Where to now?

"Get a job. Go to work. Get married. Have children. Follow fashion. Act normal. Walk on the pavement. Watch TV. Obey the law. Save for old age.
Now repeat after me: I AM FREE!"

Society is so full of prejudice. What's considered right or wrong, whats considered normal or not. There is so much pressure on people to spend their whole lives working their asses off instead of enjoying life. People who think differently and would rather enjoy their lives are looked down upon and as hippies or weirdos. It's so crazy to actually think how fucked society has become.

People don't like change.

And in any case, who is going to change things? Most people are just concerned about their own well being (and the well being of their loved ones) to take any action.

Of course, one could argue the power of the people (banding together, protesting and such). It has worked, in some cases. But, I have also noticed a lot of movements that eventually lost its power (and its following).

Unless a great leader arises among us...nothing is going to change. And it terrifies the shit out of me!!!

Why cant we get past racism...when we know that we all came from the same place. We know that our skin color is a result of migration and climate but..."I hate you because you look different"? Its a shame we're still stuck in this type of thinking. 

Why does life seem to be all about how much money you have? How come you can't enjoy life, learning and discovering things about yourself, sharing with people, and loving one another? Why do you have to 1up another person to make yourself feel happy? 

Why are there people influencing us to make decisions that will ultimately make them rich? I mean, really large companies are creating items while working with psychologist and marketers, hoping to keep you dumb enough to buy their product. How come people aren't more focused on reaching high academic heights? The world would be a better place. 

Why are we still fighting over man-made religion? We know that humans created religion out of ignorance and geology...is it because it keeps the average man in a box? Is it easier to rule and control? 

How come people are dying of AIDS and how come people are still poor? I mean Africa is one of the hottest places on Earth...you'd think they'd have the best Solar energy development in the world. Instead...people are still dying of low energy. There isn't enough energy to power homes and hospitals? 

Why are we facing a nuclear situation in life that makes us smile in the face of our enemies? The arms race will only destroy us in the end. 

War. People justify murder during such times as acts of desperation. It's still murder. The murder would be completely unnecessary if bad people weren't put into positions of power, and if people didn't feel the need to divide territories and define ownership over them. 

People can be terrible. There's cold blooded killers, thieves, etc. There's people who rape, and the equally absolutely terrible people who make false claims of rape. Luckily, there are a few genuinely good folks sprinkled in here and there, and perhaps you'll meet them. 

Truth be told...we as a Human race are at a stage in our civilization that we should know how to be perpetually happier than we actually are. We possess the smarts and human know-how. We possess the technology and man power...but we are stuck in a world were people fight over land and money and power. WHY?

People are in denial. They are too scared to acknowledge the true source of this society’s rampant "insanity". Most people have been coerced and manipulated into a state of what anarchist political prisoner, Rob ‘los Ricos’ Thaxton, calls "imposed imbecility". The institutions of the state and capital enforce this. Schools, prisons, work, the police, social service programs, and the corporate mass media all contribute to this incredible brain-washing scheme. They force us to depend upon them. They tell us that the way we live today is the best way to live. They tell us that we have reached the pinnacle of human existence - the height of civilization. They tell us that there is no alternative. We must obey. 

I am free. Yeah, right!

Wake up!!!

My New Year's Resolution

Every New Year, people have the urge to make their New Year's resolutions. Promises that they will tend to fulfill in the year to come. Resolutions. Promises. Wishful thinking. That you will work on yourself to become a better person. To exercise more. To read more. To go out more. To pay more attention to your own needs and not care as much for what people say. Go travel. Buy something expensive.

Take a moment and think about your New Year's resolution. Did you make one? What did you promise to yourself? Have you started working towards it? Or did you forget it already? Each year we say we’ll start doing this, or stop doing that. But more often than not our big plans get dashed sometime in January. Whatever the case, I present you MY New Year's resolution for you. 

1. Forgive and forget. Most possibly one of the best pieces of advice I have ever read. Don't hold grudges. Whatever happened, happened and no amount of time spent on analyzing and grudging will make you feel better. Let it go. The more you think about it, the more negative thoughts fill your brain and you end up not being happy. In a year from now, that little thing that seems so important, won't even cross your mind. Then why stress about it? Just don't. Eventually, if it is something someone did to you that hurt you, take it as a lesson and move on. Forgive and forget.

2. Be honest. To yourself. This is the best policy you might incorporate in your life. Don't just lie to yourself. Do I really want this? Will it make me happy? Is it necessary? Will it make me feel bad? Will it add value to my life?

3. Make a difference. I tend to do small acts on a daily basis to brighten up someone's day. A simple note on a colleague's desk. A text sent to a friend's cell phone. Well-hearted wish for someone's special occasion. Buying chocolate for someone. Buying/picking flower and giving it as a gift. No reason needed. Just for the heck of it. Compliment someone. On their eyes. On their smile. On their passion. On their strength. They'll appreciate it. You know the saying: Maybe it won't make a difference to the whole world, but it will, for sure make a difference in that person's world. The best part is that it will make YOU feel great. Noble. 

4. Find your passion and follow it. Whatever this is, make the most out of it. Fill your free time working on it, developing it, molding it. Make it flow through you, it will attract even bigger passion. For life. 

5. Don't hate. Hate is a way too strong word for you to have in your vocabulary. You might not like something/someone, but don't hate. You don't want to disperse that kind of energy in the universe. You know how they say that dogs can smell the fear in people? Well, it's the same with people. They sense when someone's filled with hate. It is not a good vibe. 

6. Work on yourself. Get in the best shape you can. Physically, mentally, spiritually. Set apart a time in the day or the week when you will have a few moments to improve yourself in any given way. It will make you feel proud of yourself, boost your ego and make you love yourself more. People care about people who care about themselves.

7. Go on adventures. Go to the concert of a local band you have never heard or have a water balloon fight at 2 a.m, or go to a new restaurant you've been wanting to go to, and stop falling into the idea that you have to be traveling or have a lot of money to have incredible adventures and make your life mean something.

8. Read. Read a lot. Novels, poems, blog posts, people's opinion on music, food, social responsibility, politics. Whatever grinds your gears. Just read. Enrich your vocabulary. Broaden your horizon. See a new point of view. 

9. Love more. And express your feelings. You like someone, let them know. You love someone - it is imperative that you tell them. Let people know what you love. The smell of fresh baked cookies. The smell of freshly cut grass. The sound of a river softly running down. The taste of the new chewing gum. Love someone's laughter? Tell them. Love more. 

10. Smile more. Spread da joy. People love you.

11. Whatever you decide, don't ever give up. No matter how many times you fail, there is still a new day coming, a new sunrise to be watched, a new coffee to be drank, a new challenge to be achieved. If you can imagine it, you can do it.

12. Be you. You were molded the way you are today by your own fights. The scars that you carry are a proof that you fought and won. Or failed and learned. You were born an original. Don't fade away as a fake copy. Let your light shine. It will light up someone's day, I promise.

13. Remember:

Happy New Year, my dear friends. May all of you go through with your New Year's resolutions. Wishing for all of you that this year ends being ridiculously amazing.  

Over and out,

Tanya Jones