The past is the past!

So, a lot of stuff has been getting on top of me lately, hence why I haven't posted in a while.
I have been stressed with everything and have been so busy with family matters, events and my bands gigs.
We actually won battle of the bands last night, so today after all the stress and since I go back tomorrow to college, I am chilling and updating my blog for you beautiful people.

So, I just want to say that with all of the bad things that I have come across the past couple of months, I just expected more bad constantly, because this is the way It seemed.
However after all of that negativity, a huge positive came out, and that was winning battle of the bands. Although it doesn't make you forget about the bad things, it helps to realise the lack of importance of them, and that the most important thing is the present.

Don't forget the past, but realise that it is the PAST, it should be placed behind you to learn from, not to keep worrying about..
Just focus on the Now and things will be okayy.

Smile :)
  L.
xxx

A list of things to help you be happy.

So, this may not apply to everyone, but I have made a list of things that helped me when I was very down, and still do help me get through feeling crappy.


*Dance Everyday.
*Make a "Happy" Playlist.
*Eat healthy with a few snacks every so often.
*Go for walks often.
*Hug a tree every once in a while.
*Drink water every day.
*Do some Yoga every once in a while.
*Find inspirations and aspire to be like them.
*Watch TV shows and films which lift your mood.
*Hug someone who makes you feel better.
*Release emotions productively - Dancing, Lyrics, Art, Poetry, Cooking.
*If you are angry, scream into a pillow.
*If you want to be sad, let yourself. It isn't a bad thing to experience different emotions for a while.
*Remember that every day is a fresh start.
*Lie on the floor when you feel lost, or high with emotions.
*Wear nice, comfortable clothes.
*Try and add colour to your outfits - Colour effects your mood.
*Take things slowly.
*Have a good cry if you need it.
*SMILE.

  L
xxx

Learn to Accept compliments :) You deserve it!

So, almost everyone I know, including myself struggle to accept compliments from others.
Yes, It's hard to come to terms with good things about yourself.
You think all of your faults over weigh all of the wonderful things about yourself.
And you believe that all of your faults are on show for everyone to see.

Personally, when someone compliments me, I just pull a face or say something that completely dismisses it.
I don't like to just accept their compliment and say "Thank you". I think this is because in my mind, It's not true and I don't deserve it.
I think this is the reason others don't accept compliments too.
Either that or they may think that they will sound big headed if they reply with a thank you.

We should all learn to accept compliments from others.
We need to know the wonderful things about ourselves, and if we aren't going to tell ourselves that, then we deserve to hear it from others.

We see ourselves completely different to how others see us.
We see our faults, and the worst features. We think our foreheads are too big, we are too chubby, and just that everything is wrong about us.
When others see us as perfectly fine, just a normal person standing before them.

Treat yourself how you would treat a friend.
Would you be mean to your friends?
Would you tell them how they are too fat and need to lose weight?
Would you tell them they are ugly?
Would you tell them you hate their laugh?
No, so why would you treat yourself like this?

Think about it.
You are worth the compliments.
You deserve to feel wonderful.
Because you are.

Accept compliments and try and be nice to yourself.
Start with one compliment a day!

Smile :)
  L
xxx

No. 3 : Shortest Post

Whenever you feel down, anxious or angry, use it productively.

Instead of sitting and sobbing the whole time, use some of it to release the emotion and use it in a good way.

Go for a run to release emotions, do some angry pushups, some angry squats or even go for a nice calm swim. It may not be for everyone, but it works for me!

Give it a go.

Smile :)

  L

xxx

A small but meaningful post :)

Recently I have been feeling really self- Conscious.
I've been exercising and trying to help myself feel better any way possible.
I have found that exercise is helping me when I feel down or angry. It helps to release the negative energy I'm keeping inside.

Another way to feel better is in fact to look closely at your daily diet. See how certain foods make you feel. Personally I hate it when I have eaten too much, or something too stodgy, and afterwards have felt all full and bloated! So I have been selecting foods that make me feel refreshed. I have also started having less on my plate. This way it helps me cut down as well as feel better in myself.

Personally I have trouble feeling good about my body and face, but recently I discovered Zoella.
She recently made a beautiful video dedicated to the ways of changing your life for the better. It mentions a few different things to start doing to improve the way you feel. I took all of these things on board, including yoga, good skin care and healthy eating, and I must say, I do feel so much better in myself. I believe looking after yourself is so important to your quality of life.
Thank you Zoe for helping me, help myself!

Here is the video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTexLfmr_TQ

Leave some comments on this post and let me know what you think after watching the video!

I also found a video a while back featuring four amazing youtubers speaking about "Ugly" and how you shouldn't feel ugly or bad about your appearance. It is a lovely, funny video and really touched my heart. Give it a watch, it is so lovely. I cried the first time I watched this!

Here is the video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em3PuXeD56w

Again, leave some comments on this post and let me know what you think of the video. I would love to hear if it has the same effect on other people as It did me.

So yes, a short and simple post, but with two amazing video's, both with good messages.

Smile :)
  L
xxx

Being "conventionally beautiful".

Personally I strongly dislike what the media has done to our minds.
Ever since I could really understand about appearance and being attractive, I have doubted my beauty.
Since starting secondary school and during the first years it was evident that I was "The ugly nerd" within my class. I was the girl who never had a boyfriend, who was never asked to prom, who was never told I was "fit". In fact, I just got teased and bullied for my looks and style (and brains).

