It can be easy to become trapped into wondering how we can help and make a difference in the world when we don't have a lot of money to throw at a cause. Money certainly goes a long way towards improving the social standing of disadvantaged individuals, families and communities but so too do other contributions. In times when money is tight it's important that rather than discounting the opportunity to contribute to a charitable organisation, we rather take a fresh look at the ways we can contribute.

So how can progressive & positive change be achieved when money is not something we have in abundance? Let's take a look at just a few ways:

Donate clothing, books, cd's, movies, homewares. The old saying is true: one mans junk is anothers treasure. Don't throw out your old belongings if they still have some life in them. Charity stores are always looking for new bits and pieces to sell and raise funds for their cause, without donations these sorts of stores would not be able to operate. Try and take a look around your house quarterly. At the beginning of each season, look at what you may have that has sat in your apartment collecting dust for the past few months. Ask yourself if someone else would find greater value in the item? And while you're at the charity store donating your goods, why not purchase a few items that you may require. Buying at charity stores is eco-chic and charitable too!

Donate time. To local school, charity stores, outreach programs. Life can get hectic and charities often have difficulty filling volunteer slots at their organisations. Look for charities that operate locally and see if they are looking for help - even a few hours a week can make for a valuable contribution to the life of an individual or group that is at present less fortunate.

Swap your purchases. Instead of buying Marie Claire buy The Big Issue; instead of shopping at Top Shop try the British Heart Foundation charity store.


Photo by rofanator.

Spread awareness. Chances are there is a social issue that makes your stomach churn and conjures up exciting thoughts in your mind. Think about the topics that rile up passion and anger and leave you with an urge to set things right. Put your thoughts to paper, or screen. Blog it, submit a piece to your universities magazine, write to your member of parliament, organise a fundraising event, speak to your friends. Be a conversation starter! Words create ideas, ideas become actions and actions change the world. It all starts small, but someone needs to start it, why not be that someone?

These actions are just as important as giving big sums of cash, your time is valuable, as are the possessions you no longer require. Don't underestimate how important what you have can be to someone else.


What are your good deed ideas?

Linguistically playing on the word 'whitewash' and utilising the colour green, as is now intrinsically linked to the concept of environmentalism, GREENWASH refers to "...the practice of companies disingenuously spinning their products and policies as environmentally friendly" (source).

'Greenwash' is not a new concept. The word was first used by environmentalist, Jay Westerveld, in 1986, when referring to the hotel industry and specifically the concept of guests being encouraged to re-use towels. The concept was spruiked as a way for the guest to 'save the environment'. However, the hotel industries business policies remained unenvironmentally conscious, leading one to inevitably consider that this was more an exercise in cost cutting than in genuine support of a cleaner, greener environment.

Climate change is an inevitable and globally pertinent issue and as such, we as consumers from across the world are becoming more aware of the simple ways that we can contribute to acting ethically when it comes to environmentalism. In becoming aware of the existence of greenwash we can avoid supporting companies that are deliberately misleading us, as consumers, by cashing in on our desire to shop ethically.

Driving company profitability can be a key factor behind employing this sort of tactic - that is utilising public relations companies or advertising campaigns to push products and services as an eco-friendly option, or going further, to rebrand a company on a whole.

Companies are very aware that 'green' sells. A key reason why it is so important to ensure we are do not support these companies that falsify or exaggerate their environmental pursuits is that we are allowing them to profit and gain greater power within their industry - essentially, we enable their growth.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

For more information about how to identify whether companies are genuine in their support of environmentalism, click to download the pdf 'The Seven Sins of Greenwash'.

By making smarter environmental choices we can be the change that the world so desperately needs.


When you are shopping is an environmentally friendly product/service important to you? Would you purchase an obviously 'greener' product/service if you had the option?

Apathy
Originally uploaded by Toban Black

When you don't see first hand the detriment of gun crime, it can be difficult to gauge the scale of the problem. It's like all of the television commercials about poverty in third world countries - it can be simple to switch off when you can't relate. The key to overcoming this sort of apathy is to become aware.

So let's break it down a little and get across the agenda of the United Nations and in particular, the first committee - because right now, it may just seem like a whole bunch of guys and girls in suits, shaking hands and pushing paper, but what happens inside the walls of the United Nations Headquarters in New York City is pretty spectacular. There may not be designer gear and post-conference parties that see delegates spilling out of cabs at 5am looking scandalously worse for wear - and for this reason the UN won't make the cover of People magazine - but the work that is done at the UN? It's well worth page space and it's well worth your time.



Photo by scazon.

The United Nations: It's an international organization, founded in 1945, comprised of 192 member states (see full list here). These member states have agreed to accept and uphold the obligations of the Charter (view the charter here). In brief, the UN does not make laws, what it does do is provide a global body that works towards "solve[ing] problems that challenge humanity" (source). The UN has a focus on peacekeeping, development and human rights. You can learn lots more about the United Nations at the official UN website.

General Assembly (GA): The GA provides a forum for the 192 member states to discuss and make recommendations on the issues outlined in the Charter of the United Nations. For a more detailed outline of the functions and powers of the General Assembly, click here.

First Committee - Disarmament and International Security Committee: This is a committee within the General Assembly at the United Nations. It deals with issues surrounding international security and disarmament ("the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons" source)

Treaty: A treaty, in the context of the United Nations, is a binding agreement that the UN member states can opt to sign and uphold.



Image by JimBowen0306.

Arms Trade Treaty (ATT): An ATT was first addressed in the UN in 2006. Since then, diplomats have been discussing this potential treaty. Also since then, 2.1 million people have died, that's 2000 a day, as a result of armed violence (source).

The ATT is about regulating the conventional arms trade. There is presently no international regulation standard governing the import, export and transfer of conventional arms. This means that conventional weapons, like guns, that are intended for military purposes end up in the hands of criminals and other human rights abusers. These weapons are used to kill and maim civilians, as well facilitating the narcotics trade and other crimes such as armed burglary and rapes. This sort of criminal activity at the hands of conventional weaponry holds direct links to lack of development, which in turn makes for economic underdevelopment and poverty.

A key focus of an ATT would be on Risk Assessment - where are these weapons going? For what purpose? Does the end user have a history of negligent use of weaponry?

In 2006, 153 of the UN member states voted in favour of Resolution 61/89, a document that set out to achieve support on implementing an common international standards for the conventional arms trade (view Resolution 61/89 in full). 24 countries chose to abstain from voting (these counties included: Bahrain, Belarus, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, Marshall Islands, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, UAE, Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe (source). Only 1 country voted against the resolution, that country was the United States.

For more information about why an Arms Trade Treaty is needed urgently, watch the short video below:



For a more in depth look at the reason an Arms Trade Treaty is required, download the Oxfam report 'Dying for Action' (pdf).

What are your thoughts on an Arms Trade Treaty and the role of the United Nations?

"You don't know how to fix the holes in our ozone layer. You don't know how to bring back an animal now extinct. And you can't bring back the forest that once grew where there is now a desert."

"If you don't know how to fix it, please, stop breaking it."

Skeptics of twitter will spend boundless energy on discouraging it's use and dismissing it's value. Their argument based on the belief that the tool is used primarily as a means to promote ones self and in particular, the mundane aspects of ones day. However, the value of twitter as a platform truly transcends that of Facebook style status updates. Twitter offers an outlet for all people to become citizen journalists and break up-to-the-minute news. It allows us to connect with politicians and celebrities with whom we would otherwise have had no level of conversation with. It also offers an opportunity to learn about topical issues through use of the search function.

