Be More Dog

Animals inspire me- they live simply and without judgement. There is no dwelling on the past and no worrying over the future. They may have to think about where there next meal is or if they are the next meal! But all in all it is natural. I feel as humans we have moved so far away from natural, everything has been made for speed, ease, comfort and pleasure yet our lives are far from easy or comfortable... We live by money and time yet seem to never have enough of either. 
However my dog doesn't know what time or money is, he doesn't need to. He doesn't care what other dogs think of him, and other dogs don't judge him; they just sniff his butt and move on! But I care about what most people think of me, what I do and even what they think of my weird little dog and I have to own up and be honest; sometimes I do make snap judgement on people for no reason.
I worry and regret which I know is unhelpful and a waste of energy but alas; I am human... So basically in the words of O2 I want to 'be more dog' and just have a blast, maybe without the butt sniffing though!
a.g.f

(My little Border Terrier Deano)

Water is Life

I don't donate to charities half as much as I would like to so I will never preach or judge anyone on donating! Last month though, I stumbled across a YouTube page called 'water is life' which is an organisation that provides clean water to the most dehydrated places on our planet. In particular two of their short videos hit me hard! So hard in fact, that it made me write this post.
I will link them at the bottom and even if you don't donate just watching will give views and raise awareness and in turn raise money anyway! It highlights how fortunate we are in the Western world and brought me back to Earth with a splash *pun intended*.
 -on a serious note though after oxygen, water is the very essence of our survival and knowing that millions of people struggle everyday to source it is painful. 
I post this on a rainy day that I can be thankful for.

This first one uses irony and it really does humble you: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxyhfiCO_XQ

The second one made me cry with a mixture of happiness and sadness, very beautiful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYf82F3CHYo

OR head straight to their website to learn more:
http://waterislife.com/

Thank you x

Dying for Fashion

Sometimes when I am shopping I think about where my clothes are being produced but then 'how cute is this jumper?! And it's £30, love it!' I used to think sweatshops were a thing of the past, there's no way that with Government policies and public attitudes they could still be used right? Wrong. 

After just scratching the surface with research, I am dis-heartened to find that the only highstreet brand to use ethical manufacturing is the debt riddled American Apparal. From the -it's so cheap, it's obviously sweatshop- Primark to the -this tie is £50- Hugo Boss, all brands use some form of exploitation of developing/3rd world countries. Zara I thought was safe and was so glad because I could happily get my whole wardrobe from here! Reasonably priced, good quality, beautiful garments that are produced in Europe; Turkey to be precise. Turkey is a developed country and a popular tourist destination so I thought it would definitely meet similar wages and conditions as Britain. So why are people working 60 hours per week in the factory and taking second jobs to make ends meet? HOWEVER Inditex (the company behind Zara) is beginning plans to increase wages alongside mum's favourite M&S so I will continue to support these brands.

But some household brands are really doing nothing to help out their struggling employees: Tesco, Next, Matalan, Nike, even Gucci and Hugo Boss use cheap labour in unsafe work environments. Case after case of factories collapsing or burning down in Bangaladesh and China have been recorded. Isn't the thought of someone dying for a pair of jeans or a jumper absoloutely insane?? But it happens, a lot... look at:

https://www.cleanclothes.org

Now it isn't our fault, we are being exploited too with grossly overpriced products of poor quality being sold to us! So what do we do? The organisation mentioned below has way more information than me and also states **don't stop shopping on the highstreet** for one that is impossible unless you are a seamstress and secondly the people in these countries need the tiny amount of money they earn. The very least and first is awareness, check out this amazing organisation fighting for the rights of workers all over the world:

http://www.labourbehindthelabel.org/ 

Maybe even take 2 minutes to sign a petition @ http://www.cleanclothes.org/livingwage/sign or if you're feeling a little flushed, a small donation to either will go a long way! 

This was long winded I know but I've barely touched on this absolutely enormous topic! Knowledge is power, thank you so much for reading! 
a.g.f

Write Off Days

I try to stay as positive as I can day to day but there are times I just cannot shake a mood! On these days even doing things I love like seeing friends, lunching and dancing do not help so sometimes it is better to admit defeat and give up. If I'm working or at college I will finish my shift, cancel my plans and go straight home for bed and a cup of tea (maybe stopping for a bar of chocolate).