What bugs me is that the definition of beauty and being attractive is things like perfectly smooth skin, thin face, perfect bone structure, pouty lips, long flowing hair and a thin body.
I have also seen that a lot of people tend to focus on the whole Blonde hair and blue eyes kind of beauty.

The way the media have gone on about beauty, in my opinion, has had a very harsh effect on society. I mean, how many people do you know who dislike their appearance? Maybe you are one of those people. These days, we all feel the need to wear layers of make up and diet to fit in and look like those girls on the front cover of your favourite magazine, and the models on posters in shop windows.

I am one of these people who is very self conscious because of having to live up to the medias idea of beauty. Yes, I get upset a lot and get this sickly feeling when I'm out and about and I see someone who my male friends say is "fit". I mean, I'm 16 (nearly 17) and I haven't yet been in a relationship. I'm not conventionally beautiful (to the medias eyes - therefore,  societies eyes) and I'm small and not exactly thin. I try to feel better about how I look all time; I finally get to the point of confidence in appearance, and then I'm put down again by seeing how I'm supposed to look to fit in.

Whilst watching "Britain and Ireland's next top model" last year 2013. There was a girl named "Emma" on it. She was tall and thin, she wore rarely any makeup, had short blonde hair and had such a unique face. I thought she was beautiful. She was exactly what I wanted to see on there.
She had braces and had such a funny, quirky personality. What I loved most is that she spoke in such a funny accent. I was so glad that she got through to the real competition from the beginning. She actually got through to the last three (I think!). Even after being criticised because of her appearance all the way through it.
One sentence that Elle said to Emma was "You aren't as conventionally beautiful as other girls", in a negative way about why potentially she shouldn't go through. I was completely gob smacked at hearing this! I couldn't get it into my head why someone would actually say this to another person. I would have felt crushed if I was Emma.                                                                                                                                            
Above are images of Emma from Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model. 

This is just where I think it is all wrong. Everyone is beautiful. Why are there certain things we have to do and have, to make us attractive? Why is being thin made out to be the thing that makes you attractive? It doesn't make sense and is something that is stripping the confidence of a lot of people in society. The models in the magazines are photoshopped to fit the perfect image the media have made. Girls try their hardest to look like them and get disappointed when they can't. This is because it is impossible, some are modified by computer programs and are shaped and smoothed over.

Appreciate yourself and your natural beauty. It is something that is so difficult, yet you must learn to take pride in your appearance, no matter how you look. Everyone is beautiful, whether they are tall, small, slim, curvy, freckly or smooth. Natural Beauty is the best in my opinion. Yes, wear makeup to boost your confidence, but please avoid feeling "ugly" because of how the media says you should look. As Mindy Lahiri (From The Mindy project) said : "Sometimes you just have to put on lip gloss and pretend to be psyched". This is very true. I have lived by this advice for a long time!

The way I get through this self consciousness is to find inspirations and aspire to them. Admire their style and try it out. Find how they apply their beautiful eye shadow and try it out. Read up on their stories (guaranteed you will find they have felt how you feel when they were younger!).
I have a group of inspirations who I look to for fashion and advice, but I also make sure I am comfortable in myself and am staying true to who I am.
 I use Pinterest to find wonderful fashion and inspirational quotes, highly recommended!
One website that gets me through the day is called "HelloGiggles.com". There are lots of women who write articles about tonnes of different things that teens and adult women love to read about. It is almost therapeutic! Their are articles on fashion, relationships, friendships and just problems that women face sometimes. I say give it a little look at if it's something that sounds like your cup of tea.

So yes. I probably rambled on a bit there...
But, still. It was all relevant, I hope!

You are beautiful, yes, you reading this.
Even if I don't know you. You are still beautiful.
Do not let anyone tell you otherwise, okay?

To the right is a picture of me strutting my stuff. Yes I am very self- conscious, but sometimes remember you have to "Put on Lip gloss and pretend to be psyched" ;)



Smile :)
  L
xxx

List of rules when being my friend :)

So, it's not bad to have a list of things your friends should know right?
Literally, this thought just popped into mind and made so much sense. I sort of imagined it being me typing up a list of rules, printing a few copies out and handing them out to my friends....

In my opinion I think its a good idea, maybe not the part where you physically hand out a copy to someone. I mean, that's just patronising.

So, it made me think about the things that would be on my list of things.

Here are a few I thought of:
* Unlike normal people, I spell OK like this: "Okayy". If I write this to you, I'm not being sarcastic or rude. It is just the way I spell it.
* If you Come to my home unexpected, Do NOT expect me to look nice.
In fact, if you come to my home at all, do not expect a lot from my appearance. My home is the place where I can look crappy and no one will judge me. So please don't judge. You can also look crappy here if you like. I won't judge!
* Another one regarding my home. I have OCD and would kindly appreciate if you tried to keep my room and living room the way it was when you came in...(unless it was messy and you wanted to clean, that kind of works for me).
* I sing a lot and quote things. Do not judge me please, it helps me get through the day. I also laugh at many things, easily get the giggles, and can come out with some very silly sentences at times. I often forget I have company and will just say things that will make me sound awfully stupid ( I'm not though!).
* I don't like confrontation. I'm like a tiny, fragile puppy. Please take good care.
* Don't follow me into the bathroom or walk in whilst I'm inside without knocking please!
*Yes I am a vegan! Please don't start nasty rants about Me not getting enough protein.

So, what do you think?
Sometimes you could use things like this?
This post was mainly a funny one, but sometimes I genuinely think things like this could come in handy.

What would your list be?

Smile :)
  L
xxx