazz but you're simply seeing the bright side of life as well.

Also, I love the quote "Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood"  and that's something I wholeheartedly believe in. Its my opinion that that is the reason for prejudice. Homophobia is the correct term because its not people being ass holes its people being afraid of the unknown among other things like insecurity etc. But if you sat down and truly investigated a spider you wouldn't be as afraid. You'd understand that they're generally harmless and just look creepy.

And my last piece of advice is that we must realise that our fear of people is ridiculous, When we look at people doing something really out there we think about it or a split second and then we move on to the next candidate in our queue of thoughts. We've all been awkward at some point in our lives and from this we possess a basic human compassion. We need to demolish the fear of displeasing society as well and determine our own definition of success. I know mine is very internal and emotionally based. What's yours?

They're the best things  I can come up with to eliminate our fears and I'm ashamed to report that I had intended to leave ye with some scary pictures to work on curing ye're selves with. The bad news? I saw 20 spiders in Google images and had a seizure......

I'll leave ye with one question, and one question only,

What would you do if you weren't afraid?

Love,

             Rachel=)

Judging others.

This is really creepy, but also hilarious.


At a guess, I would say that 99% of the world judge others, even in the most subconscious way.  It is a part of everyday life and every time you meet someone you categorise them and essentially judge them. However there is a big difference between openly judging someone, letting that initial image affect how you see them for the proceeding future and judging someone unwillingly, almost unbeknownst to you. The judgement just slips in before you can rationalise it out. You see, the thing about judging is is that it is so difficult not  to do. And its not a natural response. When we're born we have no intentions to judge. Kids don't judge other kids. It is clearly the media and society which has instilled this in us. However I believe that it is possible to take steps to eliminate judging others from our lives.



Imagine a world in which, instead of judging others, we accept ourselves. And self-acceptance can help us stop judging others.


Back to what I mentioned earlier, about people judging others openly and consciously, almost enjoying it and making no effort to stop. I believe that this is derived from insecurity and as the quote above says, a lack of self-acceptance. When people point out others on the street for looking "weird" or point people out for practically anything is that not a clear indication that they have issues with themselves and need other people to feel bad because they do. We've all been there, and if you haven't then congrats because you're pretty rare. In general though I would imagine that nearly everyone reading this has criticised someone because of the way they look, their beliefs etc. And looking back do you really think you were happy? If you're still doing it do you really think you are happy? I highly disapprove of judging others because everyone has a story, no one is going to be entirely what you judge them to be. We're much too complicated than that. 

I also feel that judging people holds yourself back in life too. If you judge other people for failing school, making loads of noise in a church or wearing a lipstick that's too dark then I am convinced you will hold an underlying fear of doing those things as well.  A lot of judgemental people I know are also very self- conscious, a feared and jittery people. I'm not surprised either. You're so immersed into the judgement circle that you can't forget other people's opinions of you when you stand up to speak. To me, Judging others, like hate, is another classic example of something that is deemed normal in society but still isn't right. Just because everyone else does it doesn't mean you can't be the first to eliminate it from your life. 

Unfortunately, I still judge people. However I have progressed a lot further into the subconscious realm of judging. Its still unfair but at least I'm aware of it and try to prevent it from going any further than an initial split second. And to be honest I feel a lot happier and I've kind of forgotten that people judge me every moment of every day. The thought and the pressure just vanishes. I'm also confident that one day I can forget judging other people entirely because I care so much about it.

Also, to all of us who hold a fear of being judged, are afraid to act a certain way or wear a certain thing because you're worried of what people might think just know that its their problem not yours. They're people just like you and they have no power over you. I know looks and sneers especially can tear you down along with words and such but its just an illusion in your mind that's blowing them up to be more frightening than they are. All they are are unattractive expressions of pain and insecurity. Haha, don't judge them for it!;)

So I am putting a task to all you readers out there, to just give me this week, until next Friday where you try to not judge a single soul. Where you try to think about how you don't know their story and ask yourself how it would make you feel to be judged on your appearance, morals, walk etc. See how you feel at the end of it. 

There are some great quotes on Judging so I'l leave ye with a few.

"Go ahead. Judge me. Just remember to be perfect for the rest of your life."

"Judging a person does not define who they are, it defines who you are."

"Don't judge me. There's a reason I do what I do, there's a reason I am who I am" 

"When I am able to resist the temptation to judge others, I can see them as teachers of forgiveness in my life, reminding me that I can only have peace of mind when I forgive rather than judge."

Love,
               Rachel!=)

    

Idealism VS Realism: My thoughts....

The stereotypical view of an idealist and a realist.

