Project Feel Good

Salvete!

In an attempt to carry on from where I left off previously, the written form of the popular sitcom-recap, I'm going to talk about stress, why I dislike it and what I have decided to do to keep it to a minimum in my life.

After observing that my surroundings seem to be perpetually unsatisfied with themselves, and noticing that my own disposition is rarely what I wish of it, I have taken the decision to start Project Feel Good.

This post is going to encompass the guidelines of my idea, which I hope to be the stepping stone to my own happiness, and perhaps, the happiness of my fellow humans.

1. Each day, take some time for yourself; anything from a few minutes to an hour. In this time, do something that makes you happy, something that makes you feel good about yourself. Paint a picture, write a song, go for a walk, run, swim, paint your nails, imitate bird-sounds. It's irrelevant what you do; as long as it fulfills you and makes you happy.

This should not be mere procrastination time. The difference being that when we procrastinate we put off one task in favour of time-snatchers (facebook, myspace, lamebook, MLIA, failblog....the opportunities are endless); this often leads to one of two options. Either, we waste time until the last minute when we rush and complete it haphazardly, leaving us unsatisfied with the result, stressed out and upset over our lack of self-control in making use of time. Or, we don't do the task at all, which leaves us stressed out over possible repurcussions and upset over our lack of self-control in making use of time. Both of these options leave us feeling demotivated and unsatisfied.
Project Feel Good should not make us feel worse about ourselves, this should be time used effectively to regain our stamina and self-worth.

2 Do something you love. Ignore those that scoff, those that ridicule or put you down. You enjoy counting blades of grass? Don't expect me to join, but by all means go ahead and do it.

There will always be those that consider it their part in life to criticise and point out the flaws of any plan, to point out the weaknesses in an idea and to draw attention to failure. You Time should not be based on such peoples opinions. You Time needs to be about yourself. One hour or half an hour a day set aside for being egotistic.

Which brings us to an important point:


3 Project Feel Good is not an excuse to trample on someone else. The following is not a valid argument: Destroying Person's stamp collection, makes me feel good. Thus I am allowed to do so.

Though Project Feel Good requires a healthy amount of egoism, even encourages it, it does not also require us to be selfish.

4 Take a fixed day, let us say...Wednesday...Every Wednesday, make a list of things that made you smile during the week. Anything, from a really good joke to a dog chasing it's tale to someone telling you they love you. A strong hug or a kind smile. A pound gained or lost. Anything that made you feel good.
Share this list with someone. Post it as a reply, show your best friend, blog, make a fb-note. It doesn't matter how as long as you just share the love.

5 Share Project Feel Good with your family, your friends, your class-mates, your teachers, your colleagues, your boss....spread the word, share the love.

Perhaps I can't change the world, but together we can make a difference!

Love,

Amber

Stressful Procrastination

Aloha!

I don't really know where to start today. I don't really have one major thing to talk about, just many little ideas.

For one thing, I've noticed our generation often does things half-heartedly, living by the crossbar equation: less effort for more results. Trying our best to out-smart the system. We work so hard at procrastinating that we have almost perfected it. Someone once said, that what we do while procrastinating is what we should be doing for the rest of our lives. Wise words; but how does one justify doing nothing for the rest of your life? It's no longer art that we bring to perfection while procrastinating, it's procrastination itself that we perfect to an art.

Our closest companion is stress and time eludes us; as though stolen by the grey people in 'Momo'(~Michael Ende). We wander through our holidays, gazing transfixed through our camera lens, documenting every crack in the sidewalk, every building, every smile and every frown. Rushing through it, afraid of missing out on some grand sight. Missing out on everything that we don't capture on camera.

"What is this life, if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare"Leisure~W.H.Davies

It seems to me, quite often, that we are all trying to outdo us, no longer competing with others but instead trying to defeat ourselves.

At a first glance, that sounds reasonable, left on its own it almost begs for someone to point out, "I no longer compare myself to others, I merely try to test my own borders."

Fair enough I suppose; in theory, but in real life we need to learn how to say no. If we don't want others to infringe upon our physical borders, we need to remember not to infringe upon our own mental borders. A minute only has sixty seconds. Attempting to squeeze in sixty-two or seventy, makes no sense. Otherwise, we'll all end up looking like this:

In the words of Homer, "Trying, is the first step to failure." but, "Failure is the first step to success." So really, our irrational, gripping fear of failure, is unnecessary. Why should we constantly fear what we need in order to improve?

Is anything really that life-shatteringly important that if we don't immediately succeed, we can't just try again?

