What is Luck?
Not in the sense of the literal definition, but what does luck mean to you? Is it winning a million dollars? coming first in a race? getting a promotion? becoming a celebrity? or simply avoiding a horrible tragedy?
I have often equated luck to material objects. In my view I was lucky if I got to go on a holiday or if I won a competition. I was extremely lucky if I won the lottery (although the odds aren't in my favour on that one!) or if I was able to meet my favourite celebrity (it's true- having the chance to meet Adam Lambert made me feel like the luckiest girl alive) however lately I have begun to wonder if my perception of luck is all wrong.
True story (from my highly (in)accurate source-My dad): There was this guy who visited a psychic who told him that he would experience great luck in his near future. A few days later the guy got offered the opportunity to speak at a medical conference in Mexico. He felt like it was a huge honour and it was the LUCKIEST thing that had ever happened to him. He'd been waiting all of his life for this opportunity. However, on the day he was supposed to leave, bad weather prevented his flight from flying out and it got cancelled. The next available flight he could get on, would deliver him at his final destination a few hours too late. The guy was devastated. He went home from the airport and rang the psychic back. He was angry because he had been UNLUCKY which wasn't what the psychic had predicted for him. The next day he turned on the news to find out that the hotel in Mexico, where the conference was being held and he would've been had the flight left on time, had collapsed and most people had inside the building had died or were severely injured.
The point to the story: the guy's LUCK was that he avoided death. The LUCK he thought he'd received wasn't talking at this conference but instead he was LUCKY that not going to the conference saved his life.
This story was what made me change my perception of luck. Sometimes we forget to look at the big picture...instead of being thankful that we are lucky to have our health, our family, our friends, our partners, a steady income, a roof over our heads etc, we focus on all of things we don't have or we want- to win the lottery, a new car, winning a holiday, a bigger pay cheque.
They say that if you find the end of the rainbow, you'll find a pot of gold. Well I've found the end of my rainbow and what I've found is that I'm lucky for the life I have now. It may not be perfect but I've got my health, I've got the love of my friends and family and I've got financial security- and that makes me the luckiest girl on the planet.
So next time your sitting at a traffic light that's taking forever to change, or your flight gets cancelled- instead of getting upset- remember that things happen for a reason and by being exactly where you are in that moment it may make you the luckiest person in the world to be alive!
Sunday, 13 March 2011
Friday, 11 March 2011
It's the end of the world as we know it...
So I've always been fascinated by psychic predictions and things like astrology and numerology. I like to believe that we have the power to predict certain things and that there are signs that lead us to a particular outcome.
The Mayans predict that in 2012 the world will end. Now I've seen the movie 2012 (mainly because Adam Lambert sang the title track of the film) and I've also seen movies like The Day After Tomorrow. Each of these "end of the world by natural disaster" movies have left me with questions and a lingering fear that this could be my future and my fate. However I have recently come across some new information that has made me rethink my belief towards how the world will end.
A few weeks ago my parents went on cruise. As they were sailing the seas, they attended a talk on their cruise by a special guest John Arthur Daley, who is well known in Australia for his work on radio and his understanding of numerology. Now according to my dad, who may or may not be a reliable source, John said that the Mayans are known to accurately predict events and that there is validity to their 2012 predictions. However, unlike in the movie 2012, John says that the world wont "end", instead it will be the end of the world as we know it.
Now what does this mean exactly. Well according to what he told my dad, he said that the world's political and economical stability is going to completely unravel. There are going to be changes in power, countries are going to experience major uprisings and the way we live now, in this world, will dramatically change- due to manmade and natural disasters. He said that we can see the warning signs now- the protests in Egypt, the earthquakes in Christchurch and Tokyo, the floods in Queensland, Climate change...All of these events are affecting the lives of the people in those countries and the economy of those countries. John said that over the next year, we will see an increase in these events, and that the magnitude of these events will be even greater than we have ever experienced in this lifetime.
Now, a part of me is a little sceptical, mainly because I don't want to believe that 2012 signifies the end of something, however you can't help but realise that what he says makes sense. It's crazy to imagine the world just ending however it's not out of the realm of possibility that an event will occur that will change our lives forever. It's a scary concept to someone who believes in the power of numerology.
But don't be alarmed- like I said, this information isn't proven or 100% accurate- it's only speculation at this point- but I do believe that we should prepare ourselves for the likelihood of something happening that will change the way we are living now. It's one thing to be sceptical, it's another thing to be ignorant. Don't ignore the signs.