I always called myself an idealist. I thought that Realism was essentially another word for boring and my general hobbies and interests pretty much fit the bill for my chosen title. I'm very spiritual, philosophically minded and I hold beliefs that are pretty out there. My future career plans are very unstable and I am a huge supporter of positive thinking- to an extreme point. However, as I delved further into this fascinating topic of Idealism VS Realism I discovered that its not as clear cut as I thought. Just like any thing else in life, I don't think its possible to categorize yourself one hundred percent.

To attempt to define both terms in a basic manner, I think most of us would agree that Idealism is behavior or thoughts based on how things should be or how the person wants them to be with a tendency to be imaginary or visionary.

Realism on the other hand is behavior or thought based on how things are, regardless of how the person wants them to be. Realists are often practical and pragmatic.

I personally agree with both definitions but I think the incorrect belief that I used to hold was that Idealists were very happy and positive people. That life was splendid for them. I also thought that Realists must be depressed because they focused on reading the news(which is rarely uplifting) and were against dreams, etc. How could they ever find pleasure in their lives?

I have now realized that that belief is false in my opinion. Severe idealists in my life are some of the most depressed people I know. And I have recently come to discover that I, myself am a realist in many ways. In many, many others I'm a dreamer, an idealistic dreamer, but now I like to call myself an optimistic realist.

The reason that I feel severe idealistic thinking can lead to depression is because it simply causes disappointment. If you're constantly living in a head full of crazy dreams then you're not going to live in the present and focus on making those dreams into goals. You become disappointed when these dreams didn't fruition and thus feel depressed. I know a proud realist who believes in pushing their problems away, filling their head with good thoughts instead of the niggling obstacles. I don't. This is an idealistic belief which I highly disapprove of. One of my favourite quotes is "The best way out is through". I think that if a problem enters your life it is better to find the positives in it and work through it until you find a solution. That is where my self- denoted title "optimistic realist" comes from. I believe in observing the many opportunities in and using this world to achieve the many, many dreams I have. I think it is achievable for impossible things to come true in this world. I am also well aware that there are terrible things happening in the world. However, these  self- proclaimed "Realists" are very good at talking about how awful and cruel poverty, sex-trafficking and murder is yet I find that there are a lot of angsty talkers out there who simply have a negative attitude but don't bother to do anything about changing things. I don't think a negative attitude is going to help anyone. I adore volunteer work and plan on including it as a big part of my life. However I will never become a cynic because what will that do?? Positively moving towards change is what I plan to accomplish. 

Another idealistic approach to life which I disagree with is the craze of filtering photographs on Instagram or Tumblr and of course photo shop in magazines and such. There is beauty in the world already. I think there are many sights in the world you could take a breath taking picture of without altering it at all. When pictures of people are changed to look 'perfect' I just don't get it? Do you want the whole world to feel inadequate or something? 

All in all, I think it is important to have a balance of the two in your life because if you're either extreme, you're missing out on a lot. My favourite idealistic thought is that nothing is impossible. What isn't normal/ possible now could well be in the future if we make it. And that's within us too. Just because realistically we should have insecurities and hate people doesn't mean that you can't change that for yourself. Its idealistic but totally possible. We all need to be genuine when we go through life though. Like the infamous Kanye West said, we need to "suffer from realness" and my interpretation of that is eliminating fakeness, because there's nothing worse than faking a positive attitude.  So in my view its a draw, I'm going to keep on dreaming but I'm never going to lose the world around me either.

Now its over to you guys, in your opinion

Which side wins?

Love,

Rachel!=)

Vegetarianism

  Now before anyone becomes alarmed and locks the door to their mind, I just want to make it clear that I am not going to go all 'scary veggie' on you guys.;) In this post I simply want to deliver my point of view on a topic I think a lot of people are ignorant of.
  I decided to become a vegetarian in the new year after I watched a video on peta.org that really, really upset me. It was about animal testing and was called "Testing, 1,2,3" or something along those lines.  I had always thought about becoming a vegetarian but had no motivation to actually start altering my diet. That was the trigger.
   So I've not eaten meat since New year's eve to be exact and I feel great! Initially I felt weak in the first few weeks but the dietitian I went to said it was just the change of diet. I do recommend going to a dietitian if you plan on going vegetarian as you can't really trust everything you read online. As regards the health side of things, I'm going to get a blood test done in summer to check if my iron levels/ protein levels are alright but I feel totally fine so I doubt there'll be any problems! In fact, I feel much healthier as its obviously forced me to eat more fruit and veg which I wasn't doing before and I've realized that I like a lot more than I thought. I also love, love, love the 'Linda McCartney'  vegetarian line. Her meat products genuinely taste like meat but better! I'm not in denial or lying, you need to try them! They can be found in supermarkets so they're not hard to find either.
  I've faced a lot of opposition to my decision to stop eating meat. I was actually very surprised to realize that  a lot of people are against it. That is one thing I don't understand. I have not even tried to put my point across on why I believe in Vegetarianism let alone become aggressive towards them, yet the reasons I'm accumulated from meat eaters as to why they dislike vegetarians/ believe in eating animals are (a) they think that vegetarians are going to force their way of eating on them (b) they get the impression vegetarians think that they're better than meat eaters (c) they believe animals are lower in the food chain (d) they love meat.
I respect the final two reasons as your own choice and opinion but the first two are complete generalizations. Regardless, I think it should be a little more respected and I feel that people should put more thought into their choice to eat meat. Just because its normal doesn't mean its right for you.
                                                   