This downtime is so important because if we trudge on without allowing the odd lazy day/evening then the deflated, tired mood can fester and be harder to lose. Being completely unproductive can actually be the best thing to do! Allow it to happen without beating yourself up and try to start tomorrow refreshed :) 

Happy sleeping! 

LetsTalk About the Madness of Labels!

Think of all the things others label you as- good, bad or neither. Here's my list: girl, English, white, dancer, student, singer, spiritual etc.. 

Now if you change your list or completely delete it, who are you? Are you different? Someone else? I believe the essence of who you are stays the same. Our very being is not determined by these things so why should our identities?

This probably makes no sense right now and maybe I am going to deep into this but, grab your snorkel because it's too late now! An example... My name is Amelia but I am not Amelia, there's more to me than that. I could be called Helen or Moonrider and nothing would be different. Sure that is just my name and something like religion is much more than that. It might change your actions and choices and where you end up in life. However stripping away all of these layers and names, we are just flesh and bone so why can't we just be? Why must we name something before we feel it, do it or own it? 

Gay wasn't a problem until straight people made it so and Muslim wasn't a bad word until terrorists changed it and non-muslims didn't understand it. I just so believe in the phrase live and let live. As long as it's inside the law what does it really matter what we do in this crazy universe anyway!

Because I am not a dancer, I'm not English, I am not even straight or white. I am just a being that enjoys dancing, lives in England, likes boys and has white skin. These are facts and not ME. If one changes or grows or leaves, my self is not affected. Labels breed hate and confusion and separation and I don't want to get so hung up on whether something has a name or if others have it too. I just want to feel it and be it and live it. 

I think the picture below describes it better than I do...

Soul Mates

I feel that all of our honest, real friends are our soul mates. They are a handful of people

 out of 7 billion we choose to share experiences and parts of ourselves with. 

I love the phrase soul mates- it makes me think of 2 souls just chilling and grabbing coffee, it's a funny thought but a damn sweet one.

Here's a few things my soul mates give me:

L 

is the youngest of my friends but years beyond her age, we share a love for chocolate and she could be a millionaire and not want to buy a bus ticket!! There is never a dull moment because her energy is so positive. You are so beautiful and don't need to change a thing so just accept it!!

B

Such a strong woman, not just with her titles and records in weightlifting but her spirit and attitude to life, she wants something she will go and get it. She has done things that I'm not sure I could and for that there is so much respect! Her self confidence does have it's downfall but you know you'll always get an honest opinion;)

E

Taught me what a friend was, loyal to the last bone and fiercely protective. We are completely the opposite but exactly the same... She is caring and soft and stubborn but I hope she sees and loves herself as we do! Chase your passion , own it and be the true babe you are. 

U 

is so easy to be with, she honestly doesn't care who you are or where you're from. This one has introduced me to new ways of living which I am forever grateful for. You've become awfully soppy in your old age but I'm just about used to it; oh and stop panicking because you are going to be so much more than fine.

The most important thing for me to remember if that no friendship or person (including myself) is perfect. Once you wholly accept this, and get rid of expectations and stop trying to change people, then friends can become soulmates.

Thank you to every one of my friends (some I haven't mentioned) for accepting me exactly as I am and for being exactly who you are.  

BOOK CLUB: The Power of Now

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

I came across this book as I saw a lot of yogi's and spiritual people that I follow quote Eckhart Tolle on Instagram. After more research on the book I found it was a bestseller and popular among well know people such as the one and only... Oprah Winfrey. If you need any more reason than Oprah to read this book then I've listed my favourite points below:

+ techniques suggested are simple and can be used by anyone

+ I found the techniques were slightly effective almost straight away

+ the book showed a very different way to use your thoughts and to see life

However it wasn't perfect:

- sometimes it may take a few reads of a section to fully understand and allow it to sink in

- as the book has no story, it's hard to read for long periods of time

Although my life situation hasn't changed much since I started reading a few months ago, I have definitely started to see a change in the way I approach life and situations. I feel much more positive and less fearful of what is to come and I can appreciate the smaller, everyday things.