The immediacy of Twitter has allowed for access to groundbreaking news from around the world, even before it has been picked up by traditional media outlets, such as television networks and radio stations. What follows are some examples of how twitter has been used to break and share up to the minute news:

In November 2008 twitter saw a flurry of texts offering accounts of the terrorist attack in Mumbai, as the tragedy unfolded. Soon after, twitter was used as a means of communicating the urgent need for blood donors to assist with those injured in the attacks (source).

January 15 2009 saw Janis Krums posting a photograph of the US Airways flight that crashed into the Hudson river, he was soon contacted by television networks to offer an eyewitness account of the events.

At London's G20 demonstrations in April 2009, Alok Jha reported on the Police tactic of kettling demonstrators and noted that those disallowed to leave the guarded pen outside of the Bank of England included accredited press (Alok Jha is a science and environment correspondent at The Guardian).

Examples of this sort of news reporting are limitless and citizen journalism will continue to see social networks like Twitter at the forefront of eyewitness accounts on breaking news stories from across the globe. For this reason, we will continue to turn to online for the latest news.



Images by mfilej and treslola.


As well as offering citizen news reporting, twitter is also a great tool for communication with those who we may otherwise have the opportunity to reach. From Ashton Kutcher to the Mayor of London, The X Factor to the United Nations - everyone who is anyone is using twitter to share with the world, 140 characters at a time. And you too can use Twitter to share with them, in fact, it would be inopportune not to.

Let's consider the ways that we could make best use of this dynamic online tool: from tweeting a politician or ambassador to act on pressing issues to sharing petitions and promoting causes - twitter has the power to transform and we, as individuals can provoke transformation.

Tweeting a Treaty, an Oxfam initiative held at the Beekman Hotel, just uptown from the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, was an event that saw international diplomacy and social media collide. Speakers from Avaaz, Witness and Social Change Camp as well as Ambassadors to the UN from both Netherlands and the United Kingdom gathered and shared how they were able to use social media as part of their humanitarian and diplomatic outreach.

Avaaz is a global movement with a simple goal 'to close the gap between the world we have, and the world most people everywhere want'. Brett Soloman spoke of their campaigns which
have seen Avaaz members rapidly responding to calls to demonstrate on urgent humanitarian issues, from petitioning for justice in Guinea to Climate Change demonstrations that saw Gordon Brown agreeing to attend Copenhagen. Avaaz are leading the way when it comes to global humanitarian calls to action.

Bukeni Waruzi from Witness, a website that 'uses video and online technologies to open the eyes of the world to human rights violations', spoke about The Hub. The Hub, he said, is essentially 'a humanitarian youtube', where users are able to watch and upload videos to create global awareness for humanitarian causes or to share their own human rights stories.

UK Ambassador to the United Nations for Multilateral Arms Controls and Disarmament is particularly passionate about twitter as a means to reach an audience that has opted in to the information he is sharing on twitter. In a separate conversation with John Duncan that took place earlier in the week in the United Nations delegates lounge, Ambassador Duncan spoke of the twitter as a very powerful tool with international reach that allowed for the formation of relationships, but not before recommending his Twitter client of choice, Hoot Suite. Duncan said Twitter was 'unlike the press', explaining that it had allowed him to reach '700 people who are articulate and informed and interested in what I want to say'.

John Duncan speaks further on 'digital diplomacy' and his use of social media in the video below.

So how can you make greater use of twitter, right now? The ways are many and varied but why not start by tweeting a petition? David Miliband will meet with Hillary Clinton this Sunday and he needs to persuade her that the United States should support a strong Arms Trade Treaty. You can show your support by clicking the little red button below - tweet your support, click now:

Act.ly is a fantastic tool by which to tweet for change - check it out, tweet your cause and encourage your followers to do so too.


How are you using twitter?

I'm in New York City, sitting across from me in the United Nation's cafeteria is Novelette Grant. Novelette cuts a chic yet bold figure and as she introduces herself there is no mistaking that Grant is a woman on a mission. As Jamaica's Assistant Commissioner of Police, Grant is here to address diplomats at the UN's First committee and explain why it is that an Arms Trade Treaty is so important to Jamaica.








Photographs by fightingtheboss, Radio Capsula.

For most people the most pertinent image of Jamaica is that which was forever cemented in our minds after the release of the 1993 box office hit Cool Runnings: Jamaica as a a pretty island nation, and it is. However, Jamaica is not all dreadlocks and cool vibes - there is a gritty criminal underbelly that is facilitated by the transfer of guns and ammunition into Jamaica.

'Gun crime numbers are horrendous ... a huge percentage of sexual assaults and robberies are accompanied by the use of fire arms' Grant explains, 'Jamaica does not manufacture guns and yet we are on the receiving end of the misuse of fire arms'. Grant goes on to tell me that that weapons intended for military purposes are on the streets, in the hands of criminals and that a staggering 77% of murders are committed by guns.

The dilemma facing Jamaican police is that seizing guns and ammunition from criminals is having little impact on the rate of violent crime, this is due to the continuing flow of illegal arms and ammunition into the country. So where are the guns coming in from? Grant says 'If we knew, we'd stop them'.

After our conversation Novelette Grant addressed diplomats at an Amnesty event, held in the United Nations headquarters, where the question was asked 'How can an Arms Trade Treaty help stop arms fuelling human rights abuses?'.

For Jamaica, the persistent and cyclical nature of the guns trade has so many detrimental effects on the nation: murder and abuse of innocents, facilitation of the narcotics trade and direct economic cost and impact on development. To put a monetary figure on the cost to Jamaica, Grant told delegates, that the cumulative loss to Jamaica since 1960 is about 75% of GDP.

Grant is determined to see a resolution, she explains that her expectations as a police officer are simply that there needs to be proper governance and regulation over the arms trade, just as there is for all other trades. Speaking on the need for an Arms Trade Treaty be put in place, Grant asks delegates '[to] consider that the arms trade is no less important than any other legal trade that criminals are misusing .... we are asking you to come up with the kinds of standards necessary'.

Her argument is simple and befitting, just like all other trades, governance is necessary, there needs to be accountability when it comes to the transfer of guns. Finishing her impassioned address, Grant puts it simply, 'Look at countries like Jamaica and look at the devastation'.

Get involved - tweet your questions or comments on an Arms Trade Treat to @conflictvoice and watch the event at http://www.conflictvoice.org, live streamed from the United Nations at 1.15pm 7/10 New York time.

No I'm not talking about Peter Andre's latest musical offering - today I am inside the United Nations headquarters in New York City. It's big, it's secure and I'm still waiting for someone to tell me and my shiny red dell netbook that we really don't belong here and to kindly move along....









Photographs by Fox Fotography.

I am here as part of ConflictVoice, an Oxfam initiative that is taking discussions out from behind the closed doors and into a more accessible realm. ConflictVoice is about encouraging conversation between mates and colleagues as well as between diplomats and officials. We all know that change can only happen when the masses shout loud enough - and to be impassioned we need to be educated and aware - so let's get across it and be part of the progress towards an international, legally binding Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).