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying we shouldn't try; after all, "The heights of great men, reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight. But they, while their companions slept were toiling upwards in the night"~H.W.Longfellow

But if we fail, or fall back down, what is the use in spending time on worthless lamenting or wasted tears, instead we should get up and start again, one step at a time.

While walking around town, I can't help but notice that there are very few people that smile. Those that do smile are, more often than not, couples or newly weds. It's sad really, that when one smiles at a passer by, they will look down and hurry past. Afraid.

Smile at a stranger, you might make their day.

Hug a friend, you might save them.

Perhaps I can't change the world, but together we can make a difference!

Love,

Amber

Never Again...Until Tomorrow

Hello World!

Recent political events here in Europe are what's been bothering me lately. So guess who has the pleasure of reading another one of my tirades? That's right, you guys!

It seems to me, as though the world is going completely insane.

• First of all, the whole: Burka-Hijab ban.

Okay, so while I can kind of understand why people may want to ban the burka, and are afraid of something like this occurring:

I don't think it's going to inspire much change in the world. In my opinion, there are three things that are likely to happen as a direct result of this:

1. It will incur the wrath of religious fanatics all over the world.

2. The richer Muslims visiting Europe will just pay the fine and still make their wives wear the Burka

3. Those Muslims living in Europe who insist on wearing the Burka will just forbid the women to go out of the house, making them more oppressed than they are at this point in time.

I can understand the safety issues and that employers may not want people with a Burka working in public service or sales jobs. But a complete ban is ridiculous.

As for banning the Hijab; come on. Seriously?

I'm still waiting for an adequate explanation as to why those states that ban the Hijab, don't ban the nuns Habit. Or in fact, an adequate explanation as to why anyone would want to ban a headscarf in the first place.

I really don't see much of a difference.

For that matter, while we're going about banning headgear, how about banning this as well:

Seriously, how far are we willing to go?

• Secondly, Sarkozy and his ethnic cleansing.

What is up with that guy? I'm going to take the freedom of assuming that he's escaped from some sort of madhouse. He's of Greek-Jewish/Hungarian/Roman Catholic descent and he still thinks it's a good idea to repeat world war two actions?

Has this guy entered politics without ever reading a history book?

Is 'Never Again' something selective? Can one really pick and choose where it applies and to whom?

• Finally, the situation here in Vienna: H.C. Strache and the elections.

Scandal over scandal, year after year, that's what our FPÖ has to offer. (FPÖ=Freedom Party, or alternatively, Fascist Party)

The frightening thing, is that these blithering idiots actually manage to gain voters. Sarkozy is the president, Strache is raising the number of votes for his party...from the lowest to probably the second highest. (According to election prognosis)

We need to vote against these buffoons. WE need to ensure that they don't get the lead.

I am aware that politics are messy affairs, and none of them are perfect...but in the words of George Orwell "All animals are equal (ly stupid), but some animals are more equal stupid"

Maybe I can't change the world, but together we can make a difference!

Love,

Amber

The Value of Death

Greetings!

As mentioned earlier, I am not an idealist. I don't believe in the perfect situation. I am fully aware, that what seems to me as the perfect situation will be hated by many others.

This post may seem to many as the ravings of a delusional idealist. I just hope that some people might read this and then open their eyes to the world. See what is going on, not only in their own home but around them. And not just around them, around us. There is more to the world than I. There is You and We and They and He and She and It. And none of these are less important than the I.

Recently, I have been speaking to a lot of people about my ideas, hopes and dreams. I get very mixed replies, ranging from: "Good idea" to "Fantastic!" to "There's no use"

Now, some of these replies surprise me, not because I expect everyone to be enthusiastic, but because it shames me to see how apathetic my generation is.

A common response is: "I live my life to the best of my abilities, I try and do the best for me and my surroundings. I don't think much about the rest."

Why not though? Why do we find it so hard to think of other people, people who we are not involved with in any way?

The world is quick to turn a blind eye, until we are the ones struck. As long as there are other people, unknown people far away, dying, no one cares. The only people the world really seems to care about, are those that are already dead.

While people are alive and being murdered, the most people will do is say, "Oh, how terrible!" and then continue doing what they were doing.

However, after the damage is irreparable, we cry and complain for decades.

Today, more than 60 years after the Second World War(1939-1945), we still go to marches and memorials and shout, "Never Forget!" and "Never Again!" and swear that such atrocities will never again occur.

