My Most Anticipated Album of The Month

HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII GUYYYYYYYS!

I've just arrived back from Soul Survivor yesterday,  and I'm so thrilled to be home. Soul Survivor was a MISSION but today is not the day to talk about it. So stayed tuned to that post in the coming days.

Just before I left Troye Sivan began uploading teasers of his upcoming EP 'Wild' and it looks freaking AMAZING!

So I thought that I'd share with you and hopefully wait out this anticipation with me.

'Wild' teaser

'Blue Neighbourhood' Trilogy Trailer,  by Troye Sivan 

You can pre-order 'Wild' now in the links below:

http://www.troyesivan.com

http://troye.si/vanWILDYo

Moreover, if you haven't listened to some of Troye's older music, here are some of my favourite tracks from him so far. 

The Fault In Our Stars

Happy Little Pill

Fashion Inspiration - Aug '15

Taking A Break

This has become my annual getaway. This will be my third year and it's a great opportunity to take some time off social media or any form of technology. I've been looking forward to it for so long now. It was desperately needed!

Just my friends and I at Beth & West Showground for a week filled with great music, activities and we sleep in tents.

See you in a week, weirdos! 

New Learnings

As evolving beings, we never stop learning. 

Really, it's one of the beauties of life because most times we learn when we don't even know that we are learning. Hence why this post is about 4 things that I've learnt and still are learning this year: 

Meditation - you can get this app on either Play Store or App Store. It truly does wonders! I also wrote a post about it if you wanna read it, click here: http://forgottenmisft.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/challenges-for-2015-meditation-3.html

Photography - 

My VSCO page - http://alicenora.vsco.co/

True Independence - the fact that I have come this far and I'm still blogging truly makes me happy. While many of you, are probably thinking, "that's not independence". For me, it is because there's no way I would have been able to do this five years ago. Starting this blog made me realise that I don't always need someone's approval or permission for me to do what I want. I was too nice when it came to saying "No" but now not so much. I've made it this far because of my beliefs and because of you guys

Even My Sad Days Have 24 Hours - it doesn't matter how long I'm struck in them. I need to learn to look for the bright side in them and if there isn't one...I should create one myself. Some days, pausing the world for a bit helps.

Some Compassionate Advice

At this very moment, I've just crawled back into my bed; as I have a feeling that this is going to be a very unproductive day even though I have tons to get done.

And for this very reason, I have come to accept that I'm in dire need for some kind words and advice hence the title of the post...

 In my honest opinion, the world is merely a mechanized cliche.

I think that there are things always lurking, hiding in our conversations and prying on the sickly just so they can bestow some more luck onto those that need it. 

They truly are one of our greatest convenience.

Being stuck in the "can't do" phases really is detrimental for one's creativeness and well... I've decided to do something about it.
So my goal for the day is to end it with a SMILE

Besides what's the ultimate site to find a few encouragements and some hard hitting words of wisdom...it is of course, TUMBLR

Hope you like them and find some sense on inspiration :)

& last but not least my personal favourite 

Dedicated To The Wanderers

My AS Results

English Literature - D
History - C
Government & Politics - E
BTEC Music - Unknown

So let me start off by clearing some things up: 

1. I know that I didn't work as hard as I should have in AS
2. I didn't expect to get As or Bs, however, I am as hell as know that I don't deserve a stinking 'E' in Politics
3. This is not a rant about people getting better grades than me because I know they worked their asses off 

I've been up since 2am since this morning...I had acknowledged that there might be tears because something always fucks up when it comes to me expecting any kind of results. I didn't expect to see As on my paper but I'm irritated that I got an E in politics! Irritated isn't even the word. 

I put so much work into politics. I did EVER damn past paper and I was doing well in my mocks. So obviously I was more than shocked to find out that I had got an E, not even a D that would've enabled me to carry on the subject. I got a shitty grade that resulted in me bawling for a good 10 minutes! It was the one subject that I put in a shit load of effort because it was new for me. Unfortunately for me, it seriously doesn't help when you've got 3 older siblings who've paved a path for you to follow and a younger sibling that you've gotta set an example for. The minute I got home after spending a reasonable amount of time standing in the rain; I got into a heated argument with my oldest brother about whether or not I wanted to continue on with my education. 