"Every day 2000 people die from armed conflict. Since the UN's process towards and arms trade treaty started in 2006, 2,1 million people have died. Unnecessarily. In October, diplomats are meeting again (the UN's first committee on Security and Disarmament) to discuss the next steps. Oxfam, with its partners Amnesty, IANSA and others, are calling for negotiations to start in 2010 with an end date in 2012. We demand a treaty that will stop irresponsible arms transfers fueling conflict, poverty and serious human rights abuses."


It can be really difficult to start conversation like this as it's something that seems so far from home. When we don't see direct consequences in our day to day lives, understanding the scale of impact can be a difficult task. Essentially, an Arms Trade Treaty would prevent the illegal movement of weapons from country to country. The reason an Arms Trade Treaty is necessary is because arms are currently being flowed into countries where they are being used in a way that abuse human rights. This is a nice way of saying that guns are being sold between countries and used to kill and maim people. This is happening every single day.

To break it down even further, this means that American guns could potentially be being used to kill and injure American peacekeepers. By not supporting an international Arms Trade Treaty we are placing our military peacekeepers in harms way - the threat is coming from within and we need to start regulating the arms trade to prevent this.



You can learn more about the unregulated arms trade and what Oxfam is doing here.

Tomorrow Oxfam are launching a report called 'Dying for Action'. This event will be live streamed from Conflict Voice website and will be interactive so if you have a comment or better yet, a question to be put to international diplomats or Oxfam, please tweet it to @conflictvoice and use the hashtag #conflictvoice.

A belief in climate justice...

Photos by neil365, Devina Pereira, Anirudh Koul.

October 1 marked the international release of an all-star remix of Beds Are Burning. Originally written and performed by Midnight Oil, and now rewritten for the 2009 release; the song is as pertinent in rallying global support and creating passion for political justice today as it was in 1987.


"Music is the universal language, capable of transcending cultures, generations, religions and races. A song or an artist truly has the power to translate a message or a movement more than any politician or world leader can on a global scale.

"This will create a voice for all of us who deserve to have a say leading up to Copenhagen in December. The goal is to draw enough attention to an event that will affect everyone's lives on the planet."

Alexandre Sap, CEO of The:Hours (who assembled the artists and produced the soundtrack, source: media release)


The rerelease of Beds Are Burning saw over 60 celebrities and musicians from across the globe have come together to collaborate, for a game of spot-the-celebrity on a scale not seen since the release of Jimmy Kimmels parody clip, "I'm f*cking Ben Affleck". They did it because they care: about something bigger, something global, something that requires all of us, from wherever we are in the world, to band together, to learn about and act upon. Climate change is inevitable and it is now our responsibility to move towards climate justice. The release of Beds Are Burning is a demonstration of the reach of passion for climate justice, "...the greatest humanitarian crisis facing humankind today", from Fergie to Duran Duran, they're doing it because they care.

TckTckTck, a global alliance of non-government organisations, trade unions and faith groups, are the organisation behind this epic release. They are urging the global community to become climate allies by stepping up and saying "I am ready for our leaders to sign a global deal in Copenhagen that is ambitious, fair and binding". The climate talks to be held in Copenhagen this December offer leaders from across the world an opportunity to join together and make a binding and viable commitment to actively working towards combating climate change.

As well as being a killer track with an impressive video and inspired by a most worthwhile cause, the song is free to download. View the video embedded below or at Time for Climate Justice and if you want to load the song onto your ipod you can download the song here. Be sure to stop by tcktcktck for more information on climate justice and Copenhagen.




What do you think about Beds Are Burning? Has it peaked your interest in Climate Justice?

Photos by UN Climate Talks, Net Efekt.

With an overwhelming amount of media attention concentrated around the upcoming climate change talks to be held in Copenhagen, it can be difficult to make head nor tail of the basics - what follows is your guide to the basics of the United Nations Climate Change conference, or COP15, which stands for the 15th Conference of the Parties (the official name of the summit).

What?

COP15 is a two week United Nations conference. It runs from the 7th December 2009 through until the 18th December 2009. The talks are being held to coordinate international action against climate action.

Who attends?

Environment ministers and officials from 192 countries.

Why?

• To negotiate ways to combat climate change. Climate change is now widely regarded as inevitable.
  
  
• For international officials to agree on targets and strategies to "...reduce global warming and to cope with whatever temperature increases are inevitable" (source: UNFCCC).
  
  Quick climate change fact: A recent study by the British Met Office found that if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced, the global temperature could rise to the extent that we would see major climate climate change by 2060, a year that is within what most would fore-see as within our lifetimes!
  
  
• Essentially, the aim of COP15 is to sign onto an agreement, regarding climate change, to succeed the Kyoto Protocol and cover the period from the year 2012, going forward.


Kyoto 101: The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement that "set binding targets ... for reducing greenhouse gas emissions" (source: UNFCCC). The commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012 and so Copenhagen is a chance for the international leaders to come together and look beyond 2012.

How?

By creating a legally binding agreement that is signed by the attending 192 countries. By accepting a new agreement, a top down approach to tackling climate change is being put in place.

Your key to Copenhagen related jargon

Unlocking the lingo!

UN United Nations
COP15 15th conference of the parties (official name of the summit)
UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
GHG Greenhouse Gas
CO2 Carbon Dioxide

Learn more:

Copenhagen negotiating text: 200 pages to save the world?

Official COP15 Website

The essentials in Copenhagen

What do you want to come out of the Copenhagen Climate talks this December?

A lot is said about living life to the fullest; as far as making the most of our opportunities, we are quite the entitled generation. We know that we are the captain of our ship, the director of our play, the masters of our destiny. But super confidence in our own infinite potential can only be a positive sentiment, by which to live out our lives, when it is balanced with the question of considering the consequences of our every action.

Sound heavy? It needn't be. Considering the consequences of your actions could be an inbuilt mechanism for you, or perhaps it is something you consider most of the time; whatever the case, taking the time to consider the larger direct and indirect outcomes of your choices is one way to ensure you are being the best person you can be. Achievements in life are not always about being able to tick an item off of your person to-do list for life, some of the greatest achievements can come from developing your emotional self and creating a deep sense of how it is you present to the world.


Images by martapigs and l0ckergn0me.

It is difficult to measure all of the consequence of our actions but one way to attempt this is by consciously asking ourself, "Can my saying/doing this negatively impact anyone else?".

On top of ensuring we do not negatively impact people, we can also consciously look out for opportunities to do good, to any extent, from assisting a colleague, to picking up discarded litter in the street, to offering our time on a charitable project.

Courtesy & Manners;
Start small, keep your manners in check, encourage courtesy and make it common again. Think about this in every part of your day, here are a few places to start:

Consider your actions towards loved ones and strangers alike: in your home, work place, in the street, on the bus, at your coffee shop, on your lunch break, at the grocery store.

Mind your manners: please, thank you, excuse me. Always.

Be aware that we do not all think the same way and as such behaviour that is acceptable to one person, may not be acceptable to you; be sensitive to this. For example, if a tourist is blocking the walking side of the escalators, politely ask them to move over, don't charge at them and knock them aside.

Do not feel that you are more entitled than any other person you encounter. Do not aid stereotypes by strutting by a person in need when you're on your way to your office job in your power suit, for example. Help where & when you can.

Think before you tweet. Tweeting can be impulsive, are you ridiculing someone or being negative? Is this public forum the best and most constructive outlet for your words?