The Mayans predict that in 2012 the world will end. Now I've seen the movie 2012 (mainly because Adam Lambert sang the title track of the film) and I've also seen movies like The Day After Tomorrow. Each of these "end of the world by natural disaster" movies have left me with questions and a lingering fear that this could be my future and my fate. However I have recently come across some new information that has made me rethink my belief towards how the world will end.
A few weeks ago my parents went on cruise. As they were sailing the seas, they attended a talk on their cruise by a special guest John Arthur Daley, who is well known in Australia for his work on radio and his understanding of numerology. Now according to my dad, who may or may not be a reliable source, John said that the Mayans are known to accurately predict events and that there is validity to their 2012 predictions. However, unlike in the movie 2012, John says that the world wont "end", instead it will be the end of the world as we know it.
Now what does this mean exactly. Well according to what he told my dad, he said that the world's political and economical stability is going to completely unravel. There are going to be changes in power, countries are going to experience major uprisings and the way we live now, in this world, will dramatically change- due to manmade and natural disasters. He said that we can see the warning signs now- the protests in Egypt, the earthquakes in Christchurch and Tokyo, the floods in Queensland, Climate change...All of these events are affecting the lives of the people in those countries and the economy of those countries. John said that over the next year, we will see an increase in these events, and that the magnitude of these events will be even greater than we have ever experienced in this lifetime.
Now, a part of me is a little sceptical, mainly because I don't want to believe that 2012 signifies the end of something, however you can't help but realise that what he says makes sense. It's crazy to imagine the world just ending however it's not out of the realm of possibility that an event will occur that will change our lives forever. It's a scary concept to someone who believes in the power of numerology.
But don't be alarmed- like I said, this information isn't proven or 100% accurate- it's only speculation at this point- but I do believe that we should prepare ourselves for the likelihood of something happening that will change the way we are living now. It's one thing to be sceptical, it's another thing to be ignorant. Don't ignore the signs.
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
She works hard for her money....
Hey everyone, sorry I've been MIA from this blog for over a week now! I had it all planned out that I would post a new blog entry that was funny and entertaining but unfortunately the issue that I've decided to blog about today is a controversial one that has been upsetting me for the past 4-5 years.
I graduated high school in 2006 and started full-time study at university in 2007. During that time I worked on average 10 hours a week in part time employment as well as taking on board "jobs" such as baby-sitting and research marketing in order to help offset the costs of being a full time student. Now during the time I attended university I lived at home with my parents and I relied on them to pay for my living expenses even at the age of 21 (my final year of study). I wasn't able to receive any government assistance such as youth allowance to help me during those four years because according to centrelink, my parents earned too much money. Fair enough, as a tax payer myself now, I understand that it was my decision to be a full-time student and I knew the costs associated with attending university before I even applied but what really used to fire me up was the unfairness of the youth allowance scheme.
Take for example my friend, she received $250 from centrelink every week because her parents didn't earn an above average income. I don't begrudge her the financial assistance in that regard but the $200 allowed her to move out of home and rent her own apartment and she only had to work 5 hours a week, just so she had some money on the side to go out with friends.
Example two is my other friend, who decided to take some time off from studying to work fulltime before heading back to university the following year. Because she earned a fair amount of money in that year, she was eligible for youth allowance upon returning to her studies. What irritates me in this situation, is not that she receives government payments, it's that she doesn't work at all because she doesn't need to since the government is paying her a steady income every week.
Now when I say I'm not eligible for centrelink because my parents earn too much money, I have to clarify my parents financial situation. My parents both work full time, in good jobs that give them each an income of around $60K a year. My sister and I have never gone with out, and have been spoilt our whole lives however at the end of the day my parents aren't earning a massively high income when you take into account the cost of living, a mortgage, the expenses of running two family cars and utility bills. They make enough to be comfortable but they work hard for every cent. So here I was at 21 years old, still studying and only working part time, and I was expecting my parents to spend hundreds of dollars every semester on textbooks, provide me with all of my living expenses and also give me a travel allowance of $30 a week to get to and from uni.
My parents supported my decision to go to university and were willing to cover these expenses however at what point are parents able to stop "paying" for their children. My issue with the clause on centrelink payments is that, at 21 I was an adult, legal in every country in the world and I made a decision to attend university for 4 years in the hope that I could graduate with a degree that would allow me to get a good job/career. At 21 I shouldn't have to be dependent on my parents for everything. At 21, my parent's income shouldn't be a factor as to whether I get government financial assistance. At 21, my parents shouldn't be forced to give me 'X' amount of money every week or month. It's their hard earned money and I'm not a 'child' that they legally need to support anymore.