This famous quote by Paul McCartney is one I agree with. We don't know half of what cruelty is poured on these animals. And I'm not blaming you, it should be more publicly known.Paul McCartney's video in relation to the topic is really eye-opening and I recommend watching it.
   So essentially all, I just wanted to inform ye that Vegetarianism is definitely not life-changing and if you're like me, who just ate meat for convenience, then I suggest giving it a try. There's also no point in getting sandwiches in restaurants with meat and then taking the meat out without eating it because that still creates a demand for the meat. I know I sound paranoid but doesn't it make sense to try and reduce as many animals who get tortured and murdered as possible? The links I've provided will give you more information on something that's very hidden and underground. Take what you will from them.

Answer in the comment section below:
Do you eat meat? If so, what are your reasons for it? I'd love to know!

                                                                             Love,
                                                                                Rachel!=)

The Idea Of Fashion: Following Trends.

                                

     As I have just returned  from one of the most fashion conscious cities in the world, London, i feel it is fitting to write about the duty of  'following trends', a topic which quite frankly has always baffled me.
   I would like to start off by making it known that I am not someone who doesn't care less about clothes, I love clothes and am very into shopping and developing my own style. However I have never been, and probably never will be, someone who puts a lot of effort into their outfit. To be honest, I kind of just put things on and see if they work.;) I have a huge passion for Vintage Clothing and very feminine pieces in general.

    Aside from that though, it became apparent to me during this weekend in particular that there are so many people out there who follow trends and only wear what's 'in' at the moment. To me, it is probably one of the most accepted examples of mindlessly following the crowd and just trying to be the same( a bit like 'The need to be different' I was talking about before but instead its 'The need to be the same')Why? I never understood the idea of changing styles every season. Who sets these trends anyway? I'm presuming its designers and fashion shows and such but it still bewilders me. You read in magazines, "This season's must haves" and that such and such is 'in' right now ( and will last for a month or two, tops) and even that its common for people to throw things out of their wardrobe because its out of style. Can you believe it that I once heard someone say that they were keeping a hat stored away until it came back in fashion? Why not wear it now? No one's going to shoot you! The 'fashion police' posse only exist in cringey American films.

                                             

   I think at the core of the problem is of course the media and also our subconscious adoration for the aesthetic or 'look' of things. For both genders its the same thing, we see an item of clothing, an image pops into our mind of when a model wore it or someone who you thought looked really good, then the desire grows in you to have it. So I guess image is a very powerful thing. When you're flipping through the pages of Vogue or you pass a poster of really glamorous models, those images are affecting you way more than you think.
    What just sort of dawned on me over the 3 days in this magnificent, bustling city is how much pressure this need and urge puts on us. Every time you turn a corner or walk into a shop there is someone more on trend and stylish than you. Their shoes are that little bit higher (or lower if that's what in) and it just leads to you feeling like crap, less perfect to these glamorous individuals. And that my friends is why I refuse to keep up with the fashion world. I pick and choose from trends I like and trends I don't and every time I look closer at an item of clothing that's caught my eye I try and make sure I truly like it and its my style. If I get an image in my head of a model from Chanel who was wearing something similar and that's the only reason I want it then I leave it alone. Because I'll never look as 'good' as she (or he if you're a guy) did. I don't have expensive lighting, photo shop and a super clean diet at my service.
     Despite all of this, I hate telling people how to live their lives. This is simply a topic I am desperately confused about and one which most definitely  wouldn't suit my life. If it excites you to keep up with trends, I'm certainly not going to judge you. Its your world. I'd love to hear what any readers think about following trends. What do you guys think?
                                 
                                                                    Love,
                                                                         Rachel.=)




  

Quotations Sunday: 17/02/2013

The Quote I'm using today is a great one. Many people may disagree with it but to me it makes so much sense. So hopefully I can bestow that understanding on ye!:)



It's a long one but very engaging. It starts off by saying that we are what you take from the various things you do in life. I really do believe that. Every conversation and page of a book affects you and subconsciously changes you. I think that many of our movements come from films we've seen and of course other people around us. I know a couple of my friends dislike this quote because they say that the essence of who we are is more than these things and I see their point. However I think the disposition we carry each day, our mental thoughts and fears come from past experience. Every single one.

