Thursday, 8 March 2018

Women Who Truly Do Run the World

March 08, 2018 0 Comments
Happy International Women's Day 2018!!
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Feminism and so-called "Femi-nazis" has been a pretty hot topic in recent years. The courageous and historical fight for gender equality has become something to be ridiculed by many. It is important to understand that feminism as a movement is about EQUALITY of all genders and not about females being on top. The movement is as much for men and any other gender as it is for women - a statement which, as a feminist, I feel very strongly about. 

Unfortunately, equality between genders has not yet been achieved throughout the world. Young girls are still being told they have no right to education, being married off and forced to have children as soon as they get their first ever period in many countries all over the world. The fight is still relevant - these girls deserve justice. 

The world is full of inspirational women and men alike. There are hundreds of amazing people in the world who deserve to be recognised and applauded. We are getting closer and closer to living in a world of equality and I have compiled a list of six inspirational women who proved that they truly do run this world. 

Millicent Fawcett
Often an under-appreciated member of the suffragette movement, Millicent Fawcett was a tireless campaigner who encouraged peaceful protest to get the message across. In modern day, Fawcett is considered instrumental in gaining the woman's right to vote and, for that, we are eternally in her and the rest of the suffragettes debt. Ladies, don't skip on elections, practice your right to vote for all the women who fought before you.

Marie Curie
When people hear the name "Marie Curie" it is likely that their minds immediately flit to cancer or radiology. Although Marie Curie's research made astonishing impact on how we treat cancer patients today, the research is much  more than that. She is often referred to as the First Lady of Science for persevering and carrying on her research despite heavy criticism from society telling her that science was not for women. Since then, women have accomplished incredible things in science - if it wasn't for Marie Curie, this may not have been the case. 

Amelia Earheart
Amelia Earheart is another woman to do something which, at the time, was "not for women". In 1932, Amelia Earheart became the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean alone. Throughout her life, Amelia was ridiculed and frowned upon for not acting a "ladylike manner" and pursuing her dreams. She proved she can and she will and has gone down in history - proof that we truly can do anything we set our mind to. 

Irene Morgan
In a time of extreme racism and racial segregation, Irene Morgan refused to give up her seat. Something so simple but something so great. The laws in Virginia at the time stated that buses be segregated by "coloured and white". Irene was sat in the assigned "coloured" area but was told to move when a white citizen got on and no "white seats" were available. Upon refusal, Irene was arrested. This simple act inspired others to act in the same manner, Rosa Parks, for instance. Irene's story was vital in the on-going fight for racial equality - a fight that continues today.

Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama - ex-first lady, mother, wife, feminist and all round good egg. Arguably one of the biggest influencers for women's rights and equality; especially with education. Her "Let Girls Learn" initiative fights to give girls in the developing world the right to education and has dramatically changed the way many countries view their women.

Emma Watson
In recent years, Emma Watson has become somewhat of a feminist icon, from speeches and initiatives at the United Nations to hand on action in developing countries - this girl does it all. Her social media influence is immense, encouraging young people all over the world to join the fight for equality. "I want my future daughter to know that she is a force to be reckoned with and never to underestimate her own power" : advice we could all learn from.

I leave you with one final question... Who run the world?




Saturday, 6 January 2018

Five Steps to Achieving Happiness in 2018

January 06, 2018 0 Comments
And just like that, 2017 has been and gone. It feels like only yesterday that I was waking up feeling a little worse for wear on New Year's morning 2017. And here I am again, a year later, in the exact same situation, regretting the night before. New Year's Eve is one of my favourite holidays of the year and one that I like to spend with friends rather than family. This year, me and two of my girl friends from university travelled up to Birmingham for another uni friends' party. Having never spent a new year's more than a few miles from home this was quite a big deal to me but, nevertheless, an experience I was excited for. The night was filled with fun, new people, music, dancing and maybe a few too many ciders - all in all, one of the best New Year's Eve's I have had. 

New Year's Eve 2017 in Birmingham

Traditionally, the coming of a new year calls for a re-evaluation of yourself and your life and to make goals for the next twelve months. This is a tradition I love to partake in as I am always eager to better myself and overcome my challenges to gain a sense of achievement. However, in the past I have been known to push myself too far, to make myself achieve the unachieveable, letting my mental health and physical well-being deteriorate in the process. Because of this, my number one goal this year, above and beyond anything else, is to achieve happiness. I am determined not to let myself get caught up in achieving if it will lead to stress and general unhappiness. A sense of achievement is great but you shouldn't feel crappy about yourself for not achieving some of your goals. 

With that being said, this year I have sat myself down and set five "achievable", no-strings-attached goals for the upcoming year. Small steps toward the long road to happiness that I believe will help me to become a happier and healthier person in 2018. 

1 - Dedicate Some Time to Yourself
Since starting at university, I have found myself overwhelmed at times from a busy lifestyle filled with essays, lectures, reading, parties, sports clubs - you name it. Being the anxious person that I am, it is important for me to dedicate some time to myself to just relax and ground myself to avoid becoming burnt out and over anxious. This year, I want to set some designated time aside each week to just be in my own company and de-stress.

2 - Read More Books for Fun
As a child, I was one of the biggest bookworms around - I forever had my nose stuck in a book and would get from cover to cover in the blink of an eye. However, ever since I started studying for my GCSEs all those years ago in 2013, I have very much been in a reading lull - only getting through maybe 2 or 3 books a year. I want 2018 to be the year that I change that and have decided to take part in the 2018 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge to try and get myself back into a mindset of enjoying novels. 

3 - Learn to be Happy on Your Own
The last three years have been emotionally exhausting when it comes to relationships to say the least. Having fallen in love and out of love for the very first time, as well as many meaningless flings that have left me feeling numb, I find myself in a situation where I don't know how to be single. I'm struggling to learn to be happy on my own - a skill that I know is vital if there is any hope of another long-term relationship in the future. This is a goal which I have already started to work towards in the last few months of 2017. I have turned down men who I know aren't right for me without the overwhelming fear of being alone in the back of my mind, I enjoy hanging out with my single girlfriends on the regular, I'm loving life and I really hope this continues into 2018.

4 - Stop Being Lazy with Yoga
Last June, I began my yoga journey and started practicing daily using free videos on YouTube. I loved it and genuinely thought I had found my thing, I was so excited to get to Winchester and join the Yoga society straight away to continue my yoga development. Unfortunately, when I got to Winchester I found out that the yoga group had been disbanded and I was gutted but knew that I could carry on using the online video in my bedroom. Towards the end of the ear, however, my practice has greatly declined and I have no explanation as to why other than LAZINESS. In 2018, I want to get back into the yoga routine and continue to develop my postures and poses. Yoga is great for both a healthy body and a healthy mind - both of which will help to improve my overall happiness in 2018.

5 - Study Hard, Party Hard
University is all about making new memories, having new experiences and learning to take life's challenges face on, on your own. This semester, I intend on be more on top of my work and studying hard to get results to the best of my ability. However, as important as studying is, I really want to balance it out with as much partying and fun as possible (without forgetting and getting behind on my studies!) University is as much about the social life as it is about the degree - a fact that I don't plan on forgetting any time soon. 

Happy 2018 to you all! I hope your year is full of opportunities and fabulous memories.


                       
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