Consume with Social-Consciousness;
Being a good person & making smart behavioural choices need not be limited to your direct actions towards those in what you say or do. Consider the choices you make when you shop. When we do shop, our purchases will have effect, however indirectly you see it to be: on the people involved in the manufacture of the product as well as our environment in your eventual decision of how to discard the product.

In the current climate, one where we are well versed on climate change and ethical injustices occurring in the manufacture of products; we, as consumers, and as intelligent people, should not turn off our social consciousness every time we take a trip to the shops.

We are fortunate that because climate change and social justice is on the agenda, more businesses are helping us out by conducting their businesses ethically. They are giving us options. They are granting us the ability to make better choices. Consumerism no longer needs to be synonymous with waste and unethical behaviour. This is a fabulous thing, because shoes are pretty & designers are continually exciting us with their innovation - living ethically is not about sacrificing this part of our life, it's about making smarter choices: quality, not quantity.

Look at Louise Galvin, her hair care products are reasonably priced, free of the chemicals usually found in similar products and manufactured in a way that is entirely carbon neutral.

The Body Shop prides themselves on supporting community trade, defending human rights, protecting the planet and are against animal testing - all that on top of the fact that they provide high quality beauty products. Read more on The Body Shop's values.

"If business comes with no moral sympathy or honourable code of behaviours, then God help us all." Dame Anita Roddick. Human Rights Activist. Founder of The Body Shop (Source: The Body Shop online)

People Tree fashion offer quality fair trade women's and men's fashion. Click here to check out there stuff online.

How about some seriously fabulous vegan shoes? It's 2009 ladies, and shoes do not need to be made out of leather to offer comfortable, long lasting quality. Two great eco-friendly shoe retailers that are proving ethical fashion need not be pricey & unattractive are Beyond Skin and Bourgeouis Boheme. Check them out, what do you think??


Images by treslola, jovike and venturout.

Some considerations for the next time you hit the shops:

Is it a quality piece that will live in your wardrobe for years and years or will it be tossed aside and see itself in landfill come next season?

Has that lipstick come from a company that tests products on animals?

Have those tights been produced in a factory that subject workers to poor working conditions as a way to achieve cheap manufacture costs?

Is that coffee you're drinking ethically sourced from fair trade farmers?

Is your meat and dairy produce sourced from free range farms?

Take your reusable bag! These little beauties don't just come in handy for doing your weekly grocery shop, save on wasted plastic when buying your jeans & shoes too! Check out AlphabetBags for a stylish & eco-friendly carrier bag option.

Being ethical and conscious about your shopping does not need to be boring or difficult; there is nothing negative about educating yourself and making the choices you know to be right - share your knowledge with your friends - shop local, buy fair trade, use animal-cruelty free, choose ethically manufactured products, buy fresh product with little or no waste packaging, buy vintage, opshop!

It is also difficult to change the way our minds make consumer choices - huge, sudden change can often prove unsustainable. Instead, take it step by step and it, educate yourself, become more aware. Making the ethical choice will soon become second nature, as you quickly consider where the product has come from and how it was manufactured - it's all about small changes, ladies! Check out this article by Green My Style, Can we find eco on Oxford St?

Being Fabulously Successful;
It won't happen if you slay people along the way, it won't happen if you forget to consider that despite your status as leading lady in this show that is your life, you still need the rest of the cast, they're going to see you make this thing happen and they're going to be there at the wrap party.


Image by .laurie., taminator

Awareness is a gift you can grant yourself and it is an infinitely giving gift that will allow you to see ways to greater grow into the type of balanced person you need to be in order to achieve unfathomable personal success. Be it in your career, family life, with friends, travel; you need to achieve balance as success that is gained by negotiating what is best for yourself by sacrificing the needs and desires of others is success that will be shallow and short-lived.

Chase what excites but give your mate a leg up on the way.

Rise to the top, but don't push away the ladder that helped you get there.

Rallying around the concept of super confidence and self love is wondrous, but achieving balance and love of others as well as yourself is even greater.

Measure your good-will and success on your ability to express kindness to those you do not know and without want for anything in return; it is in these virtuous actions, to extend courtesy and kindness without expectation of return of favour, that we can truly assess our strength of character.

Live wondrously, largely, outrageously - but above all, live ethically - acting with love, consideration and balance is something we can all live out, if we choose to.


Big stuff or small stuff - when have you found yourself facing a difficult choice? Perhaps an opportunity that could have been a sure fire get-ahead for you, but at the expense of another? What did you do?

Our world is such that it is as great as it is tragic. For every incredible part of our existence there is another part that causes us to feel deep despair. The difficulty is in challenging ourselves not to turn a blind eye, to stop believing that there is not enough that can be achieved on an individual level and to start formulating ideas that will take us away from feelings of helplessness and towards the gratification and excitement of creating a positive impact.

Whenever you are faced with a situation that tugs on your heart strings and causes you to feel a sense of despair, the best way to channel these sorts of emotions is to consider actionables. In the same way we can plan our dream future by brainstorming and taking actionable points to formulate a plan to get us where we would like to be, we can do so too for stepping up in other areas.

Asking why social justice issues exist is simply the first step in taking action, we need to move beyond asking why and start considering how we can make things better.



Don't ask what your government / corporation / [insert other authority figure, larger group or institution here] can do - ask yourself what you can do:

• Can I donate money?
• Can I volunteer time to a local charity or combine an interest in travelling with that of being charitable, eg. teach ESL abroad or use profession in a third world country?
• Can I organise an event to spread awareness?
• Can I make myself more aware?
• Can I purchase cosmetics that do not test on animals?
• Can I buy ethically manufactured clothing?
• If I need to fly, can I off-set my carbon levels?
• Can I encourage my corporation to recycle / donate unused goods to charities?
• Can I write an article for my school / college / university / work newspaper about events that broaden the knowledge of those around me?
• Can I give my old clothes to charity stores instead of selling them on eBay?
• Can I give the $70 I was to spend on a new pair of heels to the Red Cross/Salvation Army/[insert charity of choice here] instead?

Maybe there is only one or two things on that list that you can practically commit to doing, and that is fine! The key here is to recognise that making change starts with the individual, it starts with us, and all change starts small.

It is also important to realise that we don't need to completely reconcile each part of our life. For a practical example: we may work for a huge corporation but be super passionate about the environment. This does not mean that we should quit our job because the company doesn't recycle as best it should and sends senior management on frequent long and short haul flights. It simply means we should do what we can in our personal life to make as big of an impact as possible and when it comes to work, we should see if there is any practical solutions to the ethical clash you may be experiencing - again, taking action is about creating workable plans. If an opportunity exists for you to bring about some level of change at your corporation, perhaps you have found that your reconciliation is not that you should be shunning this un-eco friendly corporation but rather that you should be gently giving them a nudge in the right direction. You are where you are meant to be.



Another example could be of how to make socially responsible consumer choices. While it would be rather difficult to show our disdain towards an increasingly consumeristic society by halting all purchasing, being aware of the great ecological or social justice issues will allow you to make smarter every day choices: fair trade coffee, non-sweatshop clothing, free range egg and meat products.

