I went off the radar!

I have been super busy lately and hadn't realised it had been quite as long since my last post so quick life update:

1. I am settling into my new job and am enjoying learning again and being able to help people.

2. After fundamentally stating that I wouldn't live on the farm when I was younger I am now appreciating where I live. I love travelling and experiencing new cultures but at the moment I am pretty excited about moving into my new house (10 weeks to go!!!). And I am making an effort to try and appreciate Scotland in all it's glory. A few weekends ago my friend took me and Jamie up a couple of munros and it was pretty spectacular :)

My new home :)

Munro bagging :)

3. I have been enjoying my new relationship status and spending time exploring :) However this has unfortunately led to the inevitable of me neglecting some people in my life so:

4. A reminder that my friends are incredible and I am slowly meeting my new years resolution by letting each of them know exactly why they are important. Everyone deserves to know they are valued :)

Now moving onto my usual blog ramblings.
Something that keeps on creeping up in social media is body image. It wouldn't be fair for me to focus on particular people without first explaining my own battle with self esteem.

That's exactly how I view body image as a battle. Which is 100% not what it should be. I think people should be comfortable in their skin but fundamentally they should be healthy. I personally could benefit from improving my diet and exercising a bit more but the main thing that needs altered is my attitude towards myself. I was shocked when I found a diary from when I was 15 and the amount I despised myself. To the point where if what had been written down had been said by somebody else it could have been classed as bullying. But that is how I viewed myself as a chubby teenager who hadn't quite grown out of her puppy fat and felt worthless because of it. I can't imagine the pressure felt by teenagers now with Instagram filters and photos using photoshop being more common than those without. If media showed a more honest representation of what people looked like then I think it would be a step in the right direction.

Me at 16

People often talk about females worrying about body image to impress boys or to impress other girls but I think most people are battling with the idea of the 'ideal' body image created by society.
In the 50s curves were the desired look, later catwalk models became popular and now if you can combine the two by being toned and curvy then you have apparently hit the jackpot.

copyright: http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/RgaGergkHpW/RAFW+2008+09+Zimmermann+Catwal

There has also been a lot of press coverage over Tess Holliday. I personally appreciate that she is a plus size model that is promoting the opposite of what is considered the ideal body type but I feel like people are only viewing the extremes. Fat or thin, tall or short, big boobs or small boobs, long legs vs short legs. Media images have the dreaded red circle which highlights someones saggy skin, cellulite, dark circles under their eyes or a flabby roll on their stomach. So what?? I think people need to stop focussing on individual imperfections and look at people as a whole.

copyright: http://entretenimento.r7.com/blogs/blog-da-db/files/2015/06/tess_01.jpg

My news feed is currently full of people working towards beach bodies and I have no problem with people posting weight loss progress as I am delighted that my friends are happy with their bodies. But sometimes it seems to reach an extreme and almost becomes an obsession and people fail to see how far they have come and what they have achieved.

I feel that the media and even peer groups need to stop focussing on an ideal size. Everyone is different and that what makes life interesting. I know people who eat like pigs and don't put an inch of weight on and others who are a bit heavier and eat much healthier but people are generally judged on their weight, not necessarily their lifestyle/

I would like both men and women to not focus on impressing other people or losing/gaining weight because they believe that is what other people think they should look like. They should do it for them and more importantly do it for their health. Myself included I need to stop worrying so much about what I look like today as when I am older I don't want to look back on photos of myself now and just remember how much I disliked the way I looked. I want to be able to enjoy my life with the body I have :)

Laura xox

Some more babbling!

This year really is passing far too quickly.  In February I celebrated turning 25 and after reading my post from last year I cannot believe what a difference a year makes. This time last year I was in Spain and I wasn't sure what direction I was going in but I was enjoying my time living in a new place with some of the nicest people I have had the pleasure of meeting. Since then I have had many interviews, many rejections and have been working on a new venture by one of the local farmers in getting local produce to customers through vegetable vending machines! I am hoping that 2015 is going to be my year. 

Share my birthday with my lovely gran. Here is her first selfie :) 

I miss these guys way more than they realise! 

Shortly I will be starting a new job and I will hopefully be using skills that I learnt in uni and for this I am truly grateful! I am lucky enough to be having a house built and I will be able to live independently again. For all the members of the boomerang generation I think we all understand the draining feeling of answering the mundane questions of where you are going, who you will be with, what time you will be back, if you are home for dinner. All of the above are solely your parents showing interest but I am really looking forward to being able to do my own food shop, live a bit more environmentally friendly and pay my own bills. I am also lucky enough to be dating a very nice guy and after feeling like I wasn't achieving much I can finally say that I am happy with the way that things are going in my life!