I think the real problem that I have with centrelink is that it's sending young people the wrong message. Its discouraging us from transitioning straight from high school to university, because if we take a year off to work than we can get money every week off the government when we go back to studying. It's punishing youths who come from families who earn decent, but not ridiculously high income. My friend in example one was able to move into a place with her friends and be independent because he parents earned a low income, while I was forced to live at home because my parents didn't earn enough to pay for rent on a second place.
Here's the reality of the situation: I studied for 4 years while working permanent part time, graduated, and now I'm working as a teacher, paying my taxes to the Australian government and contributing to society. I have never received a cent off the government and probably never will. Meanwhile my friend, in example two, worked full time for 9 months straight after high school and has now been studying at university for 6 years, receiving centrelink payments every week for 6 years and hasn't worked a day in the past 4 years because she doesn't have to. Where is the fairness in that?
Please note: I fully support government payments to those people who truly need the assistance, however I am frustrated at the loopholes that are in our current system that allow people to take advantage of the system and use it as an excuse not to work. I'm genuinely sorry if I offend anyone.
I graduated high school in 2006 and started full-time study at university in 2007. During that time I worked on average 10 hours a week in part time employment as well as taking on board "jobs" such as baby-sitting and research marketing in order to help offset the costs of being a full time student. Now during the time I attended university I lived at home with my parents and I relied on them to pay for my living expenses even at the age of 21 (my final year of study). I wasn't able to receive any government assistance such as youth allowance to help me during those four years because according to centrelink, my parents earned too much money. Fair enough, as a tax payer myself now, I understand that it was my decision to be a full-time student and I knew the costs associated with attending university before I even applied but what really used to fire me up was the unfairness of the youth allowance scheme.
Take for example my friend, she received $250 from centrelink every week because her parents didn't earn an above average income. I don't begrudge her the financial assistance in that regard but the $200 allowed her to move out of home and rent her own apartment and she only had to work 5 hours a week, just so she had some money on the side to go out with friends.
Example two is my other friend, who decided to take some time off from studying to work fulltime before heading back to university the following year. Because she earned a fair amount of money in that year, she was eligible for youth allowance upon returning to her studies. What irritates me in this situation, is not that she receives government payments, it's that she doesn't work at all because she doesn't need to since the government is paying her a steady income every week.
Now when I say I'm not eligible for centrelink because my parents earn too much money, I have to clarify my parents financial situation. My parents both work full time, in good jobs that give them each an income of around $60K a year. My sister and I have never gone with out, and have been spoilt our whole lives however at the end of the day my parents aren't earning a massively high income when you take into account the cost of living, a mortgage, the expenses of running two family cars and utility bills. They make enough to be comfortable but they work hard for every cent. So here I was at 21 years old, still studying and only working part time, and I was expecting my parents to spend hundreds of dollars every semester on textbooks, provide me with all of my living expenses and also give me a travel allowance of $30 a week to get to and from uni.
My parents supported my decision to go to university and were willing to cover these expenses however at what point are parents able to stop "paying" for their children. My issue with the clause on centrelink payments is that, at 21 I was an adult, legal in every country in the world and I made a decision to attend university for 4 years in the hope that I could graduate with a degree that would allow me to get a good job/career. At 21 I shouldn't have to be dependent on my parents for everything. At 21, my parent's income shouldn't be a factor as to whether I get government financial assistance. At 21, my parents shouldn't be forced to give me 'X' amount of money every week or month. It's their hard earned money and I'm not a 'child' that they legally need to support anymore.
I think the real problem that I have with centrelink is that it's sending young people the wrong message. Its discouraging us from transitioning straight from high school to university, because if we take a year off to work than we can get money every week off the government when we go back to studying. It's punishing youths who come from families who earn decent, but not ridiculously high income. My friend in example one was able to move into a place with her friends and be independent because he parents earned a low income, while I was forced to live at home because my parents didn't earn enough to pay for rent on a second place.
Here's the reality of the situation: I studied for 4 years while working permanent part time, graduated, and now I'm working as a teacher, paying my taxes to the Australian government and contributing to society. I have never received a cent off the government and probably never will. Meanwhile my friend, in example two, worked full time for 9 months straight after high school and has now been studying at university for 6 years, receiving centrelink payments every week for 6 years and hasn't worked a day in the past 4 years because she doesn't have to. Where is the fairness in that?
Please note: I fully support government payments to those people who truly need the assistance, however I am frustrated at the loopholes that are in our current system that allow people to take advantage of the system and use it as an excuse not to work. I'm genuinely sorry if I offend anyone.
Friday, 4 March 2011
The Saving Grace of Idol...
