Be Prepared

There's always going to be someone who doesn't like you. In fact, there are probably people you don't even know exist hating you right now. Perhaps it's to do with your ethnicity, sexuality or religion. There are so many reasons. What I'm getting at is that we'll never be able to please everybody. Not everyone will like us. But, take a look at yourself - do you dislike anyone? If the answer is yes, then one person has failed at being liked by everyone. If we didn't dislike anyone, it would be much more possible to be liked by everyone - but how likely is that?

Opinions differ - both on people and things. Maybe you've written a poem you consider to be a 10/10. Someone else comes along and gives it a 4. Sucks, doesn't it? But there's little we can do about it except try to understand why they gave it a 4. Maybe you could also explain why you think it's worth a 10. However, we can't always talk about it like that. Sometimes the other party's just not willing or we are unable due to circumstances. Don't let it get you down. There are so many people in the world. At least one other is bound to think your poem's also worth a 10.
But, you know, another person thinking your perfect poem's no good can be seen as a good thing. You could ask that person to show you what they consider to be an example of a perfect poem. Different ideas and values help the world grow. Differing opinions make the world diverse and beautiful.

Don't let fear of disapproval hold you back. Look at celebrities. There are always people out there who don't like them. They're criticized constantly. But because they're strong enough to take it, they've been rewarded.

I think knowing that not everyone will like you or the things you do will save you a lot of disappointment - or at least help you be prepared for it.



Eek. This post's not that clear. What I'm trying to say is that people won't always like you or your poems. There won't always be a lot you can do about it. And, unfortunately, it can hurt. But remember that you're not the only one. I'm sure the same thing happens to those that dislike you. I'm sure it happens to everyone.

Your Life

What are you doing with your life? Is it the way you've always envisioned? Are you living in your dream home? Are you with who you want to be? Do you love your job? If you're not getting what you want out of life, what's stopping you?

You've probably heard it before, but life is short. You never know when it's going to end. People can be gone just like that.

Don't waste a second.

'How To Be Beautiful And Popular'

I found an article called 'how to be beautiful and popular' on http://www.happywomanmagazine.com/Features/popular1.htm

Here it is:

The Beauty & Popularity Link

By Madame Borshka

It is perhaps a secret that popularity and beauty go hand in hand. Beautiful people have smooth open faces, clear child-like eyes, graceful movement and long lithe bodies. We not only love to look at them we love to be with them.

I of course can't make you beautiful but I can certainly make you less offensive.

Here are a few tips that will change your life!

Agree, agree agree. No one likes people who will argue. Arguing leads to unladylike gesticulations and liver spots.

Everything is either black or white. Grey is not only unflattering but it may lead to independent thought (wrinkles) and over-eating.

Different can be ugly. Different says," Look at me I'm Different!" It is not what we are used to seeing, so the muscles on the forehead contract and result in furrowed brows, crows feet and lactose intolerance.

People who are different usually have ideas that are foreign to others and the ideas are usually very boring. Who wants to hear about the Rainforest which is probably very far away,when Jennifer Aniston just got married right in your own backyard!

Being "different" can also lead to a dowager's hump.

You can be a feminist, just don't tell anyone. Feminists aren't popular "in" this year.Granted it is thanks to them that women are achieving equal status to men etc. etc., but they are so fond of drab earthtones. Why be lumped in with the wildflowers when you can be a rose.

Feminism also leads to senile dementia.

Accept that the world is the way it is and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. Talking about world hunger and war isn't going to make your guests feel comfortable at a cocktail party it may in fact put them off the canapes. Excessive worry over uncontrollable events will cause osteoporosis.

Adopt other's viewpoints as your own. You can never ever go wrong with this. The only time you will run into a sticky situation is when you are standing in a group of three and two people have opposing view points (you will note how unattractive it is as they argue) A very smooth tip is to say to each one. "You have a very good point, I understand what you are saying" and then head for powder room to place a damp cloth on your forehead.

Now, go be lovely!



I sincerely hope you don't believe any of this! This article basically tells you to conceal what you are because others won't like it. Don't you see something wrong with that?

'Dear Mr. President'

In singer Pink's song 'Dear Mr. President', she sings:

How do you (president) sleep while the rest of us cry?

Don't get me wrong, it's a song with good intentions, but I don't like what it stands for. What Pink's saying is that the president has all the power and that no one can be happy until he changes things.

Don't wait for him to take action and don't blame him if he doesn't. You can do something about it. You have power - much more than you think. If he's not changing things, change them yourself. There's no reason why you can't.

It's your life, it's your world. Don't let one person control everything! The world belongs to everyone, so let everyone be satisfied. You can make the world a better place for everyone.

If there's something you want to see happen, Take action!

Singer Björk has a song called 'It's Not Up To You' - but, truth be told, it's ALL up to you.

Keep An Open-Mind

There's nothing worse than talking to a close-minded person. Why? Because it really feels like they don't listen to you. It seems like they simply refuse to take your opinion into account... at all! And it not only feels like they don't listen to you, but that they don't respect you. It's not nice to have someone explicity announce that they don't care about what you have to say. In fact, it can make a person feel worthless. Remember, your opinion matters - but, also remember that other people's do, too. Show them by listening.

In this life, we don't have one opinion and keep it forever. As a friend of mine once said: "Your opinion will change a thousand times."