The beginnings of my new home :)

I have come to realise that my insecurity of if I have made the right decisions and fear of judgement stemmed from social media. We are living in a digital age and people are constantly comparing themselves to others. Only today did I log in to Facebook and Instagram and I was inundated by photos of people with the best mothers and where part of me is happy that there is so much love around between children and mums. I can't help but feel a tinge of sadness for those who do not have close relationships or for those who may have lost their mothers but maybe that is just me being a bit cynical. 

The digital age has completely changed the way people interact and communicate with each other. . No matter where in the world they are friends are only a skype call, facebook or whatsapp message away! Even this blog it started off as a opportunity for my friends and family to see what I was up to and it has become something that I wanted to continue. Even if it is just me babbling. I am not sure how much longer I will continue writing it as I feel that what I have to say may not be as interesting or relevant to those who read it. But for the moment it's a nice way to update those who are interested!

One thing I have really noticed recently is how different some people are online to how they are in person. I have recently set up a Twitter account and I just don't get it. I feel like if you are to keep up to date on news you need to be checking it all the time and I don't like that everyone has to be available all the time now. People are struggling to live their 'real' lives because they are so concerned about what is going on online. Everything has to be documented to show everyone else how much fun you are having rather than just enjoying it at the time. I enjoy photography and like trying to capture specific moments but I don't like feeling glued to my phone all the time and often find myself apologising if I have not responded to a text or email for a couple of hours. I was recently at a gig where photos were prohibited and it was great to see people just standing enjoying the music rather than having to watch the gig through the persons screen in front of you.

Maybe turning 25 has made me sound like an old woman but I honestly wish that people would live in the moment and not worry so much about documenting your every move and just because other people are posting about how fantastic their lives are online, try not to let it impact your life. I constantly doubted myself based on what other people were doing and when I step back and take a look I think I am doing alright for myself.

And now I am going to be a massive hypocrite by posting this online ;) 

- Laura xox

Año Nuevo

It’s 2015! How did that happen? As a child I never understood when people said ‘oh haven’t you grown?’ or ‘I can’t believe we haven’t seen each other for a year’A year?? A year to me consisted of Christmas, my birthday, Easter, summer holidays, tattie holidays and Christmas again. The time in between these things seemed like forever! Now I am an ‘adult’ I am now watching friends children grow and develop at a stupidly fast rate with others due to pop this year.

So what did I learn over the past year? I have picked a random ten points:

1.        Who my true friends are, not just those who are there for the good times but those who are there for the bad too. 
2.    .That some people are not worth all of the effort if they would not do the same for you.
3.         That Spain is a beautiful place full of beautiful people.
4.         Goats are awesome.
5.         Work hard and play hard.
6.     Things that you really want are not going to come easily.
7.     I am a pushover.
8.     I can work 17 hour days but I really do prefer at least 8 hours sleep a night.
9.     You cannot expect other people to see your great points if you refuse to see them yourself.
10.        .Life is precious and you never know when you are going to lose a loved one.

Because of these points I have decided to shy away from the resolutions of eat healthier, do more exercise as I have said this at various points throughout the year and although it is important I am not going to set an official target as then I won’t have to beat myself up about it if I don’t meet it. For the moment I am relatively healthy and happy and improvements can be made but not in January it is cold and there are still Christmas chocolates to be eaten.  I would love to stop biting my nails as it is truly disgusting and I don’t know why I do it but again I think it is going to take more than a resolution to make that happen. Thirdly I would quite like to find that someone special but I don’t like when people make this a resolution as come 2016 if they haven’t found that person they feel like they have somewhat failed when in fact they have chosen not to settle for anything less than what is perfect for them.

Therefore my resolutions are simple but relevant for me.

     1.   Stop being such a worrier. Okay you might be a bit late, miss a flight, piss someone off. So what? It is not the end of the world, calm down a little.

      

     2.  On a similar note stop trying to please every single person I come across. Some people are not going to like me and that is okay. I am going to dislike other people and that is okay too. Don't waste time on people who are not having a positive impact. I have some spectacular people in my life and they are the people that matter. My opinions also matter so rather than sitting back and not saying what I think in fear of upsetting someone I think I need to speak up a bit more.