Today, we hear the story of the Rwandan Genocide(1994), and gasp at its terror. Tears come to our eyes when we hear how the rest of the world did nothing to attempt to stop it.

Even today, we are taught to remember the victims and to never again allow something like this.

At the time, no one cared.

Hitlers victims were ignored until the Allies feared that they were in danger.

It's not Chamberlains policy of appeasement that I want to criticise, it's always easy to use hindsight as a basis of criticism. I don't even want to criticise the population at the time, who were apathetic until their world seemed affected. I don't want to criticise anybody, I just hope that we don't repeat histories mistakes.

The pleas of the Tutsi, whose children were slaughtered in order to wipe out the next generation, were ignored. Why? Because Rwanda was of no economic value. Who cared that over 800,000 people were killed in 3 months? No-one.As long as they only killed each other, who cared that the population of a poor African country was reduced by about 20%?

Today, who cares that Tibetans are being ruthlessly murdered? No one.

How many people even know about it? Far too few.

Once again, an economic superpower is devastating a tiny state of no economic importance. And once again, the world looks away.

What use is it, to say Never Again if we don't mean it?

What I say, seems to many like a criticism of capitalism. It isn't. There is little that I have to complain about capitalism. It isn't the capitalist politicians that we all love to complain about that are to blame. We are.

One of the things I love about capitalism, is the democracy it brings with it.

What people don't seem to realise is that all the time we spend complaining about politics, is time wasted. Politics and politicians will never change. However, we have the power to control it.

What most of us forget, is that politicians can only do whatever they want, while we ignore them. We are the voters, if we don't like what politicians are doing, we need to say something.

I want to draw the attention of the reader to the 1960s, for a moment. A whole nation rising to its feet, to protest a war. A whole nation of voters making it clear that they disagreed with the politics of their leaders.

And although it took its time, they were successful. With the realisation that they were losing voters, the Americans began to retreat. The peace revolts may not have been the sole reason for the end of the war, but they were an important factor.**

It seems to me, that the value of life in todays world, is far lower than the value of the dead.

This needs to change.

Politicians need to wake up and see what they are doing.

WE need to wake up and realise that we need to make the difference, we are the difference.

Todays Task:

• Find out more about Tibet.
• Find out more about another country or people who are being unjustly treated.
• Tell your friends and family about the above.
• Try, and make a difference. Influence the politics in your own country, state, town or quarter. Every little thing counts.
• Pass on this blog. Show it to your family, your friends, your co-workers and your boss.

Love,

Amber

**I would like to add that in my opinion there is never only one factor resulting in the beginning or end of a war. But many contributing ones.

When I Grow Up, I Want To Be....A Little Girl!

Aloha!

The future is a blank canvas that lies ahead, awaiting the strokes of our paintbrushes. Or something.

What is the future? Whatever it is, thinking about it takes up a lot of time. Most people, especially young people, spend hours, thinking about their future. Wondering. Worrying. Hoping.

And when we stop thinking about it for a few minutes, somebody decides to ask us that horrifying question, "So, what do you plan on doing in the future?"

"Adults are always asking kis what they want to be when they grow up, because they're looking for ideas." ~Paula Poundstone

Some of us have well rehearsed answers, others resort to desperate measures and invent something on the spot, still others use the standardised, "I don't know."

What I've observed, is that no matter what answer we choose to give, the interviewer is dissatisfied.

When we give self-assured, detailed plans in reply, the person asking the questions will

acquire a small, smug smile and tell us how 'cute' it is that we have a plan, but to 'remember that everything comes as it comes and not to be surprised if it doesn't happen the way we expect.'

When we fumble, nervously the older person will pat us on the back, tell us not to worry, but to remember that as young adults it is time for us to start thinking about our future.

When we fail entirely, and say, 'I don't know' all hell breaks loose. My advice to you, is never use this reply. It results in a long winded lecture on how it is 'high time to think about the future' and 'to plan now, so that we can begin steering in the correct direction' and similar useless words of wisdom.

Most of us want similar things in life, Maslow (Hierarchy of Needs) and Jung ( Tree of Self-Actualisation) jump to mind; job security, love, financial safety, a family, a place to stay, etc... And most of us, wish that we could tell now, at least in some degree of certainty that success lies ahead.

People say, that we need to go to school to learn, so that our futures are brighter. And I agree. School is important. Immensely important. In fact, schooling needs to be taken seriously again.

It seems to me, as though school has become a sort of joke.

There are many things wrong with the schooling system around the world, but one of the worst problems, is the lack of teachers.