I get that he's looking out for me and truly wants the best for me. I appreciate that. I really do. He's gotta realize that sometimes I don't need his preaching or comparison to other people but rather a brother to talk to. Though for the meantime, I'm just looking forward to getting my papers back and seeing where I went wrong or maybe ask for a remark. The truth is I'm going to university but that's an issue that I've been contemplating for a while now.

Nevertheless, I understand that I wasn't the only one who wasn't pleased with their results. My friend's class didn't do too well in Psychology and I know that for a fact, my friend's class has some of the cleverest people I know. It was uncalled for to push up grade boundaries because the country was doing well. So well done, you shitheads, you've just eradicated tons of futures! 

Furthermore, I was offered an option; retake my year 12 politics and stay another year suggesting that I would be in year 14 finishing my A2 politics. Although I would also have had to pick up 2 more a levels, thus leaving sixth form with 5 A levels. And yes, I would have an advantage there but that's not part of my plans! Believe me when I say, there's nothing wrong with repeating a year; however, I've already figured my school life. It took me 17 years to do so. I don't wanna backtrack.

Moreover what I'm frustrated at is the fact that this bloody government has the decency to measure our intelligence with a test and when we fail; we are considered failures.I have disagreements with my brother all the time but when it comes to my education; the outcome of the disagreement could result in days of not talking. Hence indicating that we aren't talking from today onwards...

There are reasons why some of us excel in schools and some don't. You can't expect everyone to do well after you've restricted their creativeness. Now my friends are transferring to other sixth forms/colleges because they can't reach a compromise with the teachers. It's understandable that when we fail, we aren't the only ones who fail because our teachers feel like they've failed too (sometimes, hopefully). However, such results can do more than break a kid.

I had to stop feeling sorry for myself because I had to comfort my friends. It's undeniable that we worked our asses off and you robbed us of our true effort. Stop thinking about what other countries will think of you; you are still being shunned because you are raising a failing generation. We took Michael Gove down because he was screwing with our system. Now whoever decided to increase the grade boundaries, I hope that you got what you wanted. 

It seems like all my friends are rethinking university. Anyway, who wants to come out with a 55 grand debt!?! 

As for me...I'm unsure what my next step is. I was feeling inspired to start my personal  statement, but then again my results for exactly scream "secure place" or "unconditional offer". What I know for certain...

1. Whether I'm staying at SFH6 or dropping out and for that matter if I do continue if I should go to university
2. If I do end up staying, I am not staying at SFH6 for year 14. I only committed to 2 years of sixth form, nothing more and nothing less.
3. Stopping my 'school' education here doesn't mean that I stop learning.

P.s Congratulations to all of you that did well and those that didn't get the grades that you feel you deserved. At least you tried, therefore no one should criticize you. There's 2016 to make up for it.

There is so much more that one can accomplish without having an education or a further education for that matter. This generation running the country may not be able to comprehend it but I'm sure my generation does. 

I will do my best to finish my education, though.

13.08.15

So my AS results are back today. Well, technically they were back tomorrow seeing as our teachers got them before we did; which I think is unfair.

I went through every phase of feelings, I'd say. 

Two weeks ago, I thought this day would never come. A week ago, I was like "I still have time. Plus I did okay...I think...I hope." Then my friend told me yesterday that she found out the grade boundaries and told me that I was pretty much screwed. So I did the only natural thing which was to freak out!  

Consequently, I have this mindset that school is not important. I mean you might think differently and that's okay. However, my issue with the education system is that they've taken this incredible concept of studying and discovering new things and ruined it. It's now an atmosphere of judgment and suppression of our creativity. We are given strict deadlines and then, they base our intelligence on a piece of sheet. So great job, you screw ups! 

Moreover, I got told that tuition fees were being increased to 11 grand. Like WTAF!?! Do you expect me to attend university for 3/4 years, yes come out with a degree (which is a good thing) however it still doesn't guarantee me a job? More say, do I sound like someone that would take up a nine to five job?

So no thank you, you've made me doubt my university decision. I might just go for the uni experience and come out with 55 grand in debt. Not that you give a fuck, anyway. Politicians are all the same, they are all pricks!