     3.       Finally that leads me onto make sure the people I love know exactly why. I don’t think anyone knows the true impact they have on peoples lives until they are gone and by that time they can not appreciate the difference they have made. Therefore this year it is my mission to let the people who are important to me know why. It may be a passing comment at the pub or a written letter that they can hold onto forever but hopefully come 2016 my friends and family will know exactly what I think makes them special.

Now 2015 who knows what it has in store but I started it with a bang by catching up with old friends and meeting new people. Edinburgh had a cracking fireworks display and I can now say that I have attended the globally famous street party.

I went off to Spain as a last minute trip booked just before Christmas.  It was amazing! Got to go to Barcelona and meet up with Marcus who I have decided to call my spirit animal. He has this ridiculous aura about him that just brings joy to life!(see third resolution Marcus) It was a pleasure to see him again and I am glad we could appreciate the beauty of Barcelona together.

I then went back to Ùbeda to try and surprise the family. I gathered that the parents may have already known I was coming but they were pleasant enough to act surprised when they saw me. Noelia the daughter however had no idea and didn’t even register it was me when we went into her busy work. That was until her mum dragged me directly in front of her. It was so nice to essentially give something back to the family that had done so much for me at the beginning of last year. 

Me being me however did not research my arrival date which was the day of the three kings. This is an important day in Spain and is essentially when the three kings bring the presents for the children to open on the morning of the 6^th January. Bit different from our Santa Claus tale. That meant I got to watch everyone open their presents and I became an extra ‘regalo’ for the day! We watched the parade and the next few days I went back to the farm and then I got sick. Really sick and my trip ended with me being ill. Regardless of this I had a wonderful time and sadly did not get to catch up with everyone I wanted to but just gives me all the more reason to go back.

Camel footprints....

The kings have been!

Roscon de Reyes - basically a heart attack in food form 

My favourite :)

As an end note in about 5 weeks time I am turning 25. Officially mid twenties. What even is that?

Cue the next post being another mild panic about not knowing where my life is going….oh wait resolution number 1. Don’t worry so much!

-          Laura xox 

Happiness

I didn’t manage to post in November as I wasn’t sure I had anything that interesting to say but you guys have read my nonsense so far and recent events have made me feel compelled to write about the simple term ‘happiness'.

This year has seen me struggling with finding my place in the job market and figuring out where my talents lie. This has caused much confusion and periods of unhappiness. I think these knocks allowed me to figure out where my own happiness lies.

I went to see the theatre production of Wicked on Monday night and I thought it was incredible! One of the lyrics that stood out for me (despite the obvious defying gravity) was those within the song Thank Goodness: “Happy is what happens when all your dreams come true”. I agree with this to some extent as when you achieve your dreams you have reached where you always wanted to be but I think that happiness needs to stop being a single destination and people should allow themselves to feel happy and not to feel guilty for have periods of darkness.

This time of year is when people are supposed to be thinking of what they have enjoyed in the last year and what they could do differently in the New Year. It is also when families are supposed to come together and are expected to have a wonderfully happy time. Again depending on peoples’ circumstances they should not be forced to feel a certain way solely because of the time of year. I have some friends who are grieving and are going to have to face the holidays without a member of their family, friends who are going through break ups and cannot celebrate the holidays with the person they expected to be with forever and others who are away travelling and are going to experience a different holiday experience all together.

For these reasons I want people to appreciate each moment of happiness they feel. Whether it be laughing at a TV show, spending time with your friends or just doing something that you love. This weekend I went to a gig in Dundee as I have not been for years and I almost didn’t go as I felt like I would be pestering the few people I knew would be there. But I went and really enjoyed it and realised how much I miss watching local bands and I shouldn’t let tackling things on my own impact my happiness.

Copyright: http://robincoyle.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/wise-words-about-being-happy-from-john-lennon/

On the opposite side of this is depression and I would like to take this moment to highlight the importance of minimising stigma associated with depression. The dark nights can make anyone feel a bit down but for those suffering from mental illness this can be a very tough time. For anyone that suffers from depression please speak to someone about it as this is the first step in dealing with the illness. For those supporting someone with depression then the main thing you can do is be there for them when they want to talk. Happiness may not necessarily be the final destination for someone suffering from mental illness but just getting out of bed, going to work or not feeling like a burden can all be a step forward. If they do not want to talk about it then please encourage them to visit sites such as http://www.mind.org.uk/ to offer help. This is a topic that is close to home for me as people close to me are suffering and if this first step of talking about it does not happen then things can become very difficult!

