Gratitude.

People are too materialistic, they are too into obtaining possessions, which results in greed. Greed, is the main reason this world has wars and why people are unkind to one another. I myself, admit that I take for granted the food I eat; I gobble it down without even savouring, tasting the food. I don't take into consideration where the food comes from, and I never have to worry about the next meal, because I expect it to always be there.

People who are without are on the other hand are brimming with gratitude. My friend visited Uganda and when the people there who have next to nothing are given food or possessions, they share it with others whereas you would expect somebody with so little to be slightly greedy because they wouldn't be used to so much food, but it's the opposite, the people who will always have the possessions and enough food to feed much more than they need, are the greedy ones. Strange isn't it?

Also, you would expect there to be some people who think that God isn't real because he wouldn't deprive anybody of food and water, yet these are the people who have the strongest beliefs. Then there are the people who have plenty and many aren't religious and have a lot less gratitude.

Just something to think about anyway. It's on my mind a lot.

Favourite song of today: "Please forgive me by David Gray"

Swami Vivekananda

Well hello there! Haven't written on here in a little while!! It is half term wooo!! I'm going to see all my family tommorow which is exciting! I'm staying up there for a week. I'm going to a fancy dress party next month and i am going as a traditional indian woman- i've ordered a sari which i'm really excited about wearing!! I got rid of lots of old clothes today and walked down into town to a charity shop to donate it all, which felt great :D On the way back my mum and i stopped in a little shop called "Wild Wood" and we bought an incense holder and some new incense sticks which smell awesome!

What You Need to Keep in Mind

1. Love Is The Law Of Life: All love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction. Love is therefore the only law of life. He who loves lives, he who is selfish is dying. Therefore, love for love’s sake, because it is law of life, just as you breathe to live.



2. It’s Your Outlook That Matters: It is our own mental attitude, which makes the world what it is for us. Our thoughts make things beautiful, our thoughts make things ugly. The whole world is in our own minds. Learn to see things in the proper light.



3. Life is Beautiful: First, believe in this world – that there is meaning behind everything. Everything in the world is good, is holy and beautiful. If you see something evil, think that you do not understand it in the right light. Throw the burden on yourselves!



4. It’s The Way You Feel: Feel like Christ and you will be a Christ; feel like Buddha and you will be a Buddha. It is feeling that is the life, the strength, the vitality, without which no amount of intellectual activity can reach God.



5. Set Yourself Free: The moment I have realised God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him – that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.



6. Don’t Play The Blame Game: Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.



7. Help Others: If money helps a man to do good to others, it is of some value; but if not, it is simply a mass of evil, and the sooner it is got rid of, the better.



8. Uphold Your Ideals: Our duty is to encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth.



9. Listen To Your Soul: You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.



10. Be Yourself: The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves!



11. Nothing Is Impossible: Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin – to say that you are weak, or others are weak.



12. You Have The Power: All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.



13. Learn Everyday: The goal of mankind is knowledge… now this knowledge is inherent in man. No knowledge comes from outside: it is all inside. What we say a man ‘knows’, should, in strict psychological language, be what he ‘discovers’ or ‘unveils’; what man ‘learns’ is really what he discovers by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge.



14. Be Truthful: Everything can be sacrificed for truth, but truth cannot be sacrificed for anything.



15. Think Different: All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything


My Wish: Rascal Flatts

be the best U can be

Been ill these past few days, watched the commonwealth games a lot, really enjoying the swimming, cycling and excited about athletics :D It is hopefully my first cross country of the season on sunday i hope it goes well despite my illness, hopefully it'll be training and i'll enjoy it :D. Party tommorow night which will hopefully be good, outside so i'm wearing a coat, jeans and boots! Being 16 doesn't feel any different, but i am enjoying my present of new xc spikes hopefully they'll come in handy on sunday for the race!!

Autumn is here :D

i love this time of year!!

Favourite song today: When you say nothing at all- Ronan Keating

Happy Birthday Bruce Springsteen!

Wow. Everything is going sooooo fast!! It's my last day of being 15 years old tommorow! Did a killer session tonight- 8 x 500m reps. Way off target, fitness/speed levels low. Thats what trainings for though! :P. School tommorow- i have badminton which is a laugh and also Gym hopefully after school.

Here are some funny pictures of me and my little sis!

Friendship is not something you learn in school.But if you havent learned the meaning of friendship,you really haven't learned anything-Ali

Favourite song today: As i'm leaving- David Gray

The love you take is equal to the love you make. (Beatles)

Wow. This time next week i shall be 16 years old! Time seems to be flying by. I haven't posted anything for a while because i have been busy with homework. I also have entered my grade 4 piano exam so i am going to have to write up a schedule to practice. I am playing Valse Lente by Vaughan Williams as one of my pieces and i love it a lot. I am excited about the Cross Country season ahead of me, even though my shins are trouble. Hopefully mum and dad can get me some xc spikes for my birthday :D Exciting times! Thats all, i have tonnes of homework!

There's beauty in the silver singing river
There's beauty in the sunrise in the sky
But none of these and nothing else can match the beauty
That I remember in my true love's eyes
- - -Bob Dylan, "Tomorrow is a Long Time"


White Blank Page- Mumford & Sons

You laugh because I'm different, I laugh because you're all the same :)

I am in love. Love with the world! There is so much beautiful music, beautiful nature, it just makes me feel so alive. I love sitting still, listening to whatever is around; the waves on the beach, the feel of the breeze, the rustle of leaves. The feeling i get sometimes is indescribable; i can't explain it. I just feel so filled with love, passion, excitement and gratefulness. The satisfaction i have with what life has offered me is overwhelming.

I still get upset; i got upset last night because of what somebody said to me, they just snapped and it was unfair on my part because i was shouted at for no reason. However after crying i felt better and whilst i pretended to be asleep they came in & said; "good night, Alice". And all was forgiven. I feel on top of the world, i don't feel scared about what the future may hold; i feel mentally strong enough to challenge and face whatever the future may hold for me.

Today was lovely. I went for my piano lesson which was great as we had a cup of tea before and lots of nice chocolate biscuits. We talked about how today's society is so wound up about perfection & how success is so important.

However we believe that it is the effort put into anything which is the most important- not the sucess or who is the best. If everybody was great at everything it would be pointless. It would be boring. Likewise if everybody looked the same- this "perfect body" image which the media portrays, it would be so boring. It isn't actually physically possible to have a skinny stick-like figure & big boobs/bum. But this is the image which the media gives off to young women. And it is ridiculous.

Anyways, enough of my ranting, nobody really reads this, but it does help to put down my thoughts and feelings especially when most people don't want to listen or just don't understand.

Love, Alice

Favourite song today: Somethin' Special- Sheryl Crow

Someone to crowd you with lovesomeone to force you to care someone to make you come through who'll always be there as frightened as you of being alive

School tommorow! The start of Year 11. The last year of high school. 2 years of College after, then University!!

On Tuesday i had a good fitness run, and today a 30 minute tempo run. A few strides tommorow, then rest on Saturday for Sunday's racing which i am really excited about!

This last day was spent with my little sister & grandma. We went to town on the train which was much much cheaper than the bus. I bought an Athletics Weekly Magazine, but that was it! It was nice walking round town though and drinking Banana Milkshake & M&M's :D

I've gotta go now, prepare for tommorow!! Hopefully another successful school year of hard work! Hopefully i come out of it with good grades!

I love this quote:

"If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace." John Lennon

Favourite song today: Thankyou- Jamelia