A piece of advice I would give is to read with an open mind and not to take each point as absolute fact. Some things I naturally agreed with but others I was more sceptical on. This book might not be for you at all, especially if you're not spiritual in the slightest or if you're completely content with your outlook on life. BUT I think everyone could take at least one positive from this read.

The power of 'what if?'

'What if' is usually the start of panic and worry, the start of self doubt and how you talk yourself out of everything and anything! 

But what if not?

Whilst we spend our lives worrying about how things will turn out and if we've done the right thing, our lives are still unfolding and more often than not our fears don't come true. However by then we've missed the experience; it passed us in our state of worry. So if we say 'what if this goes wrong?' and it does then I guess we're prepared for it, but if it doesn't then the thoughts and anxiety were a waste of time and energy!


When I first started this blog the usual doubt came with it, what if people don't read it? What if people DO read it? What if my writing is terrible? I kept it a complete secret from everyone I knew and the only person who had read it was a stranger from South America (shout out to whoever you are!) Anyway when my Instagram account accidentally linked to my facebook and people I knew found out... cue absolute meltdown!! Instead of my worst fears though, I had lovely feedback and was thankful for this accidental push I needed. A couple months of secrecy and an hour of sheer panic was so unnecessary and I should have just enjoyed the experience of writing without what ifs. 

Just let things happen and deal with them if they go wrong or change course, it's fine not to have everything figured out. So when you find yourself asking what if, also ask what if not? It takes away the power of 'what if'.

Banana Bread Muffins

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(finished muffins with dusting of powder sugar)

These delicious banana bread muffins are super quick and easy!! You can make around 10 regular sized or 6 of the what I call 'coffee shop' muffins which are oversized with a classic muffin top. They aren't the prettiest of muffins but they sure make up for it in taste. 

The smell of these muffins is incredible, I felt like a 1950's all-American housewife taking them out of the oven!!

I used cup measurements for these muffins and I really do recommend getting some measuring cups because they make the 'weighing' process so much quicker and I feel as though I have more freedom as I don't have to stick to gram for gram measurements.

Preheat the oven to 180° (fan), 200°C or gas mark 6.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 cup demerara sugar

1 stick salted butter

1/8 cup of cocoa powder (I used Cadburys)

2 bananas (riper the better)

1 tsp. baking powder

Vanilla essence and ground cinnamon optional!

1. Cream together the sugar and around 3/4 of the stick of butter; brown sugar has larger granules than white so the mix wont be as smooth as using white sugar but the finished bake will really benefit with a lovely rustic texture and a very slight crunch.

2. Beat 2 eggs and add to the sugar/butter mix.

3. Now mash the bananas either using a potato masher or just a fork, it will be far easier if the banana is going brown as they are super soft and the taste will be stronger. I added a tsp. of cinnamon and  vanilla essence to the mashed banana but this is entirely optional... experiment with your own combo of spices and flavours! 

4. After adding the bananas to the main mixture it will look very wet so now we add the flour, start with just one cup of flour plus half a cup of cocoa powder and if the mix is thick but will still run off the spoon it sounds perfect; if not keep adding small amounts of flour (don't make the mix doughy!).

5. Your muffin tray is probably non stick but even so, slightly butter the sides and either half fill for a medium muffin or fill almost to the top for your coffee shop muffin.

6. Put in the oven for 25 minutes, pop the kettle on and put your feet up!

*Tip for knowing if your muffins are baked right: stick a knife through the middle of your biggest muffin and if it comes out clean then they are done but if it has some batter stuck on it then keep putting them back in for 5 minute intervals until the knife is clean.*

Happy baking! Amelia x

Social Media

As YouTube and Instagram grow, so does people's aspirations and ambitions.

In my father's youth he saw nothing that wasn't right in front of him, he didn't see the lives of those constantly in the sun or in faraway places (yogi's I'm looking at you!). It sounds cliché but he lived in the moment as a child should- not constantly wondering about where he might be in the future.