Copyright: http://quoteeveryday.com/happiness-quotes-pinterest/

On the other end of the scale I have a family member who is bed bound through illness and cannot move much of her body but she is truly the happiest person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She has no idea but I honestly consider her as an inspiration. She cannot do many of the things that people take for granted on a day to day basis but she appreciates every aspect of life. One of her favourite things to do is to watch the red squirrels outside of her bedroom window. How many of us with the pressures of daily life and 24 hour access to social media can say they would be 100% content watching nature from their window? I can say that I appreciate it but she has taught me that it is the little things that are most important and despite what Wicked says I don’t think huge dreams need to be achieved in order to be happy!

Copyright: http://www.funlava.com/happiness-quotes/

Rather than saying if I had this or this hadn’t happened then I could be happy. It’s about taking the good with the bad and appreciating the moments that gave you happiness especially those that were provided by people who are no longer with us.

- Laura xox

Competition and success

Recently I have had 4 interviews and countless application rejections. The standard lines of we are looking for someone with more experience comes up time and time again. I can accept this at application level but a few months ago I went to the assessment centre for a large farming company and was then asked back for a second interview and did not get the job because I once again did not have enough experience.

This completely knocked me. I had completed the vast application form, gone through the psychometric tests, presented in front of the assessors and fellow competitors, been interviewed and been assessed within a group exercise. At this stage I was pretty pleased with myself but did not expect to get the position as I knew how competitive it would be. To get the phone call saying that I had been asked to go through to the final stage was unexpected but I was delighted. Finally everything I had worked towards might be coming together. At this stage I had a summer job at a local farm and as it was harvest I didn't want to ask for more time off so asked if I could have a Skype or phone interview instead but this was not possible. I therefore flew down again and attended the second interview which I felt comfortable within and thought went well. The week I was due to hear back if I was successful in gaining a position within the company I was informed that I would have to wait an extra week as a candidate could not manage the interview dates. I was not allowed a phone interview but the entire process can be put back for one person? This is when I knew I hadn't got the job. The reason I was/am annoyed is that in this process my experience was stated within my application form, if I do not have enough experience then I don't understand why they invited me to the assessment centre, never mind the second interview. After asking for further feedback I am still waiting and have to guess where I went wrong! 

More recently I had an interview for a local company and I just missed out on the position. The feedback was detailed and positive and although I was left a little disheartened but not confused and worrying about where I went wrong. I really appreciated that the feedback focused on my application and interview rather than the same run of the mill line.

I understand that if there are a lot of people to get back to about the outcome of their interview and it may be easier for the employer to say the more experience line or that could well be the case. My plea is to employers to please go that bit further if possible and let the candidate know where they went wrong and what they can do to improve. Even if that is just saying with a years extra experience within X would have made all the difference rather than what you have already is not good enough. 

This whole process has made me think a lot about what you have to do to be classed as successful. I put a lot of pressure on myself and I think that had I not gone to uni then I may not feel quite as down about the whole process. But I did go to uni and I now feel like I am not matching up to what is expected of me whether that be based on my opinions or what I think other peoples opinions are. 

I do not regret uni in terms of the skills that I learnt, the people I met and growing as a person through the experiences I had there. I do regret not looking into different options and thinking that going to university would guarantee me a job. 

In terms of competition I think that is up to the person. I feel like I am in competition with my peers from university. They have in no way made me feel like this but when I see updates on facebook about how well they are doing, my first feeling is that I am geuninely happy for them and then I am hit by my need to compare myself to others and I end up feeling a bit left behind and that I am not reaching my full potential. 

Everyone views success differently and when I see people that I may not necessarily have got on with 100% in a well paid job or a similar job to what I would like to be doing then I feel even worse because I think they will be judging me. At these moments I need to take a step back and remind myself that I learned to not care what they thought of me and that feeling needs to continue.

I am not meaning for this to come across a self pity session but I promised myself I would be honest when it came to writing this on the off chance someone reads it and thinks yes I feel that way too and they know they are not alone. 

I think I need to stop thinking of success as getting a job. That will come. One day. Eventually. I hope. My reasons for wanting a job are to become more independent and financially stable. But I think I am successful to a certain extent. Whether I regret uni or not, I did it. I studied my butt off for 5 years and thought about dropping out but powered through. I have lifelong friends that are there when I need them. I have a family that look out for me and offer advice. I have my health and I am consistently told that I am a happy person.I just need to work on stopping the comparisons to other people! 