Now, of course the number of people with teaching degrees has increased in recent years, as people realised that there is a high demand for teachers. But, this is where I need to clarify what I consider to be a teacher.

In my opinion, a teacher is not someone who merely has a degree in teaching.

Teachers, need to be people who have a passion for teaching and for the subject they teach. Someone who has patience, and interest. I have noticed, that the more interest the teacher show in his/her subject, the more interest it inspires in me.

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. ~William Arthur Ward

What I have observed a lot, are teachers that appear uninterested in what they have to teach and often, even don't appear to know much about the field they teach, except what is written in the text book. These teachers are often huge disappointments for students who are genuinely interested in the subject, and often lead to a loss of interest. On the other hand, a teacher who seems to be a never ending source of information can wake the interest, of most students, in any subject.

Teaching is the only major occupation of man for which we have not yet developed tools that make an average person capable of competence and performance. In teaching we rely on the "naturals," the ones who somehow know how to teach. ~Peter Drucker

It seems to me, that teaching as a profession, has in todays society been classed as a 'failure-profession'.

Far too often, does one hear a teacher say, 'I wanted to be a ______, but I failed, so I decided to teach instead!'

I can't fathom why this is the case, and I think, that this needs to be changed as soon as possible if we want to get further. I won't take the cop out road, and blame all of societies problems on teachers, but I do think that several of our problems could be reduced if we had better teachers.

So, if we don't have good teachers, we're not going to have good professionals in anything else. Which means our infrastructure is going to, sooner or later, collapse.

I think, it is time that teaching returns to it's post as the most important, well regarded, profession.

In ancient India, teachers were held in equal and higher regard than the King, because when the King was in doubt, he went to teachers or 'gurus' as they are called, for advice. Today, in the civilised world, teachers are not respected at all.

"Teaching should be full of ideas, not stuffed with facts. ~Unknown"

Intelligence, like beauty, should not be measured. Why must we all be tested and scored and then compared to one another constantly? Why must weaknesses immediately be seen as failure?

Each and every one of us has strengths and weaknesses. And we are all equally good at things, just different things.

My ability to remember things should not be set in contrast with someone else's ability to paint or sing or clean. Perhaps I excel at standardised tests and examinations, but someone else makes an excellent sandwich. Does that make me in any way better than the other person? I don't think so. I think it just makes us both good at different things.

It is my belief, that none of us have more 'talent' than anybody else. We are all equally talented, just in different ways.

You don't compare Picasso to Mozart, or either of them to Einstein, so why should you compare a mathematician to a cook, or a pianist to a cleaner, or an author to a doctor?
The only way for us to have a happy future, is to find out what we can do and what we like doing.It is what will make you happiest and most successful.

Todays Task:

• Think about what you do best. Make a list. Think of what you enjoy the doing the most. Then do it.
• Tell someone else what they do well. Compliment them. It can be anything that they do. or have done No matter how insignificant it may appear. Whether it is how they are good listeners, good cooks, how they take time to arrange the napkins on the table or the cushions on the couch or how they are good artists or writers or how they can make you laugh. Anything that they do well. Mention it.

Maybe I can't change the world, but together we can make a difference!!

Love,

Amber

Little Miss Perfect

Greetings fellow Earth-inhabitants!




Body image is such an important issue in todays society, and yet everyone seems content to accept that, 'nobody is perfect' and 'we are our own worst critics.'

But, why can't we all be perfect? Who is the authority on perfection? Perfection leads to war and hatred, whether it was the Nazi ideal in Germany that lead to WWII or the Belgian-Dutch ideal in Rwanda that led to the Rwandan genocide or todays ideals that lead to mobbing. Ideals of perfection are old fashioned, outdated terms that need to be done away with.

Why should we be our own worst critics? The world is so quick to criticise, we need to learn how to praise instead.


What is beauty?


I firmly believe that each and every one of us, is beautiful. When I voice this opinion, people often try and contradict me. I hear arguments like: 'I'm too fat' 'I'm too short' 'I'm too tall' 'I'm too thin' 'My boobs are too small' 'I don't have a six-pack' 'My butt is too big' 'My eyes are too close together' 'I have a double chin' 'I can afford to lose a few pounds' 'I'm not muscular enough'....the list is endless.




Why is it near impossible to find someone (especially a female someone, though men are almost as bad) who loves their body? Someone who doesn't merely acknowledge and accept their own flaws but who is satisfied with the fact that their flaws are in fact, their perfection.

