"Time and tide wait for no man." - Geoffrey Chaucer

The fact that we are fast approaching the end of the year, as well as the fact that it's been over 4 months since I last posted on this blog (I'm really terrible at this), ties in well with today's topic.

Time.

Yes that funny old thing. On occasion it drags as though the situation you're in may never actually pass. While on others, it flies by, leaving you wishing you could go back and relive those moments all over again. 

A single day, 24 hours on its own, often seems insignificant due to the monotonous routine we fall into, waking up, eating, working, watching TV, sleeping, and then doing it all over again the next day, and the next. But when those days add up, and turn into weeks, and then months, it's actually quite scary to look back and see how much time has really passed.

Before you know it, another year seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye, and while sometimes major events may have occurred, other times, it can feel like nothing has changed at all.

What do you spend the most time doing?

:) x

'The Other Half'

We all have that one friend. He/she has jumped from long term relationship to long term relationship, their promise to stay single after the most recent break up, never quite being fulfilled.

Most of us also know of a person who refuses to even pop to the shops alone, insisting, or at times, dragging, a friend to go with them. 

And while many love their own company, often opting for a night in alone over going out with friends, there still exists a preoccupation of sorts, with being alone.

Whether it's the constant stream of love stories we're taught to believe in through books and films from such a young and impressionable age, or just society at large frowning on those who choose to be alone.

I mean, we even refer to partners as 'the other half'. Implying that we aren't quite complete until we meet prince/princess charming. 

As with anything, moderation is key. Being at two extremes will no doubt drive you potty. But while it is of upmost important to not spend all your time cooped up in your room alone, I think it's equally important to be comfortable being alone. And the latter, in my opinion, isn't emphasised or encouraged anywhere near as frequently, as the former.

To be happy with yourself first and foremost is the trick. Not to think that happiness is an external entity. Because while that person may make you smile when they are in your midst, when they leave, (don't mistake the inevitable for pessimism) your happiness will walk out of the door with them.

And to end my ramblings, I shall leave you with this wonderfully ironic quote by the author of (yes I'm about to break the rules,) Fight Club. 

'People used what they called a telephone because they hated being close together and they were scared of being alone.' - Chuck Palahniuk.

:) x

Praying for Peace.

As a colleague scrolled through Facebook earlier today, and let out a gasp, I instinctively asked if everything was okay.

I did not however, prepare myself for the response.

The gasp was a knee-jerk reaction to a post that had caught my colleague's eye. A post that described the anguish and turmoil of a friend whose entire family had just been tragically killed.

After reading countless articles, blog posts, tweets, and comments under YouTube videos, I told myself there was nothing left to say.

Surely, everything worth saying had already been said/and continues to be said about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

My input seemed and still does seem, small and somewhat insignificant.

However, everyday for the past nineteen days, I have helplessly watched the numbers rise. The number of fatalities as I write this, is thought to be 45 Israelis, and 1049 Palestinians.That's not to mention the thousands injured. 

Now, we've all read the numbers over and over again, and in instances like this, people become just that. Numbers. Mere statistics. But just take a second to actually digest that information.

These people; innocent civilians, women and children, are NOT mere numbers.

They are precious lives being wiped out. 

One by one.

To put this into some sort of perspective, it's like the entire population of the Vatican City being wiped out in a number of days.

Now every single person, including you and me; has a story. From the 1049 Palestinian lives lost, some were just starting out and didn't even get to finish the first chapter. For others, including the family mentioned earlier, their story was prematurely and cruelly ended for them.

It occurred to me today as I sat lost for words. Not knowing how to respond to hearing something first hand and personal. Something that felt so different to the detached and disinterested reporter reading out numbers on the news. And that realisation was this; as a nation, we have become desensitised. 

We feel nothing when we see images of dead children, let alone when we hear mere statistics.

The sanctity of life no longer seems to exist. Particularly when these lives (and deaths) appear to be so far away.

At this point, land, religion, ethnicity and all other divisions are irrelevant. Basic human compassion, morality, and ethics is what we need to strive for. 

So as a reminder to myself first and foremost, sign every petition that you can get your hands on, donate more frequently than ever, and lastly, say as many heartfelt, sincere prayers as humanely possible.

And for once, let's unite for the sake of humanity, and pray for peace.

"Men have become the tools of their tools." - Henry David Thoreau

As I type up this blog post on my laptop that I probably couldn't live without, my iPhone bleeps with a text message. I immediately peer over at my phone to see who it is. 

Text messaging, iMessage, Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pintrest, Snapchat, Youtube, Netflix.

The vast majority of us will use at least one or more of the above on a day to day basis. Instinctively unlocking our phones and opening one of these apps from the minute our eyes open in the morning, through to the end of our day, when we struggle to stay awake to scroll through the endless pictures, tweets, or videos.