Just to cheer up a relatively grumpy post I would like to add that I took part in my own personal challenge by competing in the Macmillan 40k cycletta bike race. I ended up with only one week to train but I completed it and raised £285. I count this a huge success and would like to thank everyone who sponsored me. And finally to add a bit of cheer it is Autumn , one of the prettiest seasons so I have been taking photos (regardless of if I need more experience in photography) solely because I enjoy doing so and I will share some of them on here! 

- Laura xox

Millie at Broughty Ferry beach

Learning the importance of a straight line

Monty at Lunan Bay

Choices

Life is full of choices and what seems like a simple decision at the time can have a huge outcome.

Tomorrow there is a choice to be made.  With the simple question of “Should Scotland be an independent country?  Yes or no” Easy right?

What box is ticked by each individual will affect the country forever.  This is viewed as an amazing opportunity for some and a terrifying prospect for others. Let me take you back to when I was in Toronto in 2012 before I started I MSc I decided to have a month long trip in Canada. While sitting in the hostel as soon as people found out I was Scottish I was asked what way I was going to vote?  I was judged instantly on my political thoughts rather than who I was as a person.

Fast forward 2 years later and here it is. For my international readers it has been quite the build up.  Families and friendships have been strained due to having conflicting beliefs about what is best for the future of this country. Neighbours have been bold in placing a no thanks sign outside their home to then be surrounded by yes signs on either side and vice versa.

I am of the opinion that had what people were voting been kept secret as with other elections then the outcome may have been different to whatever it may be tomorrow. While at a referendum chat with my brother I found out that we had voted for different political parties at the last election and it made me question whether I had made the right choice? At the time I had no doubt I believed in the party but bring a conflicting opinion into it and I started to sway. This is why I have personally found it overwhelming to be bombarded by conflicting news stories and sources on social media. I think it is great that people have shown an interest in politics and are showing so much passion but I really truly wish that people wouldn’t fall out over it.

Copyright: www.thedrinksbusiness.com

At the end of the day everyone is entitled to their opinion and if you disagree the original person should not have to face a torrent of abuse for believing something different. I have never seen such anger on social media. I understand that people are passionate and they want to convince people that others should be voting the same way as them but I am now concerned.  I am concerned because people have such strong opinions on the outcome of the referendum (rightly so) that no matter what way the vote goes tomorrow, at least half of the Scottish population are going to be pissed off. I am worried that it will now never be the same. If it is a yes vote then some major changes will happen that the no voters will have to go along with. If it is a no vote then the yes voters will feel let down and stuck with a government that they don’t want. Are we ever going to recover as a nation from this?

It is with this that I ask anyone who reads this to please please vote for whatever you want. Vote for what you believe in. If the vote does not go in your favour please don’t ask what other people voted and pass the blame of the outcome onto them.

On Friday after the result has been announced I say grab your loved ones and head out to have a well deserved drink! Everyone within the yes and no camps is voting for what they believe will be the best outcome for Scotland and have the nations interests at heart so please don’t fall out over it. Please embrace the chance to prove that we can be patriotic, proud and passionate regardless of if we are independent or not.

-          Laura xox 

Let's talk about the 21st Century!

When I started writing this blog I had absolutely no idea what to call it and have thought about changing the title many times.

A life of a 21^st graduate is just me and my experiences. Of course what I say does not apply to everyone. Something I have only touched on briefly is the challenges faced within this futuristic setting. Again these are my opinions and experiences but I hope you can relate to some of them. So far I have focussed on the struggles of the job market but I would like to talk about some of the other challenges that are faced. Basically I am just going to have a wee rant so feel free to abandon this post here!

I think in some ways my generation have it much easier than our parents and grandparents but in other ways it is a lot tougher. We have the opportunities to explore the world much more easily and have means to keep in touch with people that we have met while travelling. However these things that were originally made to enhance life are potentially having a negative impact.

Let me start off with dating! I have had the pleasure of attending two weddings this year and have a third one pending. Some of these couples have been together a long time, others for less than two years but is one love stronger than the other? I don’t think so, everyone has different circumstances and they are all happy so why do some people feel guilty if they are in a long term relationship and not married or even worse people saying that they are happy when they are single? There seems to be some sort of pretence that you should be married and settled by a certain age but I am of the opinion that these things do not fit into a particular formula.