The same goes for those of us who love our Starbucks, a corporation that has become the poster child for our consumerist society. We don't need to give up our caffeine fix to believe in greater equality, but how about giving as much as you'd spend on your coffee to a charity box. Making change doesn't have to be about sacrificing all of your mini life luxuries but rather about allowing your gratification to ensure you take action to see that everyone has an opportunity to enjoy the sort of lifestyle you are able to.

We don't need to commit all of our time to every cause, but we can let a charitable awareness be the underlying basis for how we carry out our lives; we don't need to change our entire lifestyle to be eco-friendly, but small adjustments and smarter choices will help; we do not need to quit our job and volunteer all of our time to make a difference, but if we can sacrifice a few hours a week, that's awesome. You have to first learn to crawl before you can walk and even when you can walk, it takes practise to become a runner.

Consider the barriers to your creating actionable change and make your first plan around how to break down these barriers. If, for instance, we allow ourselves the excuse of being 'too busy', we give ourselves permission to feel indifferent. We all have weeks where we are fully booked - however, to be constantly 'too busy' to do something for someone else is all too indicative of the societal norm and we should embrace challenging this fast paced distracted reaction to charity and replace it with passion for a cause, despite our other commitments, in conjunction with our other commitments.

It's all about prioritising - we are not too busy to care. Doing something charitable might just be the perspective we all need.

What do you care about and what do you do to turn despair into action and action into change?

DISCLAIMER: This article is somewhat of a departure from the usual content found on Tres Lola and as such I feel it necessary to write this disclaimer. When I created Tres Lola, the editorial direction had one key focus and that was to deliver articles that were relevant to young women and that had a focus on positivity. I was also determined to steer clear of personalising the articles by way of injecting excessive subjectivity and using personal story telling to support the information being presented.

Since May 2008 I have stuck to this editorial direction. I have preferred to keep a more neutral tone and I write without date stamps in an effort to reach a wider audience with content that will remain relevant. I try to avoid isolating readers by publishing articles that are only relevant to a minority (ie. I try to avoid writing seasonal, regional, political, religious etc based articles).

However, sometimes issues are too important to be concerned with offending a portion of audience and I feel that in the light of the events that I was fortunate enough to experience today, NOT using Tres Lola as a platform to share knowledge on social justice would be a missed opportunity to showcase something that is truly important and offer some truth that is so often missing from traditional media coverage.

I believe whole heartedly that as young people we should be equipped with unbiased recounts of events. I believe that knowledge empowers and that together we can create great change. I believe that if we have the power to share knowledge and truth and we choose not to; we are part of the problem.

What follows is a report on today's G20 demonstrations outside of Bank underground in central London. This article is not written with agenda to indoctrinate or as propaganda to attempt to align you, as readers of Tres Lola, to any particular political or social justice group, this is also not opinion that is tainted by affiliation with any particular demonstration group. This is merely my version of the events of 1 April 2009. I hope that those of you that choose to read on can appreciate that this is a report of events from someone inside the police barricades, without a press pass or a protest flag. I know anything political is always going to be contentious and so I ask that you refrain from waging war in the comments section, let’s share our knowledge and opinions but keep it mature.

---

What Is G20 & The London Summit?
G20 is a meeting of 20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from 19 countries. It exists as a forum for discussion on global economics and was created as a response to the financial crisis of the late 90's as well as to open the lines of communication regarding "...recognition ... [of] key emerging-market countries...". The significance of the 2009 G20 summit lies in the current global economic crisis. The way our elected leaders have responded to issues such as bank bail outs, senior management pensions and bonus allocation is a major driving force behind the demonstrations that have been staged across central London. Learn more about the G20 Summit here.

The London Summit is a gathering of our elected leaders "...to address the global financial crisis.", amongst those leaders present in London ahead of the April 2 talks are Kevin Rudd, Nicolas Sarkozy and Barack Obama - click here for a full list of the leaders participating in the summit. Having this collective, essentially representative of elected world power, sets the perfect stage for those passionate about creating change to step up and make themselves heard - campaigning is about creating awareness and working towards positive change... and all the square mile is a stage.... now that our world leaders are town.


What were the campaigns about?
The "four horsemen of the apocalypse" best represent the key issues that campaigners were focusing campaign efforts on: financial crimes, war, climate change and homelessness.


What Really Went On?
For around 3 hours, from 12:30pm, police officers formed human barricades to block the free movement of demonstrators in and around the Bank of England. Police officers disallowed people the right to leave the campaign area, they decided that the best way to communicate this lock down was to yell at and push back any demonstrator that dared come close to their shoulder-to-shoulder blockade. We were detained without reason and with force.

Essentially, anyone inside this penned off area spent three hours without any provision of water, food, toilet facilities and with limited access to shaded areas. For the most part, those in this area were keen to be there and thus being disallowed free movement around London was not of key concern. I am sure that those in charge of ensuring peace was the order of the day could reason that they were hoping to contain the crowd to prevent violent overspills and rioting in the streets surrounding demonstration spots - but the force used to ensure no one escaped this makeshift lock down was excessive ... thankfully, enough was going on that rather than being angered at this display of undemocratic police sanctioned behaviour we were able to roll up our trousers, listen to some music and lay out in the sunshine while appreciating the peaceful demonstration going on. However, the fact remains that the police decided to hold a group of people against their will and reacted violently to any who dared question this and in a supposed free and democratic country, this sort of behaviour is more than a little disturbing.

After 3 hours of this police imposed lock down, campaigners were allowed to wander freely again. Unsurprisingly, rioting, chaos and anarchy did not break out. This was not enough to assure police however, with media reporting that by 5pm police lock down was back in place outside the Bank of England.


Let's talk about the violence...
Unfortunately, on a day like today, it is far too easy for those in positions of authority to get away with unnecessary force and brutality under the guise of protecting themselves and their city. Defence against risk or personal injury is of course more than understandable, no one should be assaulted during performing their job. However, no one should be abused by the people who we trust to enforce the rules of our 'democratic' society, especially not for being passionate about social justice. It is disappointing and a scary reflection of our society to walk away from a demonstration and be able to say that a large proportion of violence was initiated by those in positions of authority. While for the most part, police officers acted as it seemed they had been instructed and without using force, there were some that abused their role as enforcers of our laws and resorted to displays of exactly the kind of behaviour and exhibited the aggressive attitudes that they were put in place to prevent. Hands and voices were raised unnecessarily far more than once and it is difficult to promote peaceful campaigning amongst an environment of police officers not willing to set an example.

What occurred outside of the Bank of England was a largely peaceful demonstration attended by a multitude of social justice groups. The minority that hurled objects through windows and started small blazes in the street were given extensive media coverage and exceptional focus was placed on these people as if they were indicative of what the greater proportion of campaigners were about. It is true that the way in which this small group of protesters behaved is absolutely not acceptable, but it is so important to understand that these people were such a very small group - a group that will no doubt sell far more newspapers than if coverage were focused on those laying in the sunshine with flowers in their hair while holding out their well crafted signs.

What was really evidenced at this demonstration was that the most powerful messages aren't spread through violence and activist groups do understand this.





...Let's wrap it up.
What I want to understand most is when passion for social justice became so undesirable and unacceptable? The misinformed masses seem so full of fear and so quick to judge those of our community who have the passion to take action against injustice.

A few things to keep in mind:

• 'Demonstration' is not synonymous with 'Violence';
• Demonstrators/Campaigners/Protesters are not all unemployed creative types with nothing better to do with their time;
• Unemployed creative types are not aggressive and uninformed;
• Sensationalism makes a better story than truth.

