Thoughts from the hippie

Thoughts from the hippie

Thoughts from the hippie

A Beautiful Life

I have a beautiful life, I really do. It’s taken me such a long time to get to this point in my life where I can honestly say that in general, I am happy.

Around two weeks ago I had a phone call from someone who I hadn’t spoken to around two years, long story short, he ended up saying something to me which made me practically snap at him and I gave a huge spiel all about why he is so unhappy in his life is simply because he is lazy, doesn’t challenge himself and is one of those people who are full of words but they have no meaning. An example of that last point for this person is that he would go on and on about travelling but just never do it because he’s too lazy to go get his passport!

After that conversation, I had a think about why do I feel so lucky, happy and think that life is beautiful? Here is what I came up with:

Feeling Lucky:

I have read so many books about women in third world countries and reading about what these women have to face everyday, I am really grateful for the life I have here in Australia. One of the books which really opened my eyes was Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. I think everyone: male, female, students and adults should all read this book; it’s incredibly eye-opening, sad and inspiring. It truly makes you value the kind of life that you have.

Feeling Happy:

There was a time where I was depressed for quite some time and I also had purging disorder for around six-six and a half years. Going through depression and an eating disorder you have so much self hatred for that time that it just toxifies your entire life and you feel as though you can’t imagine being happy. For myself how I managed to get through this was there a moment where one of my friends (who is only turning 21 this year) went over to Thailand to get a nose job, breast implants and liposuction. This girl, was/is already very beautiful and was quite slim, nowhere near to being fat at all, and for me it was like a light bulb just went off in my head; I’m not a bad person, I’m not a horrible, mean person, I’m healthy, I exercise, what the hell am I doing destroying my body and mind like this? I finally accepted myself, realised that as long as I was eating healthy and keeping fit I didn’t need to poison myself like I was. It sounds so simple, but when you are stuck in such a mind vortex it’s not as simple as just waking up one day and thinking “ok, I’m better now, I’m giving up my eating disorder forever”. So since then, I have been happy and enjoying life so much more because I’ve accepted who I am and realised I am not a bad person.

Life is Beautiful:

A part from the obvious aesthetics of the world, I think a key point into thinking about just how beautiful life is, is about challenging and pushing yourself and always learning. I play guitar, but nothing impressive and it’s just something for me, I learn Spanish, I go to uni, I run, I love rock-climbing, I love to learn new things about different countries,  I love to go climb mountains and all I want is adventure in my travels! I find the things that are harder to do, harder to learn, the things that push yourself, the things that bring out something creative in you, makes you more happier and inspired by life to think to yourself that yes, life is beautiful! If you spend your days on the couch watching TV or just moping round the house, of course you are not living, you are merely existing and so you probably do think that you do not have a beautiful life because you don’t challenge yourself or put yourself out into the world!

I don’t want to come across as being cocky as if I think that I have a perfect life, because obviously I don’t. However, I think in general that life is beautiful and I don’t need my life to be perfect because nothing in life is perfect. I just think that no matter what there are so many ways to not just simply exist and do nothing but to actually live and be happy, why would you want to do nothing?

Learn to accept yourself, be grateful for what you have and always try for something more.

Thoughts from the hippie

Tonight, the Fashionista and I went to check out the Cuban 'Ballet Revolucion'.

It was mind-blowing amazingly incredible! I wish I could be all sexy and move like a Cuban dancer...

I like to imagine that the guy with the long dreads is my future husband, although I will settle for a future shag.

Thoughts from the hippie

My favourite fictional book would definitely be Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. I have read this book three times and even after the second and third time I still cried at the end. For me, this book is perfect, never have I read something so beautiful and I highly recommend everyone to read it! 


Everything that Jonathon Safran Foer does in my opinion, is flawless. His writing is incredibly beautiful it makes you think that you could never write something as perfect with such emotion quite like he does, he's an extremely inspiring writer. 


This book is full of quotes you have probably seen on a lot of indie-hipster blogs because (sorry for the stereotype) they all worship him and for good reasons too. 


I heard this book is being made into a movie, if whoever is directing/producing/writing/acting in it screws it up, I'm going to be insanely upset and angry.


Here are a few of my favourite quotes from the book:


"Just because you’re an atheist, that doesn't mean you wouldn’t love for things to have reasons for why they are."


“Being with him made my brain quiet.  I didn’t have to invent a thing.” 


“She let out a laugh, and then she put her hand over her mouth, like she was angry at herself for forgetting her sadness.”


“So many people enter and leave your life!  Hundreds of thousands of people! You have to keep the door open so they can come in!  But it also means you have to let them go!"


“I thought, it’s a shame that we have to live, but it’s a tragedy that we get to live only one life, because if I’d had two lives, I would have spent one of them with her.”


“I’m trying,” Mr. Goldberg said to me, as if only the two of us existed.  “Trying what?” I asked, in a voice more concerned than I’d wanted, he took off his glasses again, “Trying to be.” 


“I should have drowned us there in the room, ended our suffering, they would have found us floating face-down in two thousand white pages, or buried under the salt of my evaporated tears…” 



“It’s the tragedy of loving, you can’t love anything more than something you miss.”


I know that's more than 'just a few' quotes, but this book truly is so beautiful, every sentence is amazing. Enjoy!

Thoughts from the fashionista

I want . . .

www.wittner.com.au

These shoes caught my eye when I was at a shopping centre today. Absolutely gorgeous, I think these shoes could be worn during the day, out to brunch or at night, out to cocktails. I have to keep reminding myself of my spending ban leading up to my European/Canadian adventure . . .