It doesn't hurt to listen to people and what they have to say. A hot topic is religion. What's the harm in listening to someone of another faith tell you about it? Right. There is none. You can only benefit from listening to others! Hear both sides of the story. Enlighten yourself. Listening will help you get to know the world and those who live in it better. There are so many people out there! All with different values, beliefs, opinions, stories and lessons to teach you. Everyone has something to offer, you just need to look-- or listen.

Don't say, 'They're just talking nonsense!' That's a very ignorant attitude. Who knows what you could be missing? Even if you don't agree with what they say, you can interpret your own meanings.

Listen. There's no harm in it.

Consequence

You don't have to do anything you don't want to because no one can make you do anything.


BUT this doesn't mean you can get away with it!

If you don't want to do your homework, you don't have to - but be prepared to be questioned by the teacher. Prepare to fail your tests. Prepare to fall behind. Prepare not to be accepted into university. Be prepared for the disappointment of everyone who wants you to do well.

If you don't go to work, prepare to be fired. Prepare to be unemployed. Prepare to struggle with the bills!



Anyway, it's up to you what you do. It always is (whether you realise it or not!).

Homophobia

The thing I don't understand about homophobia.. I don't get why a boy would discriminate against another boy for liking boys. It's like saying 'Why would you, or anyone, be interested in me?' If a boy (assuming you're one also) can't like you, why should a girl?

Death, Fear & Happiness

Why do people fear death?


Is it because they're:

- Happy?
- Unhappy?
- Afraid of change?
- Afraid of the unknown?


Of those who are happy, some may fear death and some may not. The ones who fear death are the ones who fear change. Going from existent to non, leaving everything and everyone behind. Not only leaving their 'happy' lives behind, but not knowing what they face next (if anything). The ones who don't fear death are satisfied with the way they've lived their lives and feel ready to move on.

Of those who aren't happy, some may fear death and some may not. The ones who fear death are the ones who are displeased with the way they've lived their unsatisfying lives. They fear limited time because they want to make things right. Often you hear of ghosts who remain bound to this earth due to 'unfinished business'. Well, these sad, unsatisfied people are most likely to become one of these ghosts (if they exist). Anyway, these people wait too long to take action. [The time for action is now.] They wait for a time that will never come. There are also unhappy people who fear death because they are scared that no one will remember them. They're afraid their lives have been insignificant. The unhappy people who don't fear death have had enough of their lives and want to escape them. They don't care where they go as long as it's not here.


Do you fear death?

Thoughts on God and Religion Part 2

As I was passing some trees on the way home from a recent road trip, I saw a sign attached to one of the trees. It read: 'Jesus died for us all.' Upon seeing this sign, my father, an Anglican, added, "Jesus died so we could live." What he said made me think. I thought, Jesus doesn't only favour Christians. Jesus and God supposedly favour all for 'everyone is born equal'. You could argue that yes, everyone is born equal, but that throughout the course of our lives, we do things that make God love us more or less. However, when Jesus died for us, he died to rid us of our sins and promised to do so constantly throughout our lives. Thus, we are all still equal and always will be in the eyes of God for all our sins are forgiven and we cannot be loved any more than we already are. So, seeing as we're all equal, how can we placed into Heaven or Hell? All our mistakes, all our sins have been and will continue to be forgiven!

So:

'Jesus died for us all.' He died so we could live. Not only Christians, everyone. After all, I thought God created everything and everyone, so why wouldn't He love us all? Why would He create things that displease Him?

In Shakira's song, 'How Do You Do', she sings in reference to God:
'You've made mistakes'

This stirred up some Catholics. They were angered and claimed that God doesn't make mistakes. Well, if that's the case, they have no right to hate anyone or anything. Because God created everything.

Also, some Christians claim that certain things are damned and/or hated by God, well why do they keep happening over and over and over again? You think God would learn from His mistakes. If they are mistakes.

War

I don't admire soldiers. They are people who kill. Even though they do it to protect their country and their people, they're still killing other countries' people. They're still killing people.

And what's the sixth commandment?

'Thou shall not kill.'

What does this say of all the Christian soldiers out there? That all Christian soldiers have disobeyed their God (where's the loyalty?). And still, they wear the cross around their neck and, still, they pray. Tell me how this works.

I don't admire soldiers because they don't have to fight. They don't have to. No one can make you do anything. They can manipulate, blackmail and threaten you - but they can't make you do anything. Everything you do is entirely up to you. The soldiers want to fight. They chose to. And as for those who were 'forced' or 'had no choice', what kind of soldiers are these? The ones who can be pushed around and told what to do? They're the weak ones. The ones who couldn't say 'no'.

Soldiers aren't doing anyone a favor. So, who told them otherwise? They all think they're doing some noble cause, when the truth is, they're leading us further away from this dream of 'world peace'.

Violence doesn't solve anything.

As far as I know, wars begin when two (or more) leaders disagree. They then send their soldiers to fight one another and whoever wins will have their way.

How does this help? How. Does. This. Help? It only proves who is stronger, who has the numbers, who has the weapons - but NOT who is right. As they say, the 'majority rules'. But no one ever said the majority was right.

The leaders may have their disagreements, but they should leave the people out of it.

Am I crazy for thinking that maybe problems could be solved through discussion?

Well, if everyone refused to fight, and there were no soldiers, the leaders wouldn't have a choice.