So i've been watching American Idol lately. After the tragedy that was Season 9 I was wary about how Idol could redeem itself. The addition of Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez was a great idea- i love Steven's unfiltered comments and I find myself drooling over J-Lo's outfits- however I can't help but miss the snarky, tell it how it is, no bullshit nature of Simon Cowell. I'm not a big fan of Randy Jackson. If I had a dollar for every time he calls someone DAWG I could happily retire a millionaire at the grand old age of 22! But the judges aside- the contestants this season actually showed some promise.
I have to admit that Adam Lambert kind of ruined idol for me. Never has a contestant amazed me and awed me as much as he did from the moment he walked into the audition room. Adam didn't just break the idol mould, he completely shattered it into tiny specks of glitter. However just because I'll never love someone as much as I do Adam, it doesn't mean that I'm not open to new talent. I approached season 10 with an open mind and a willingness to embrace the new contestants. I just prayed that there would be someone who grabbed my attention the way Adam did from day one.
My prayers were answered in the form of Colton Dixon, a 19 year old singer songwriter. He looked and sounded like a cross between Kris Allen and Cassidy Haley, but what grabbed my attention was his charisma on stage. Not only was he good looking- he had the talent to back it up. Finally American Idol was looking up again. I had a reason to watch the show. My world came crashing down however just as the judges were announcing the top 24. Colton didn't make it. I was stunned and apparently so were many people. Ellen even asked him to perform on her show because she couldn't believe the judges decision. What intrigued me about this turn of events is that the public seemed to be devastated by this news. This cut happened a week before, we the home viewers, got a chance to vote for who stays and who leaves. It made me question how much control we really have over the outcome of show.
But like the real world, sometimes idol doesn't always work out the way you want it too and so I readjusted my view of the show and tried to transfer my support for Colton across to a few other contestants I liked. Upon hearing the results for the top 12 (or should I say 13), I was pleased with the outcome for the boys. I loved Casey, Paul and Jacob. James deserved to be there too, but he's still growing on me. I don't like the Adam Lambert 2.0 comparisons that he's getting but I respected him a little more after last week when he stopped trying to be Adam (like seriously- Adam owned A Change is Gonna Come on idol- why would you touch it?) and infused more of "James" the metal rock singer into his performance. I liked the originality of it! Scotty on the other hand is a contestant I'm still trying to get used too. I do think he deserves to be there, but as I'm not a huge country fan, I don't get the obsession everyone has with him...yet! There is still hope that he may win me over. I also didn't mind the addition of Stefano in the wildcard round. At least there is some eye-candy this season.
The result for the top 6 (or should I say 7) girls was a little disappointing though. I was ecstatic that Lauren and Pia got through...I've loved them both from the beginning, but I question the publics decision of choosing Karen over Kendra. I'm sorry Karen but you are no Mariah Carey- singing songs in another language will win you no points with me. There is something about Karen that to me screams Miss America contestant. It's a little fake and contrived. Kendra on the other hand was amazing. I loved the uniqueness in her voice and I only hope that America realises the mistake they made by sending her home and keeping Karen and Hailey instead. Thia is not my favourite contestant. I'm a little conflicted towards her because I think she has an amazing voice but her performances never excite me. Maybe as she grows more comfortable with the camera she'll improve her stage presence. Now the judges wildcard is something that i don't entirely agree with. I like the addition of Naima. She didn't wow me during the top 24 round but I loved her during the auditions because she was unique and original. But Ashthon (or however you spell her name) I don't think is as good as what the judges think she is. However what do I know? If it were up to me I would've crowned Colton Dixon the winner of American Idol 2011 the first week!
So American Idol left me reeling in shock after the elimination of Kendra this week. I almost lost faith in the show once again. But luckily for Idol, the news that Adam Lambert would be performing his acoustic version of Aftermath on the show next week, gave me reason to keep tuning in. Once again, Adam Lambert is the saving grace of Idol. I can't wait for Adam to go on and show these contestants and these judges what it means to be a true musician and a true performer.
Like Adam himself said, people need to stop with the comparisons. No one will ever be as good as Adam but it doesn't mean that they still can't blow us away. There is never going to be another Kradam- you can't re-enact a friendship between two contestants- instead lets focus on what is in front of us. A new group of 13 talented, unique performers who need to stand on their own two feet as original artists instead of living in the shadows of former idol contestants. We're not here to find a new Adam Lambert or a new Kelly Clarkson. We're here to find someone else, who's different, who's original and who will have the ability to take the world by storm, the same way contestants like Adam and Kelly have.
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