Passion IS Positive. Passion invokes action. Action brings about CHANGE. We need change.

We need to refocus our energy on educating ourselves on the issues that are truly important to us as a global community. We need to make democracy work. We need to care more and judge less.

And so I walk away from this demonstration with overwhelmingly apprehension. It is truly astounding to feel such monumental hope and intense belief in a better world, as well as witness selfless devotion to brilliant social causes, while at the same time feeling intensely fearful for having seen first hand unprovoked aggression exhibited by those we trust to enforce and uphold our laws. It is concerning that, even for a moment, one could consider the vast and possible truth held in the simple statement adorning one protest sign from this G20 demonstration, 'Democracy is an Illusion'.


Alright, over to you, say your piece and keep it clean....

This article is for anyone who has ever been kinda-sorta-totally dumped - discussing the idea of taking heed of that big 'ol flashing sign hung above the broken relationship that is telling us "Do not Resuscitate".

So, you're having issues with your partner: he wants to cool it off / call it off and you, well you've got better ideas, like a pretty white gown & lots of babies.

Relationships begin out of unexpected circumstances and chance meetings and so too, often equally as unanticipated (for one party at least), they end.

It's always going to be a heart achingly difficult moment - the one that pushes you into coming to terms with the fact that your partner has fallen out of love with you and it's time the two of you simply stopped being the two of you. When it comes to understanding the mechanics of relationships, an important concept to grasp is that things that what once worked can become unstuck over time - and while it is certainly difficult to grasp how something that was once so wonderful can become something so awfully dysfunctional - the key is to understanding that it is impossible for time & circumstance to leave a person unchanged - so too as a couple, we change & sometimes that change leaves us better suited to go our own separate ways. In other words, people grow and sometimes couples grow apart, rather than together. This is not necessarily a bad thing, even if it does seem as though your world is ending when you first realise that things are becoming a little less than marvelous between yourself & your partner.

Perhaps the greatest point to take from all of this is that no matter how broken your relationship has become, this does not devalue what you once had with your partner.

What a broken relationship doesn't mean
That you are worthless and incapable of being loved and so will end up miserable and alone with only cats for company.

That your relationship was worthless. Sometimes relationships have expiration dates, this certainly doesn't mean it should never have happened. Try to accept that the people that every person we encounter has come into our life for a reason. You've learnt from them and they've impacted who you are - turn it into a positive and be grateful for the time you spent sharing your life with your once partner.

What it does mean
That you'll find love greater than you ever imagined possible, you'll meet people you will one day wonder how you ever managed without and you will look back fondly at what you learnt from your heartache, knowing you are a stronger person for it.

So where to next? You have two choices, move on and concentrate on becoming more fabulous than you have ever dreamt you could be or stay where you are, focused on him, trying to control the uncontrollable & creating your own misery. Skip the tissues, chocolates & romantic comedies - go straight to the feel fabulous now bit - even if it does involve a little (or a lot) of false bravado - you'll be better for it.

Give yourself a clean break. Be less scared of those two letters, 'ex'. Don't load them with negativity. He may not be your 'other half' any longer, but you are absolutely okay without him, even if you haven't realized it just yet. Don't be bitter - work towards a friendship - don't believe the ridiculousness in what is said about there being no passion without a fiery end - you once were his closest confidant - give yourself time to heal, but salvage a friendship once you're ready.

Gain perspective. Step away from the broken relationship as soon as you realise in your heart that it is broken - even if you focus hope on it being mended, salvage what could be an awesome friendship and fix things separately. Get some distance from the cycle of negativity that you just know you've got going on. Maybe in the future you'll be crossing paths again, but for now, step back, who knows what you'll discover when you give yourself space & time. Are you still happy to settle? Is he still the person you lust over? Or is it more a case of out of sight, out of mind?

Reclaim Your Life.

Rediscover YOUR friends. Make amends for the friendships you let slide in your days of coupledom or get out there & meet a new crowd. Go out dancing with the girls, see movies, drink coffee, bake, go hiking or horse riding; get together & do nothing - just find YOUR people and be with them.

Start making plans for your future. Travel, learn, move to a new city, grow in your career & do all of it the way you want to do it.

Get rid of 'we' 'ours' 'us' from your vocabulary and start focusing on 'me', 'mine', 'my', 'I'.

Now get excited, because you'll fall in love again. Remember the butterflies when you meet someone fantastic for the first time? The lustful intensity a look can hold? Being asked for dinner & actually discovering things you didn't yet know? Looking so forward to the next time you meet? Hoping it's them when your phone starts to ring? You'll get that again soon - & in the mean time, you've got the best company in the world - yourself.

The title just about says it all, it's concise for sure, but if it were so simple to understand there wouldn't be entire books & movies dedicated to the topic. If love is blind, then lust makes us blind. Lust & love. Not one and the same. Sometimes, in a wave of lustful haze that often accompanies the meeting of a seemingly fabulous potential significant other, we fail to see what is blaringly obvious and need to be told several times over, what we already know deep down - that he's just not that into us, but let's not go feeling too sorry for ourselves girls, let's step out of that cloud of lust & false blissful blur, we weren't that into him either, were we? (which does not at all detract from the awful fun it was while it lasted!)

Let's break it down a little further:

So you're having issues with your kinda-sorta-almost-lover-it’s-a-little-complicated-more-than-a-friend-but-less-than-a-partner: he wants to keep things casual - he see's you as more of a friend with the occasional benefit or maybe he is yanking your chain just a little more than he should do, flirting relentlessly without follow through, and you, you want him to step up and start introducing you as his girlfriend, not just his friend.

What it doesn't mean
That you are worthless and incapable of being loved by anyone and so will end up miserable and alone with only cats for company.

What it does means
That you should totally & utterly, absolutely, well & truly get over the girly subtext accompanying each & every relationship you enter into.

Women, we are fabulous creatures, but we think about everything far too much - to the extent that we sometimes forget we are allowed to have fun without thinking a novel of thoughts on the prospective 'relationship' we are encountering. Over thinking can ruin what would otherwise have become some of the most fabulous encounters of your lifetime.

Perhaps the greatest point of reference is to look to the Sex girls, no better words have spoken on this much argued point of interest.

SAMANTHA: Look, you're a successful saleswoman in this city. You have two choices: you can bang your head against the wall and try and find a relationship or you can say SCREW 'EM, and just go out and have sex like a man.

CARRIE: So you think it's really possible to pull off this whole women having sex like men thing?


Where to next

Stop sweating the small stuff. Stop asking yourself why you weren't good enough or why you weren't girlfriend material. Because neither of these things matter - you are good enough & you are totally girlfriend material - just not HIS. This is not a bad thing. You'll realise this soon enough.

Delete the cutesy texts and emails that kind of almost just about allude to something more coming of your current dalliance. Move on & do it sharp, maintain the mate - cut the benefits.

Remember, the greatest job offers come unexpected, the most exhilarating part of your travels are unforeseen and so too, the greatest relationships are born out of unanticipated circumstances - stop looking for Mr or Ms Right, start living for you, go with the flow & simplify!


Achievable? Abso- fuckin'-lutely.

You play a key role in making a change
Originally uploaded by tranggbangg!

