Author: Sue

I have been writing in various forms since I was a child. I write about what is going on in my life, what I enjoy, and the struggles of dealing with chronic illness and mental health issues. I love live music, football (Scotland and Dunfermline Athletic), reading, Formula 1, Stock Cars, and eating lots of vegan crap.

You Get What You Pay For

~ Sue ~ 1 Comment

Whether it is reading Facebook updates or talking to people face to face, there seems to be a lot of people complaining about the situation that they find themselves in. As if pointing the finger to something else, makes it easier to deal with where they are now, and that they don’t find it satisfactory. Is pitting on the blame on someone else, really making a difference?

I’d say no. It is like avoiding the thing altogether. Pushing the blame of your current life may make you feel better about the situation, but it makes no difference to the actual place you find yourself. To change things, you can’t hedge your bets that someone will pluck you from your mundane workplace and make your dreams a reality. Because, be honest, that will never happen. Only one person can make your dreams come true, and it’s you.

So I’d advise on taking accountability on where you are, and start dealing with things. If you are not happy about your job, for example, find out why your not happy and change it. Don’t expect everyone around you to know you are unhappy, if you are not willing to voice it. People are not always as intuitive as we would like, so give them a hand.

If it is your workplace itself that is the problem, then search for something else. Or even find something that makes you happy, outside work. Sometimes we can be over stressed at work and it purely is because our only focus is on work. Whilst that is needed sometimes, when your life revolves around work, and work isn’t satisfying, it can be pretty damn depressing. So give yourself something to smile about, whether it’s getting a new hobby, or giving yourself ‘me’ time, it will help you feel better about yourself.

If you don’t make an effort to make your life better, it won’t be. You could end up stuck, and pointing blame elsewhere isn’t going to fix it. Be your own hero. Live for today, and make it your best.

Lone-Time Tasks

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What do you do when you are alone?

I usually spend time online, mostly catching up on videos and blogs, and sometimes creating my own content. I like the idea of communicating with people who are from different places in the world. It is something that feels even better when someone comments or passes on what you create. Whether they say something direct to you or not, it is a great feeling knowing that you may have made some kind of connection with someone else. And that great feeling spurns me on to both show pass on the joy with others (by commenting on blogs/videos) and it also inspires me to create more content.

The issue is, especially with the internet, you can find that your time will be eaten up rather quickly by doing things. I have easily lost hours at a time just faffing around online, and I am pretty sure that I am not the only one who does it. I guess I can feel guilty that I log on to the web to check a few things out, and I end up staying on for hours after one site leads to another, or I get in a conversation with someone.

But whilst it has become the most common way for me to spent alone time, there are other things I do. I guess the way I and most others chose things like reading, TV or the internet to escape is because we feel that we need something to focus on that can help reduce stress. Normally, I guess that ‘logging off’ into something that we have an interest has become normal. It makes everything seem a little brighter, if you can fill sections of your life with things that your really enjoy. I think that it a fairly new-age concept, that people even need to log off. But then, I suppose the self-reflection maybe used to happen when people would make their own things or tend their garden. Any project which is solitary, I guess, can be a time of reflection and thought.

This is what makes doing something on your own so freeing and good. The focus on something other than what is causing you stress, is good. Everyone needs a release, and it can be anything. As long as it is something that you enjoy, you will find that even spending a small period of time on it, will change your mood for the better.  And that is something that I encourage.

A Life Balance?

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I am in the middle of watching The Devil Wears Prada, which is a movie about a girl who is trying to follow her dream as a journalist. To get to where she wants, she works as an assistant at a fashion magazine, where her boss is ruthless. It seems to focus on  the story that as someone’s professional life gets better, their private life goes out the window. It is the consensus that it is impossible to have an equal balance of work and play, and the sacrifices that a person is willing to make to be successful.

The work and play thing, is something that I think is about where a person’s focus lies. If you focus on one particular thing, then everything else kind of pales in comparison, and it causes some things to fall away. It is natural, as there is only so many things a person can put their energy into. But it can be hard to find a balance between having a life whilst working at a career. It’s not anything that someone should feel particularly bad about. I guess that it can just happen sometimes.

My take on it is that work and success can lead to more money, and that is something that can lead to more opportunities. That, in itself, is something very freeing, that you can afford do things that you want to. That makes you happier, and I would like to think that would make me want to spend and try and push the rest of my life up to ‘speed’. But I guess, I am maybe looking at it with ‘rose-tinted glasses’, because my working life is getting better, I can see myself being able to afford to change my life in 2012.

That positivity is not something I normally feel at the start of a New Year, in fact I am normally very much the opposite. So I feel that I can take on the world right now, as stupid as it sounds. I have never had an exciting personal life to lose, so any change that happens is a positive outcome. I just have to cross my fingers that things work out in some sort of balance. I could do with a good year.

Countdown to the Weekend?