Now don't get me wrong, I love technology and everything it allows us to do. But like everything, there are certain limits. And sometimes, just sometimes, I do think we have surpassed these limits by a long mile.

I wonder how many of us have let the food in front of us go cold, while we take endless photos of our meal, trying to get the perfect one? How many of us have ended up getting late to meet a friend because we wanted to take the perfect selfie before we left the house? Now I know I'm exaggerating and using light hearted examples, but on a more serious note, how many kids do you reckon, have wasted entire summers sat in front of a computer, not going outside, or physically interacting or communicating with anyone.

I'm not attempting to be preachy because I'm the first one to admit that I spend way too much time on my laptop/computer/phone or whatever else it may be. 

But all I'm trying to say is, how many things have you got on your to do list, wish list, or bucket list? Whether it's something big like a skydive, or travelling the world, or something smaller, like wanting to read or write more often. And how many times have you told yourself that you just don't have the time?

Now compare this with the amount of time you spend looking at Kim Kardashian's most recent selfie, or people's holiday snaps on Instagram wishing that was you? Do you still not have the time to do all those things you've been wanting to do forever?

I think living in the society that we do, we have to learn to love and embrace technology. We have no choice since it is all around us. But we have to learn how to prioritise, and objectively look at whether the 'technology vs. everything else' balance in our lives is healthy.

So take the plunge. Switch off that phone, close your laptop, and do something.

P.S. When you do switch your phones and computers back on (the irony!), take a look at the video below and this blog post that explain what I'm trying to say in a much more succinct and coherent way!

:) x

“She's not wearing makeup so her face just looks like skin.” ― Chuck Palahniuk

She climbs out of bed, and walks straight over to the mirror. The somewhat mundane routine. The same old scrutiny, day in, day out.

Pinching and poking her face in an attempt to survey both old and new spots, scars, freckles, and wrinkles. Like unwelcome guests at a party, on her skin, on her body.

A little tighter here, and a little slimmer there, just a few adjustments and she'd feel better, she'd be happy.

Almost instinctively she reaches for the bag. The thick greasy liquid feels cold on her skin as she smears it onto her face. Still unsatisfied, she adds a little more until the mask looks complete. 

The curls in her hair disappear one by one, as the straighteners sizzle on her damp hair, and the room becomes filled with smoke and a distinct burning smell.

She's running late because her hair took too long, and so, as always, breakfast is skipped. Although it doesn't matter. Like her boyfriend mentioned, she needs to lose a few pounds anyway.


This is the sad reality.

We are bombarded with society's notion of size 0, page 3, thigh gapped, 'perfect' images. But take away the photoshop, the makeup team, the hair stylists, and the professional designers, and you will realise that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

And you are beautiful. 

:) x

The Pursuit of Happiness

The topic on today's agenda is something I've wanted to write about for a while. I think I'll keep it short and sweet because there really isn't much to say.

I think as human beings, we sometimes overcomplicate the most simple of things, and then complain about how complex our lives are. (The irony!) Taking away these complexities, and the differences between us all, I believe that no matter where you're from, regardless of your race, skin colour, gender, class, and so on, one universal aspect of human existence, is that we all want to be 'happy'.

Happiness is something we seem to crave, something we pursue, and something we strive for.

When we enter a new relationship, get a new job, or move to another part of the country, we often ask ourselves 'Am I really happy?' 

And of course, though it is something that unites us, happiness differs for each and every individual. What makes me happy, may make somebody else extremely unhappy! And vice versa. It's a subjective experience.

Nevertheless, recently I've found myself coming to the realisation, that myself, and many others, strive for happiness as if it's a destination. A destination that once we reach, is a state we will remain in forever.

And that's where we stumble and fall.

The beauty of life is its unpredictability. And while at any given moment you may feel sad, in despair, and hopeless, the fact that this could change in an instant, (since pain is only temporary), is pretty darn amazing!

I'm sorry to do this, but I'm going to quote a well known pop song. The lyric 'you only know you've been high when you're feeling low', exemplifies how we can only truly appreciate the happy times we have in our lives, by going through some of the worst times of all.

So to everyone out there who's having a bad day, remember that happiness is something only YOU can achieve for YOURSELF. 

Don't continue making the mistake of waiting for happiness to arrive in your life, as if one day we'll wake up and it will have finally made a grand appearance, shouting 'I'm here!'

Unfortunately, that's just not how life works. So revel in the unpredictability and the uncertainty of life, in the days where you feel like things couldn't possibly get any worse, and you feel lower than ever, because at least that way, there is only one way to go. 

:) x

Quotation, Quotation, Quotation.