The gorgeous couple and their dog Monty :) 

I had someone ask me recently if I was envious of my friends getting married? I can honestly answer no! I am delighted for them all and am so happy that they have found the person that they want to spend the rest of their life with but just because I do not have that does not make me envious. If anything it makes me want to not settle for anything less than what these couples have. I also have friends who are having children and I am so pleased for them! They are all great parents and are doing a fantastic job and just because I am not at the same stage does not mean I have any less entitlement to be happy for them!

If I look into my family network most of them met at the young farmers, dated and got married in their early twenties. Most of the people within their age bracket are still with their first loves. It all sounds very traditional. Go back further to our grandparents generation when holding hands was considered as a big step. Now take a look at the 21^st Century. We are surrounded by apps and dating websites like Tinder and Plenty of Fish. I personally hate the thought of trying to essentially ‘sell’ yourself online to attract people and explaining yourself in a paragraph. Females are also now on a level playing field and are ‘allowed’ to make the first move but when it comes to asking to meet someone again, Britain gets a bit wimpy and have things like the 3 day rule before getting in contact and not appearing keen or needy. Whereas in America they are more confident and outgoing and see nothing wrong with dating more than one person at the same time or saying ‘I had a good time we should do it again sometime’. Obviously this is a very simplistic summary but I personally think this generation of dating is seen as much more competitive than the one before.

This takes me onto technology. I am just as guilty as the next person on being hooked to my iPhone. I am an avid user of Facebook, Instagram and I will constantly be reading Buzzfeed. This constant access to my friends and seeing what they are up to can become obsessive. I will check my newsfeed twice in an hour and not much has changed. Not only does it make me feel lame for checking but I also feel slightly more disconnected from my friends as I feel I have to read it online rather than speak to them in person. Organising meeting up consists of a group message or text, rarely will I phone people. Take me back to the days where you had to phone the landline, plans were made and if you had left the house there were no opportunities for people to tell you they were flaking out.

Social media is potentially one of the least social inventions ever. Yes you message people and you ‘like’ their status. Making you feel like you have spoken to them or acknowledged your happiness for them but I would much rather congratulate someone in person. I know people who will delete a photo/status if it doesn’t get any ‘likes’. When did this become an issue? If you tell a joke in the pub and nobody laughs you can’t just delete it, you move on! Social media is making people way more competitive, obsessive and self-conscious. It makes people feel like they have to prove themselves to people! I want you to eally take a look at your friends list, how many of those people would be the ones you would phone with good news as you know they would be upset finding out online? Those are the only opinions that matter, not the ones at the other side of the like button.

I say that it is making people self-conscious as lives are thrust into the limelight and every time you log on it is a constant comparison. When I was a teenager it was all about MySpace. You could potentially get judged on the song that you chose when people came onto your page so you spent ages choosing it. Back them I listened to emo music but I did not match the look. I would go to gigs in Dundee from 15 onwards and I remember feeling like I didn’t belong because I had no facial piercings, dark hair or band hoodies. I did however enjoy the music and had a good time when I was there. Now I have no shame in having a playlist that can jump from Slipknot to Elton John because that’s my choice.

Now people appear to be worried about how good they look in their photos, if people use photoshop, what filter looks best and if you get tagged in a photo that has been taken from an unflattering angle. All of these things make people feel like the ‘real’ them is not good enough. Again I am just as guilty of this as the next person. I am much more likely to laugh at a bad photo than let it upset me but there will be the odd one that I ask to be deleted. I think the main thing to remember is that a bad photo is a split second and not what you always look like. Confidence starts from within and it has taken me a long time to realise that I am not fat, I am not ‘normal’ size, I am me and I am happy. Sure I could do with a bit of toning but it is going to be me who decides that not dictated by what I see on Facebook and phases such as the ‘clean 9’ or other detoxes that have become available. Again if people want to do this that’s fine but please make sure it is for you and you alone.

I am not sure what influenced me to put this into writing but I feel better for it and to finish I have attached some of my favourite Dr. Seuss quotes that I think are a good philosophy to live by.

1.      Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind!
2.        Today you are you and that’s truer than true, there is no one alive that is youer than you.
3.       You have the brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
4.    We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.

For now I am going to post this on Facebook so that people will read it and I can feel better about myself......just kidding I post it there to give people the option to read it if they want to J

-        

            Laura xox