Think for a second, that guy you love, do you really love his six pack and perfect biceps? Or is it that one pointed tooth, the crooked nose, the hairy arms or the freckles on his chest that really drive you crazy?
That girl you're in love with, do you really love her perfect blonde hair and size zero figure? Or is it that scar on her hand, the cellulite on her thigh, the way her nostrils flare when you make her mad, the freckles on her nose or the beauty-spot on her shoulder, that make you wild?

Our so-called flaws, are what make us unique. Without them, we would all be the same. The world would be boring if we were all the same. 'Flaw' should be a synonym for 'perfect'.

Plastic Surgery, is one of medicines necessary evils. I'm glad it exists, it has saved countless lives. However, it's being misused left, right and centre. It is being used to determine beauty....but is it really that beautiful? I don't think so. I can't think of a single person who has had some form of plastic surgery, where I think, "Wow! What an improvement."

When asked to list three things you dislike about yourself or that you would like to change, most people are quick to think of them, almost everyone has an answer ready within a minute. However, when asked to think of three things that you love about yourself, people frequently ask for more time to think.

I want you to pause here, just for a moment, and think of the three things you like best about yourself and the three things you like least. Now embrace the latter three, ask yourself WHY you dislike that about yourself. Is it because you are expected to? Does society demand that you expect yourself to be thinner or taller or shorter or broader or stronger?
Now try and turn each of those three things into something positive. Forget everything negative you have heard about that feature, and think of how without it, you wouldn't be you. Learn to love yourself. It takes time and practice, but it is possible.

If we don't love ourselves, no one else can. And we can't love another, while hating ourselves.

And don't be selfish, there is enough love to share. Love multiplies when shared, so, tell your friends that they are beautiful, tell a random stranger that they are beautiful, tell your family that they are beautiful. Tell that funny old lady across the street that she is beautiful.

And this isn't restricted to one gender. Girls, don't wait expectantly for guys to call you beautiful. Boys are as insecure as we are. Tell your male friends that they are handsome.

Instead of smearing the bathroom walls with insulting slurs, stick a post-it on the mirror with a kind word.




Maybe, I can't change the world, but we can make a difference.

Love,

Amber

Change is idealistic realistic

Hello world!

I'm not an idealist, though I speak like one on occasion. I don't think that the world will suddenly be full of hugs, kisses and sparkle, no matter how much I wish for it. Wars won't stop, racism won't disappear and poverty won't vanish.
But, no matter how much ugliness surrounds us, each and every one of us can make the world a more beautiful place.




I'm just a teenager; interested in clothes and make-up and what Lindsay Lohan had for dinner, and who Tiger Woods slept with last, and how much plastic surgery Heidi Montag has planned for 2010.

Except, I'm not. I don't care about any of those things, many teens don't care about those things. And even if we are interested in Celebrity Gossip, does that mean that other things don't interest us?
Does reading Seventeen or In Touch mean that I can't read The Financial Times, The Independant, The Times, The Post or any proper newspaper?

I'm fed up of everyone always assuming that we are too young to have opinions, to have ideas, to have plans and thoughts and inspiration. We aren't too young. Nobody is too young, people are just too old to listen.

The next time you see a young child, ask it what love is. Ask it, what the most important thing in the world is. Compare it's answer with that of educated adults, politicians. And then tell me, who is cleverer?

If the world were run by children, it would be a far better place.

I've decided that I want to be heard by the world and that is why I've started this blog. It's going to encompass everything, my views and opinions, my ideas and thoughts, my hopes and dreams and my pleas to everyone out there: Help me change the world by making a difference.
I'm not asking you to donate money or preach to the public.
All I ask, is that you open your minds, your eyes, your hearts and listen. I don't expect everyone to agree with everything I say, I'm happy to hear other opinions.

Todays youth need opinions. 'I don't care' is an over-used phrase that is far too frequent in our vocabulary. I choose not to believe people when they say, 'I don't care' I don't want to believe that my generation is really such an uncaring one.


We need to look up from our computers, our X-boxes, our iPods and iPads, our cellphones and our Wiis and take a look at the world, we need to realise that we can make a difference, we can be the difference. We are the future and we can decide what our future looks like. But we have to start now.



We have to stop waiting for somebody else to start. Or at least, when someone starts, don't just sit back and think, "Well, that's a neat idea! Why didn't I think of it?" and go back to playing on our choice of technology, we need to get up and continue what has been started. Strength in numbers is the only way we can create the world we want to live in.


Maybe I can't change the world, but we can make a difference.


Love,
Amber