If you've been reading my blog for a while now, you've probably noticed that I do quite like the odd quote here and there!

Who am I kidding? I love them. 

There's just something about reading or hearing something that sums up what every fibre of your being is feeling in that given moment.
Or something that you've felt or always known, that you couldn't quite find the words to express.

I think quotes are a reminder as to how similar we all are. How universal certain themes are, that they can transcend time, gender, class, race, religion, just to name a few.

So today I will share with you just a FEW of my MANY favourite quotes, from some of my favourite poets, authors, films and TV Shows. (Brace yourselves and enjoy.)


‘I have measured out my life with coffee spoons’ – The Love-Song of Prufrock, T.S. Elliot.

''Tis better to have loved and lost/Than never to have loved at all.' - Tennyson, In Memoriam.

‘Than the two hearts beating each to each!’ – Meeting at Night, Robert Browning.

'Love is not love/Which alters when it alteration finds' - Sonnet 116, Shakespeare.

'All the worlds a stage. And all the men and women merely players' - As you like it, Shakespeare.


'So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past' - The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald.

‘We live as we dream. Alone.’ – Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad.

‘I suspect that the truth is we are all waiting, all of us, against insurmountable odds for something extraordinary to happen to us.’ –And the Mountains Echoed, Khaled Hosseini.

‘I have a theory that every time you make an important choice, the part of you left behind continues the other life you could have had.’ – Oranges are not the Only Fruit, Jeanette Winterson.

'To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.’ - Life of Pi, Yann Martel.

‘I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams.’  - The Shawshank Redemption.

‘Don't ever let somebody tell you, you can't do something. You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.’ – The Pursuit of Happyness.

'Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.' - Mark Twain.

‘I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass.’ - Maya Angelou.

‘I hated every minute of training, but I said, don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’ – Muhammad Ali.

'Inspiration is a guest that does not willingly visit the lazy.' – Tchaikovsky.

‘If you don’t build your dream, someone will hire you to help build theirs.’ – Tony Gaskins.

‘Make a wish and place it in your heart. Anything you want. Everything you want.
Do you have it? Good. Now believe it can come true. You never know where the next miracle is going to come from, the next smile. The next wish come true.
But if you believe that it is right around the corner, and you open your heart and mind to the possibility of it, to the certainty of it, you just might get the thing you're wishing for.
The world is full of magic. You just have to believe in it. So make your wish. Do you have it?
Good. Now believe in it with all your heart.’ – One Tree Hill.

‘It’s the oldest story in the world. One day you’re seventeen and planning for someday. And then quietly and without you ever really noticing, someday is today. And that someday is yesterday. And this is your life.’ – One Tree Hill.

What's your favourite quote?

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.” ― Allen Saunders

If you're anything like me, you make plans. I have countless notebooks full of to do lists, a jam packed diary, and constant thoughts circulating my mind.

For as long as I can remember, I've been a 'planner', not one to take risks or be spontaneous, (I mean I couldn't possibly do something if it wasn't a part of my schedule haha), and this has always worked for me. I've often been told by friends, to 'just go with the flow', but this has never been quite my style.

From plans to achieve certain grades, to plans about having done certain things by the time I reach a certain age, I've planned it all! But what happens when things don't go to plan? In fact, what happens, when what actually occurs, is the complete opposite of what you'd planned for? Sometimes this can leave us feeling crushed, disappointed and lost. 

But more often than not, whatever it is that hasn't gone to plan or turned out in your favour, whether it's missing your flight or as big as breaking off your engagement, it is in fact, exactly what you needed.

I'm a firm believer in the idea that everything happens for a reason, and sometimes your plans 'failing', can actually open your eyes to other opportunities that you hadn't even acknowledged.

Say for example, you've wanted a certain job for as long as you can remember, and this is what you've prepared for your whole life. Now for some reason or other, let's imagine you don't get this job, and that career path is no longer an option for you. Instead of having a breakdown and feeling like it's the end of the world, sometimes you just need to step back, analyse the situation, and open your eyes to the countless alternative paths available to you. The ones you hadn't planned for, but that's okay.

I've definitely come to learn that you don't need to have every minute detail of your life planned out, and that it's okay when things go wrong. Whether you believe in God, fate, science, or even nothing, know that whatever is meant to be will be. Of course you should go out there and chase your dreams, but when you stumble along the way, remember that maybe, just maybe, that fall was actually the best thing that could've happened to you (and prepare yourself for bigger and better things to come!)

There's nothing wrong with planning, and I for one won't be stopping any time soon! But it's important to remember a few key things:

- Don't lose sight of what's important.
- Don't take the present for granted while you're planning for the future.
& Finally,
- Have realistic and achievable goals & expectations, but nevertheless, dream big!

:-) x