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I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you it’s Friday. It is the end of the normal working week, and a chance for a few days of relaxation. Except, is there such a think as a normal working week, anymore. I know that my shift I work now is ‘unsociable’ hours, and my new one is better, but still not Monday to Friday.

A large number of the general public work unusual hours, or hours which don’t follow the standard working week. As a working person, you are now expected to have flexibility with hours, and be able to work over the weekends. This is because the lifestyle of the average person has changed to being pretty non-stop. Partially this is because people are working more, there has to be more to accomodate these people, as they still need to be able to pay bills and do shopping. The more businesses start to operate during unusual hours, the more other businesses will follow suite.

And that can make it difficult if you are looking for employment, and aren’t aware of those facts. It can lead to people lowering their employability, without being aware of it. If you are not flexible, then it can lead to an opportunity passing you by. Which in this current climate, is not something any person can afford. I guess, people need to find out what is important in their lives.  And if finding work is your goal, you may have to make a few sacrifices.

 

Workity-Work

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You don’t need to read very deep into this blog, to realise that I planned more for my life than working in a call centre. But, sometimes, what you need outweighs what you want. I still try and do graphics work every now and then, but it is hard to keep up momentum, when everyone seems to want things for nothing.

It is hard, but I keep at it. I try to keep myself going with being creative, be it writing, photography or drawing. Sometime’s it is easier to get motivated than others, but I just have to keep going, and hope that I will get somewhere at some point. But the joy I get from creating something, and knowing that someone may take something from what I create is something that is magical to me. It is that, which keeps me going. It makes working a normal job, bearable.

I have good news, in that from the 13th January, I will be working full time hours. It means more money, which will hopefully give me more means to be independant. I still live at home with my parents, because I am finding it hard to get an affordable place to rent (buying is out of the question). Hopefully having more money, will help me get into the position I need to be in to be able to afford getting a flat, even with a friend. It will be awesome. And hopefully, I will be able to buy more art materials and be able to start selling things again.

So 2012 is already looking like it is changing for the better.

It’s 2012

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The end of the world is this year. So make it the best year you ever had.

In fact, if you think along that logic, of making the best of 2012, just because it may be the end of the world. The truth is, your world could end at any time. You may not wake up tomorrow, you could be hit by a car on the way to work.

Sounds morbid, but you REALLY never know how long you have left on this planet. So, you should go out and make the best of every minute you are alive. I think that people should push themselves to the max every day. Noone wants to be that person who dies sad, or reflects on their life upset at what they could have done.

It is normal at New Year to re-evaluate where you are, and what you have achieved in the last 12 months. This, more-often-than-not, leads to a depressive sigh of disappointment, as we wreck our minds to find ways we could make the next year more of a failure. But, there is no really want to  change, most of the time, it is like we create a list of tasks, just because we feel guilty because our lack of achievements. The whole concept of breaking resolutions is a bit of a cliché. Why make a resolution, if you know you are not wanting to achieve your target? Don’t say you want to lose weight, if you don’t want to.

The main reason that people fail, is because they  have no real want to achieve this task in hand. And if you force yourself to pick up something new, then it is more likely to make you quit, rather than start loving it. Don’t be hard on yourself, only make a change you have passion to keep to. Change is hard, but if you want it, you can do it. Doing something because you feel that it is something you need to do, not because you want to, is lining yourself up for failure.

So I wish you all a happy start to 2012, and hope that you do things that you want. If you are happy and feel content, it will spread to other people who. Joy is contagious, so make 2012 the most joyful yet, and live every day like it’s your last.

Run Like The Wind, Bullseye!

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This would be an update, if there was anything of value to update about. There isn’t so it’s not. Simple.

I hope that everyone on the land of the internet had a happy Christmas, or whatever winter holiday it is you may celebrate. Even if you didn’t have any celebratory holidays, then I hope you are enjoying winter and all the warmth that comes with it. Unless it is summer where you are… I give up.

I like Christmas. I like that it is a time where life slows down, and you can spend time with those you love. Christmas, like all religious holidays, has been picked on for effecting state too much, and that there should be less focus on it. I find that this is unsettling. People are becoming very intolerant over what others do. If someone wants to celebrate something, why shouldn’t they? People shouldn’t be offended if it does no harm to anyone. There is enough bad feeling in this world, without stomping over people’s time of celebration.

The truth is, I don’t particular link myself to any religion. But as a child I went to Sunday School, I had a bible, I learnt the stories. To me, as a book worm, I loved the books I would get, and hence grew up on the stories. And that is what they were to me, stories that had lessons and morality. As a child, these bible stories were nothing different to the fairy stories I read. And my ethics on the whole thing hasn’t changed. Noah and the Ark is still a brilliant story all these years later, and I can see why people find comfort in it.

It must be great thinking that someone is keeping an eye on you from above, there to guide you in the right direction. I don’t believe it, but I do respect those who do have faith in something like that. I need to see proof and think too much about the logics of religion, which leaves me a bit cold about the whole ‘greater being’ thing. But I do like the lessons and the characters. I can see why people do look to find answers in religion, as it tries to teach you lessons throughout the various books and scriptures. It is comfort, it is direction, it helps bring famillies together and gives people a reason to be alive.

