Respect yourself.

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Why I don't care what people think of me anymore, and why you shouldn't either.

Today is an important day in Greek history. It is 'Oxi Day'. This day is mostly remembered for general Ioannis Metaxas' strong reply of 'Oxi' (no) to Mussolini's request to allow Italian troops to come into Greece at the beginning of WWII. Metaxas stood his ground and his resistance is today celebrated. It was in my reflection of today's historical significance that I realised how important it is to stand your ground and stand up for what you truly believe in. It's important to say 'oxi' (no) when you need to. It is important to care. I am proud of my Greek heritage, and I'm proud to stand my ground when it comes to things I truly care about. When we look through the history books and see the people who made a real difference in the world, they were not the ones who stayed silent in the face of criticism or disapproval. They are the ones who fought for their civil liberties. I think of people like Malala Yousafzai who bravely defended women's right to an education,  Nelson Mandela who fought against institutionalised racism, poverty and inequality, the Australian suffragettes who campaigned for the right to vote in elections, and most recently, those who are campaigning for Marriage Equality, the rights of Asylum Seekers, and the rights of Young People. It's not about being 'right', it's not about inflated self-importance, it's about putting your ego and self-interest aside and seeing how denying the rights of others impacts not only on them, but on humanity as a whole.

Here's the thing, a lot of people don't agree with my opinions, they judge me for judging other people who deny human rights, they don't like it when I call out bullshit when I see it, they don't like it when I speak my mind. For a little while this actually bothered me, and I started to question whether there was something wrong with me and whether my opinions were valid. So called 'friends' deleted me. I even stopped posting on my own Facebook. I allowed others to gain control over me. But guess what? I will no longer allow these people to gain control over me or dictate the way I live my life. I will no longer silence myself for the gratification of these people. Their approval is no longer needed. So, if you're one of these people who doesn't like my opinions, then please exercise your right to delete me, because you will no longer silence my voice when it comes to human rights. You will no longer control me. My purpose in life is to empower others to do the same. I wouldn't be true to myself and my beliefs if I didn't practice what I preach. It's time for me to stop caring what other people think of me, and start standing up for what I truly believe in: equality, human rights and social justice. Those are the things I live to defend.

Leave the city of your comfort

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We are travellers on a cosmic journey...

I love this quote by Paulo Coelho. I read his book, Brida a few months ago and I absolutely loved it. I'll have to finish reading The Alchemist after I finish writing my thesis. 

What books have you read recently? Tell me!

xx

Just add glitter!

I've had a fairly awful week by most people's standards, so I thought I'd just take a moment to reflect on all the things to be thankful for, to help give me some perspective.

1. I have an amazing family who loves and cares about me. Case in point, my sister bought me a present the other day just to say thank you for all the times I have driven her around recently. Bless!

2. I am only a few weeks away from wrapping up my masters degree and reaching the top of a HUGE mountain that I have been climbing since 2005. I am so close to achieving my ultimate career goal! How exciting!

3. I took some time out to get creative for my scholarship application for The Blogcademy. Doing all that painting and creating again reminded me of why I loved it all in the first place. It's so much fun, and I'm looking forward to doing more of that once all the uni madness subsides.

4. Zumba! Oh em gee, it is the BEST self-care strategy one could ever possibly employ. It is so much fun! It would be safe to say that Zumba has preserved my sanity over the past few weeks and I'm so grateful to be able to go to the classes and shake it!!

5. This blog. It's been really cool re-launching this blog and brain storming ideas for future content. There are so many possibilities brewing and I am excited for how much potential there is for this blog to be really AWESOME.

Finally, if I have learned anything in life so far it would be not to be afraid to dream BIG. Walt Disney once said, 'if you can dream it, you can do it', and I strongly believe this is true! If you truly want something in your life, there is nothing stopping you from achieving it. There will be obstacles in your path, but don't let them stop you. Take a deep breath and confront whatever it is that is standing between you and your dream (it is usually fear). All you need are the three Ps: Patience! Persistence! Perseverance! 

...and if all else fails, just add a little glitter to your life!

What are you grateful for this week? Tell me! xxx

Just try.

Life can be really hard sometimes. Really hard. Sometimes you might feel like giving up. But don't give up. Just try to keep going. Things will get better eventually.

Make magic!

Magic is all around us. From the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep, magic is happening. Take some time to embrace the magic that is around you, in whatever way you find meaningful and purposeful for you xo

Be thankful

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,

If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.

Author Unknown

Failure is part of learning

As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

Failure is part of learning; we should never give up the struggle in life.

Author Unknown