In the next section, the author tells us that we are 'the sound of the ocean', 'the darkest corner', 'the breath of fresh air.' Do you believe that? I kind of do. I guess where they're coming from is that even these things affect us too. They're a lot more 'out there' experiences to think they affect and change us but they do. I think what causes the disbelief is that it's so subtle, in the subconscious, and so illogical.

The last four lines are so idealistic but beautiful. If only we could live like that, drowning ourselves in 'a sea of knowledge' and letting the colours 'fill our minds'. That's for us to change. I think we do need to be more observant of our surroundings. I love the quote "such wonderful things surround you" and if we just took the time to look at them we'd see how great the world is in many ways. I'm not coming at this from an idealistic point of view but a bit of optimistic realism wouldn't go astray! I mean how great would a mind filled with colours be? And if all the people we sat with in class soaked up the knowledge that was being poured upon them? Wouldn't that be great? However we can't control other people, only ourselves so why not try and listen more carefully next time you're being given a piece of knowledge, whether you're in school or have a friend who knows everything and likes to inform everyone. And colours, colours are one of the most beautiful things in the world, they make beauty so why do we tend to slip by unnoticec, particularly in familiar environments. I just looked up from my laptop and into my bedroom and realised how colourful it actually is!
It'll brighten your day so give it a try:)

What did you think of this week's quote? Did you agree with it?

                                                                        Love,
                                                                              Rachel.=)

Love

                                                     

As its Valentine's Day I thought it fitting to make a blog post on the most important topic in the world I guess, love. And despite it being the most important thing in all our lives we tend to misuse it, abuse it and take it for granted.

I personally believe in true love. I also believe in soul mates. I think as regards relationships and dating, people rush into things and commit themselves to people they don't truly love. I don't understand the concept of divorce because I don't get why you would say you will spend the rest of your life with someone through hell or high water and then leave the relationship? (Obviously I think divorce should certainly be an option because no one should be stuck in unhappiness) but  I suppose its just a question that stirs in my mind sometimes, you know you hear of celebrities in particular who divorce their partners within two weeks and make precautions for an easy divorce before they get married. I mean, what's the point? I'd hope that if I ever do get married its to someone I adore and will stay with for the rest of my life. Surely that's everyone's goal?

One thing that breaks up marriages and destroys the name of love are affairs. Cheating is one thing that has always been able to get under my skin. I don't know why but my heart sinks whenever its brought up, I'm convinced (as I believe in reincarnation) that I was cheated on in a past life. Its the only explanation I can think of for the feeling I get with it. I don't know why people cheat, the urge is obviously derived from unhappiness within the marriage/ relationship but as its often been said, why not just leave? I guess its not as simple as that. However one belief I will never lose is that love is not based off of sex. I am much too prudish when it comes to that sort of thing but regardless I don't get why its so talked about. Why it breaks up love through cheating and why people replace love with it?

I believe that love is not just between a man and a woman. I used to be fanatically pro homosexuality( to a creepy point) but I still whole- heartily feel that love between a man and a man and a woman and a woman  is equal to heterosexual love. I am completely pro gay marriage and what I dislike is that even though attitudes towards gays and bisexuals has enormously improved, with their legal rights growing and growing, the attitudes a lot of (particularly) young people have towards them is rather backwards. Phrases I hate are "That's so gay" and "You faggot" often just used in a funny context but does that mean they should be used? I also know as a teenage girl that it wouldn't be welcomed with open arms for a teenage boy to admit he was gay. Why do the youth have the prejudices? I thought that would be the confused old people who felt uncomfortable...

I always laugh when I hear people my age, still technically a child, exclaim in distress "I'm Forever Alone" because they don't have a Valentine today or a boyfriend in general. I don't know if the opposite gender have those worries, but its blatantly obvious that us females do. This is coming from someone who has never had a boyfriend, its OK to be single at 16, you have time to snatch a boy out of desperation. Don't fret. I think a lot of people say it (a) to have the person they're saying it to tell them "that's rubbish" and "they'll break hearts" (b) they hear everyone else say it and it slips out (c) they genuinely have developed this irrational fear and have lost all logical thinking. Let's not blame them. No matter what age we are (unless you're like ten reading this)I think its fair to say that most of us have worried about the prospect of dieing alone. However, what's meant to be will be!

All in all, I'm not flashing my middle finger to the Valentine's Day section in Tesco because I think its cool that we have a day devoted to love, I hope today we all reflected on love in our lives and valued it. Because without it, where would we be?

Do you believe in true love?

                                                       Love, (how many times have I mentioned the word in this post?;))

                                                           Rachel!=)