The world: your world, the world of a perfect stranger or that of friends & family closest to you - how do you make the universe smile on you? However you want to think of building on your day to day with positivity - as the concept of karma, the laws of attraction, the plain and simple notion of simply doing what is right - sharing something, anything, of yourself can contribute to the lives of those around you in ways you could little expect or know. To do a good deed without hope or agenda is something that we should be doing each day, not as a resolution or daily goal, but out of habit and because positivity and ethical awareness is what is right.

The way you inject a little bit of awesome into the universe each day need not be a grand gesture that will cost you a days wages or take hours of your time, the greatest acts of making the world a little better are those that are small .... because we all know that many small deeds come together to create big difference. Here are a few ideas to get the ball rolling:

- Smile

- Volunteer, look for something local, even if it's just a once off, commit as much of your time as you know you can do

- Buy the Big Issue

- Donate your old clothes to a charity store

- Shop at Oxfam & local charity stores

- Buy fair trade coffee

- Sponsor a child, partner up with a friend if that is more affordable for you..

- Buy your beauty products at conscientious stores like The Body Shop (learn more about why The Body Shop is so great!)& Lush

- Don't take plastic bags, remember your canvas bags. Every time.

- Be green. Respect the world you live in, the world you probably hope will be in good nick for your children to grow up in. Recycle everything that can be recycled. Buy less prepackage products. Turn lights & electrical goods off when not in use. Don't use 'standby'. Use power saving globes. Get the bus or walk. Don't drive a four wheel drive, particularly in the city. Get your work place into recycling, particularly of paper. Don't throw out old clothes, donate or sell on ebay. The list could go on and on, you know the drill by now - start living green, it's so simple!

- Give your time

- Call your nanna! Better yet, if you're nearby, go visit & take flowers

- Write that novel you have partially written in your mind

- Explore your talent: sing at a bar, busk on a street corner, join a band, volunteer your musical prowess at a care home.

- Using your tech skills to assist an not for profit organisation to get their online presence kick started with a website

- Get to know your neighbour

- Donate muffins & cookies to your local schools fete day

- Buy local from the farmers market on Saturday: fresh produce, craft, jams & chutneys!

- Don't do drugs... did you know that for every gram of cocaine snorted, four square metres of rainforest are destroyed? Still just having a laugh?

- Start training for a charity marathon, even if you've never run before, what better inspiration?

- Be aware. We all read, watch, listen to news each day but how much do you really know about what is going on across the globe? Try reading up on some of the biggest human rights issues we are currently facing and, armed with knowledge, find ways YOU can take action. Amnesty International is a great place to start.


....what do you do to make the world a better place?

ready for action
Originally uploaded by micah.e

Glee, excitement, joy, buzz, positivity, potential, provocation, delight, elation, exhilaration - not feeling it?

2009 - the start of any new year garners a certain level of excitement for the yet to be explored opportunities, the seemingly limitless potential, all of those unknown things to come, the clean slate, the closing of one door and opening of another. But, despite the overwhelming buzz & frenzy that the new year provokes throughout the blogosphere & twitterverse, glee may not be the order of the day for everyone.

If you are one of those amongst us not quite feeling the thrilling enthusiasm about 2009, fear not, you are not alone. Whether it be an awful NYE that didn't come close to living up to the hype or be it that the flipping of the calendar from Dec 31 to Jan 01 felt just like any other day to you - there are ways you can give your positivity a boost & join the club of New Year merriment warriors!

Be reasonable
It's a New Year. Not a ticket to perfection. See the New Year for what it CAN be for YOU. Can you give yourself an emotional clean slate? Can you rearrange your environment to feel refreshed. Can you find the courage to turn the thoughts of the year past into actions for the year present? Don't be disheartened by previous failed attempts to maintain resolutions. Learn from past years, create monthly goals and make the expectations for yourself reasonable ones. You know you better than anyone - be optimistic but don't set yourself up for failure. Take baby steps, you'll be surprised at how quickly they can bring about huge change in your life.

You've Got 12 Months
There is a lot of focus on change during January and December. The start of something, the end of something. So many people make the mistake of cramming their efforts for self improvement into the beginning and ending of a year. Why not create a self improvement calendar and focus your efforts throughout the year? Make the backbone of your self improvement efforts to be the best you can be.

3 Words as Goals for 2009
This post by Chris Brogan provides a fantastic technique to give yourself motivation for the year, by using three words on which to place the focus of your efforts. Your mantra for the year to come, your guidance to see you through. Read the article & comments too, join the 3 words revolution - then scrawl them in your journal, on your wall, on your wrist. Repeat them when you feel like the universe is throwing undue negativity in your direction or when you feel like you might lose your way; use the words to keep your concentration on becoming the best you can be.

Life is Not Perfect
Think positive, live positive, but going back to the concept of being reasonable - a huge part of that concept is to understand that there will always be things happening to you or around you that are less than ideal. While the stuff-that-sucks in life will be of varying degrees of importance sometimes the accumulation of small and seemingly insignificant issues can still make it feel like the universe is having some sort of laugh at your expense.

Losing your job, the bottom falling out of your grocery bag, being cut in front of in a queue, having a sick friend or relative, your mp3 player battery dying in the middle of your favourite song, running for the bus & missing it, getting home & realising your cupboards have nothing you could use to scrape together anything that resembles a meal, the cheese in the back of your fridge being moldy, the rain drenching you on the one day you didn't bring an umbrella, living a life that looks perfect from the outside but that is so emotionally draining you just want to scream.

There are many ways to deal with the crap life throws your way - but if you can accept that only having good days and never experiencing the less than perfect side of life is an inevitability, you are half way there. Focus on losing the 'only me' victim mentality and adopt the mantra that Everything happens for a reason and something positive will eventuate.

Think > Plan > Act
2009 will only be the type of year you want it to be if you go out there and make it happen. Life isn't going to come along & happen to you, you may be surprised at detours along the way but for the most part you need to be active in creating & living your goals.

Look at the people who motivate and inspire you. Why do they? Look at their achievements and set your own goals. You need to be an active participant in your life. Lead the way and create the world you want to be a part of. Do what you want to do - make 2009 a year of action.


What are you doing to make 2009 work for you?

Enjoy summer (and beer)
Originally uploaded by Sator Arepo

res - o - lu - tion ; A formal expression of opinion or intention made ... A course of action determined or decided on.

As the year draws to a close, minds around the world are a flutter with thoughts of the year that has been and the one that is to come. We mercilessly analyse the year past and create a set of rules by which to create improvements in our life come the new year. Physical goals, geographically wanderlusting, emotional commitments. We call them resolutions.

A resolution is a course of action that has been determined; firmly decided upon, and so come years end, if the collective courses of action that we have chosen to create the previous new year have been broken, we feel let down. We feel we have not fulfilled our promises to ourselves. So are our supposed resolutions just another way that we set ourselves up for inevitable failure, year after year? Is achieving our resolutions a case of redetermining what is a viable and achievable set of goals, or do we scrap the resolutions altogether and simply commit to becoming to the best version of ourselves?

Some of the most popular resolutions that are made pertain to body image and money. Fame is also becoming an increasingly lusted after resolution. As women we need to think a little deeper in 2009. Being size 8 won't fix your life. Having more money than you know what to do with might go a way towards making improvements, but it won't comfort you - money can't buy love. And fame, in a year that has seen the media hound celebrities to breaking point (see: Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse, Kerry Katona), is the spotlight really where we want to be in order to achieve optimal contentedness in our lives?