Why, if a book can give so much hope to a person, would you want them to stop celebrating what they have discovered? If it doesn’t harm you, why harm them and what they do?

*Irrelevant blog titles a go-go. 🙂 I know this may not make sense, but hey it’s a few things I have been thinking about. *

Not with a fizzle, but with a bang.

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Not really. I have been watching Easy A, so that title seemed to dedicate itself to being on a blog entry

It has been 24 hours since my phone has been doused in coffee, and it went all huffy. Well, it is not 100% yet. I did manage to switch it on ok, but it quickly froze and wouldn’t switch back on. So, back in the rice it went. Where it still is.

The saddest thing about it all, is how lost I feel without my phone. Over the last few years, I have got used to doing EVERYTHING through my phone, from blogging, to taking pictures, to sending emails. When something THAT useful is taken away from you, it feels strange, and you realise how dependant you have become on the one product.

Whilst having an all-in-one product is great, and is what every technology company seems to be aiming for, there is a few downsides. The reason that I still have my music seperate from my phone, for instance, is because I just like having it on it’s own. And in moments, where I am phone-less, like now, I can still listen to my favourite band on my walk to work.  And that’s it really. Whilst it may be more convenient to have an iPhone for everything, it may not work out so good when it goes down, and you find you can’t access everything. You rely on that one thing so much, that if you don’t have it, you lose out on a lot.

Back, even as few as 10 years ago, a mobile phone was that, a phone which was mobile. You could text  and phone, and that was pretty much all it was used for. If you lost it, then you would just find a payphone or housephone to use for your call. But now, There are less payphones on the streets and more people are going without a landline for their homes all because more people have mobile phones. So that is annoying, then your emails, lack of Twitter access make you realise that it isn’t just a mobile phone anymore. Even the basic feature phones have more uses than just for phoning people. And when it is gone, you are left with nothing.

It makes the value on things such as books, music, photos, things that are frequently used as modes of expressionism, to decrease. The actual price won’t, but they are becoming nothing but files. And files, as anyone who has dealt moderately with a computer can tell you, can easily become corrupt or locked, with the user losing access to it. And this is where the digital con comes in. If you lose an album on your ipod, because it is corrupt, you delete it and head for the itunes store to get another copy. But, unless you pay again, you won’t get another copy. I am sure that I am not the only technology user who has been bitten by this. Yes you can back things up, but what if that goes wrong and won’t load. What if you lose hundreds of pounds worth of music, books, etc?

This is why I like having things separate, and having physical copies of things. Yes, the world of the mp3 download has made my life a lot easier. Especially when it comes to buying records that I can’t buy or order anywhere in a physical form. But if I can, I will always buy a CD or record before an MP3. I will always buy a book, before an ebook. And I will always have a camera and iPod, separate from my phone.

It maybe sounds crazy, but it is who I am. Crazy. 🙂 And without my iPod I would have no music to entertain me when I am on my walks. What do you think? How do you prefer your technology?

Music- Peter And The Test Tube Babies- I’m the Leader of the Gang

Caffeinated Technology

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My Blackberry decided jump in my breakfast coffee. Something that is awesome as it caused the screen to stop working. Again. RIM, I have a question. If something happens to a Blackberry why is it always the screen that stops working?? No other phone I own is like that.

So, the poor little Bold 9700, is now in a Tupperware box of uncooked rice, after I found out that is a good way of drawing moisture out of the phone. I have heard of the logic before, but I have no idea how it works. If you search online for help, like I did, the rice idea is the most popular, and most basic fix available.  But, as long as you stay away from the hair drier (makes condensation in phone), leaving it for a few days should get it back on track.  I hope.

I am sceptical of this working, but I have it on good authority it works. So I hope it can be saved, and I’ll have him back working in a few days. I hope.  I love it how I am always broke when things like this happen. -.-

Winter Warmer

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I love winter, I can honestly say it is my favourite season of the year. Something, that always gets me a lot of strange looks, because why would you like winter. I love the freshness that is in the air on an icy morning. and how breathing it can make me feel alive. It makes me appreciate living in Scotland, as I do, because I don’t have to deal with too much pollution or anything like that. It is fresh, and I am so greatful for that.

I also love the idea of coming into a warm house after being outside. I have seen myself get overwhelmed by the warmth when I open the door to get in. You have the emotional warmth of returning home, and the actual warmth compared to outside. It is nice. It is reassuring. It’s something you only get during the colder winter months.

I like winter better than other seasons because everything feels so magical. There is a lot of celebration and evaluation. It includes the one time of the year, where the focus is on family. It is a shame that that ethos is never carried through the rest of the year, when I think about it. You should take every chance to show love to those around you, and let them know how much you appreciate them.

I just adore winter, and I am glad it is here. Happy winter.