My adolescence however, consisted of watching YouTube and posting to social media sites in which you see the handful of people who made social media there job. It seems the perfect career! You get paid to live your life and document it which leads you being able to do better stuff that more people are interested in.

For a while I would watch and be envious of these people and there lives, until one day I realised I'd wasted the whole day just refreshing social media... when I put it so plainly like this I am embarrassed!! But I finally saw that I was watching other people live their lives instead of living mine; I watched people do things instead of doing those things? That doesn't make sense now but I think it came from self doubt and fear and a dashing of laziness. I didn't believe that I'd ever be able to do these things but I have come to realise even if I can't, I can enjoy the things accessible to me now, to find satisfaction in my 'now'. I could be envious of these people but I am me and there is no escaping that so I need to embrace me. The people we see on social media only show us what we want to see, not the days where they don't get out of their pyjamas or when they aren't too keen on being themselves, so we shouldn't be so hard on ourselves.

What I think I'm trying to say is that social media- as great as it is for many things- has given my generation an impossible task... to be ok with what we have. We see better all of the time so we constantly want better. It has it's perks, I mean why should we settle for average? I don't want to either BUT can we ever get to a place where we are truly happy with our situation when there will always be someone behind a screen who seems to have it better?

What am I proposing?

I am going to take some of the time I use on social media and use it to live my life, maybe try something new and expand my knowledge or even just take some 'me' time and try to love my present.

Social media opened us up to the whole world, gives us unlimited knowledge and a chance to be heard. But it takes us away from the world, away from knowledge in books and our elders and away from ourselves.

Live your life until love is found, or loves gonna get you down.

Taken from a song by Mika (the long lost talent and all round ray of sunshine). I was singing in my head on the bus as I always do and Lollipop was on repeat on my mind mp3... just me?

Now this is coming from a girl who has never been IN love although of course I love many beings, but all too often I see grand gestures of romance knocked around such as 'you complete me' 'my better half' and my personal favourite 'I would be nothing without you'. Love in the romantic sense is a double edged sword; I've heard it is the best feeling there is and the world is nothing without it. Despite my scepticism I do believe love is one of the best things a human can do, however to claim that you are nothing or incomplete without another person is such an unhealthy  way to see yourself. I like to think that I am a full human being who could enjoy her life until it's end with my friends and family and no 'significant other'.

*now is when you grab the sick bucket* 

Of course the ideal plan would be to fall in love and live happily ever after (thanks Disney) but I would never want to look for this person or feel as though I  am lost without them because i hope they would be an addition of me, an extension rather than a missing piece.

So when I  was singing to myself and actually listened to the lyric in the title, it made so much sense! I completely believe that love is a product of circumstance and just happens, so if you're going through a break up you haven't missed your one chance and if you're as single as me I promise we'll be just dandy as we are :) 

Love can be found anywhere, you don't need to wait around.

How to become successful.

Life can be a little, well, underwhelming can't it?

I'm at that stage in life where I've done everything that adults told me to do (finished school and college too) and they always said 'as long as you do this you will be fine, this is the foundation for your future and success'.

But I've done everything I was supposed to and I still have no idea what I'm doing or where I want to be in 10 years. So how do I become a successful human being when every new, original idea I think I have is quickly foiled by a Google search showing it's already been done times over or I'm beaten to jobs that I don't even want by hundreds of people before me!

So what am I going to do? I certainly cannot do another year of full time retail as I don't think my soul could take it!! 

I'm hoping to change my idea of successful from how much income I earn to how fulfilled and happy I can be. It's going to be a long journey to change my thought process and learn to ignore people's (not so) subtle pessimism to my response to that ever so present question: what is your aspiration in life? 

Don't feel sorry for me or believe me to be naive because my outlook is different to yours because when did aspirations mean dream job? When did we start depending on careers for happiness? So if you ask... My aspiration is to remove myself from the obsession with money and materials and live a simpler life.

Oh and to travel around the world wouldn't be all bad I guess.

Peace out, Amelia x