Perhaps instead try aiming for health, security and success. These areas encompass much more and while you may never be a size 8, you could discover your perfect weight FOR YOU and maintain those curves. You may not be a millionaire, but you can put away a few quid each week and build up an emergency/security fund. You may not become an internationally known celebrity, but you could become greater recognised within the field that you specialise. Concentrate on creating goals that will work for you and that will achieve what should be the only REAL resolution you need in 2009 and going forward....

I will be the best I can be.

Scribble it across the front page of your 2009 moleskine and every time you open your notebook for the next year it will be a timely reminder for you to make 2009 your best year yet.

Related Links:

Project 365

43 Things

101 in 1001

Facebook: 2009 is going to be my year

somewhere to elsewhere
Originally uploaded by rod lewis

01. Coffee. The aroma. The taste. The daily kick start.

02. Sun shining through your office window & beating down warmly against your back.

03. People saying please and thank you.

04. Great customer service.

05. Christmas shopping... online with next day delivery (& gift wrapping!).

06. Having the door held open for you.

07. Having the elevator held for you.

08. Sunshine on your weekend.

09. Smooth running public transport.

10. Not having to run for the bus.

11. The phrase "9-5" written in your contract... and adhered to.

12. A clear inbox.

13. The barista at your local remembering your order.

14. Friday afternoon drinks.

15. Walking up to the crossing just as the little red man turns green.

16. Free morning & evening newspapers.

17. A handsome stranger smiling at you as you walk down the street.

18. Helping a lost out-of-towner find their way.

19. The smell of fresh bread, wafting from the bakeries each morning.

20. The sun setting over the city.

If I want to be provocative, well that ain't a sin
Originally uploaded by candinski

There is a particular school of thought that concentrates on the concept of positivity attracting the same. This theory is the backbone of many a self help best seller, because it is only natural for people to like being told how happiness is only a thought a way. It is essentially like giving people the permission to be the master of their emotions (we should do this without being told to, right!?). However, concentrating on this concept is an important one as it is the fundamental instruction to achieve any form of self help. You can not possibly overcome any form of adversity by allowing your mind to endlessly wallow in the depths of depression and misery.

Many experts would, and do, argue that the power of positive thought can make for the utmost turn around in our disposition; that if we want to be happy, to allow it. This could beg the deeper questions of whether people are capable of (emotional) change and the contentious issue surrounding depression and the treatment thereof. (Disclaimer) Depression is not one and the same with the (all of the) emotions people may try to overcome using the techniques of positive thought and in an attempt to avoid massive conflict and consequent negativity, lets leave those points there.

Regardless of whether you believe in the concept - Let's work with the idea of positivity being, well, positive, and put some super charged thoughts out there on the best bits about being a woman! Too often us ladies are being super critical over trivialities to do with our self image, or complaining about that time of the month, there are so many great things about being a lady & I'm betting there aren’t a great deal of you out there that would rather be on the other side of the fence... so let's celebrate the best bits, however big, small, serious or silly they may be. Here are a few to get the ball rolling:

We don't need to save sequins for Mardi Gras, we can wear them any night of the year.

If we have curves, it's because we are meant to.

We can listen to power ballads and boy bands on our ipods and not be laughed at (ok, maybe just a little!)

We don't get man flu.

We can strut down the street in heels whenever we please.

We can own heels, boots, brogues, booties, flats, runners, platform sandals, gladiator heels, peep toes, stilettos... we get to hoard shoes.

We didn't need an excuse to go see the Sex & the City flick.

We were carrying around awesome leather saddle bags before our fella's all decided 'man bags' were cool.

We have far cuter winter coats for us in the high street stores.

We don't have to make excuses when ordering a drink sporting a mini umbrella.

We can dress up as fairy princesses & play at Euro Disney.

We can be fag hags ;)

We can do our hair 5 different ways in a week and people won't think we are having some sort of identity crisis.

We have boobs! Be they big or small, they're not bad as far as accessories go, right?

We can string pearls preciously around our neck.

We can paint our nails black without being accused of being emo ;)

Our knickers are way cuter. WAY cuter.

We can steal borrow clothes from our boyfriend or girlfriend and best riends! This doesn't work so well for our male counterparts.

Here's what TL's realm of the twitterverse had to say on the topic:







Alright, over to you, don't sweat the small stuff - What are your favourite bits about being a girl?

Truck difficulties - Difficultes de camion
Originally uploaded by Vincent Meyer

We all know the feeling - when sometimes it seems that the whole world is out to get you. Be it for a day, a week, or months on end - we all go through periods where the bad outweighs the good and nothing seems to be going quite the way we would've hoped. While the types and extremities of adversity we experience in our lives will vary tremendously from person to person - we all face similar emotional reactions to these adverse situations; it is how we deal with these emotions that varies. Ultimately, we want to deal with our feelings in such a way that we can make it through the difficult times and come out with a more positive outlook, we want to overcome our weaknesses, avoid falling prey to adopting a victim mentality and come out as a stronger & and more supreme version of ourselves. We should take with us the tools we use to gain strength and the lessons we've learnt from making our way from emotional low times to high times.

One of the most important factors in overcoming any type of adversity is recognition. Recognising there is a better way to live, that there are people that have been through what you are going through or worse and finally, that you are a person worthy of experiencing the best possible life. Spend some time in your head going over what you need out of life and what you deserve to have in your life. Remind yourself of all your positive attributes, your skills, why you're unique and decide that you deserve to have all those glowing, gleeful parts of you back - quite moping & moaning and reclaim yourself! Make the decision to shine, despite your hardships and not to suffer because of them. The power of positive thinking is not a new concept, it is a tried and true self help favourite, but it's so classically spot on in it's intent. You will attract what you put out - you put out glum and you'll keep it coming - so start smiling and recognise the difference.

It may sound harsh - but you need to love & respect yourself before you can expect the same from others. People are drawn to those with a strong & positive sense of self - so decide to take the reins in your life and stop relying on other people to boost your ego! Surround yourself with support, if you have the privilege of a close group of friends or family, as it's always nice to have loved ones to catch you when you fall - but if you feel as though, at this time, you don't have anyone close by to support you & see you through, realise that you'll always have yourself, no matter what. Be your own champion, stop relying on others to determine your self worth and enjoy the transition from adversity as a solo endeavour - you will gain emotional strength & character & come out the other side with positively renewed sense of love & respect for yourself.

Another important step in reclaiming positivity in the face of adversity is to not allow yourself to become the victim. When up against emotional or physical hardships it is so simple to allow yourself to become a victim of your circumstances; placing blame on someone or something that is disallowing you to prosper in your day to day. This is the easy road to a miserable rut - so break the mould and decide that you do not need someone elses permission to be happy. Decide that sometimes circumstances can not be helped, but misery and glum will certainly not assist in solving them. One fantastic way to overcome a bout of victim mentality is to throw yourself behind finding a solution. If someone close to you is ill, join in with a charity to fundraise for research into the illness. Be part of the solution. Choose to endure difficult times by focusing on big picture solutions rather than dwelling on your personal difficulties.

Overcoming personal misfortune makes way for happiness, look towards the light at the end of the tunnel and make the most of your experiences. Have you ever experiences unforeseen hardships - how did you deal with these hardships? How has adversity effected you?