Anyway, if you've received the results you wanted...CONGRATULATIONS! And if you haven't, don't be down on yourself; we still have 2016 to do even better. 

Hey look on the bright side, at least you got to enjoys all the results day memes like these ones: 

But then you gotta look on the other side of things and obtain this mindset: 

I Will Not Let An Exam Result Decide My Fate||Spoken Word - Suli BreaksAnd for me, they don't,they never have and they never will.

My Happy Pills

Is it unusual that I find it normal that I spend more than half of my days in sadness? I don't think it is. Moreover, I don't know if it's sadness or something more, however, I'm looking into it. I've recently realized that I just can't be bothered to get out of bed, I no longer enjoy spending time with a friend or doing my hobbies. 

So I've devised a number of things that I typically do on a day to day basis to help me focus more on being happy.

1. Go for a walk - it will help you clear your mind. Even though it's only for a few minutes, leaving the house and adventuring onto random walks often helps me as it frees my mind up from every negative thought.
2. Clean your room - yes, this is a weird suggestion. However, if you have OCD like moi; you'll find that not only does this help relax you but you get to have a clean room at the end. Thus being a win-win situation!!
3. Eat a tub of ice cream, preferably Ben & Jerry's or Haagen-Dazs - you don't even care about the calories you're stuffing yourself with because of all in all, ice cream is the ULTIMATE cure to sadness!
4. Sleep - I'm assuming that this would be people's first option anyway. But if not, you should try it. In a way, I think of sleep as a form of meditation as you're putting your mind to rest for a few minutes or hours. Not only do you wake up refreshed but also happier.
5. Wrap yourself in a blanket and CRY - I feel as if this is the most important out of all these things because sometimes you just have to cry in order to feel better. And no, it's not a sign of weakness. Cry until you feel like you're all cried out. Cry until you feel better. 
6. Drink tea -  Tea is the liquid to every solution. No lie.
7. Paint or write your sadness - it could become your best piece of work. 
8. Remember that music is always the answer - some tracks include Switchfoot - Free, Motopony - Wait for Me, Brad Paisley - Find Yourself, Cody Simpson - Palm of Your Hand, Norah Jones - Don't Know Why, The Fray - How To Save a Life
9. Wear a big sweater - I find it important to be comfortable in my sadness. That why I can see why I'm feeling the way I am and while, most days I'm unable to find an answer; wearing an oversized sweater helps so much!
10. Last but not least, Acknowledge that there will always be good days - at the end of the day, I think this will always be my biggest lesson. That, I won't feel down forever. There are good days ahead, it just a matter of getting through the bad ones first. 

Who Am I?

I got this idea from Will Darbyshire (such an English name, isn't it?) I love it! 

Anyway, Will took a personality test on this website: http://www.humanmetrics.com/hr/jtypesresult.aspx and the point of this quiz is to tell you your true personality out of the 16 personalities there according to  Carl G. Jung. It's a really interesting quiz, it's not like any other personality. Hereafter you take the quiz and get your results; you realize that you possess these qualities even though you didn't think like that before.

Here is Will's video conversing about his results: 

Apparently, Will and I have the same personalities. I can relate to my given personality highly though I do feel that sometimes; my personality tends to vary.

Here are my results:

INFP

Introvert(53%)  iNtuitive(3%)  Feeling(9%)  Perceiving(16%)

• You have moderate preference of Introversion over Extraversion (53%)
• You have marginal or no preference of Intuition over Sensing (3%)
• You have slight preference of Feeling over Thinking (9%)
• You have slight preference of Perceiving over Judging (16%)

If you are interested to find about your personality, you're more than welcome to pop over and take the quiz. It takes quite a while to get through it as some of the questions require thought at times.

Lessons From Hunter S. Thompson

Wise Advice From A Patient With Terminal Cancer

I came across this story on HighExistence and it's definitely true; "sometimes one finds the most moving and powerful stories on Reddit." 

I've found several though not many of them have quite struck me like this one has. 

This is advice from one who hasn't a lot of time left in the world. He offers advice, he offers powerful advice.

Advice From a Dying Man

I am only 24 years old, yet I have actually already chosen my last tie. It’s the one that I will wear on my funeral a few months from now. It may not match my suit, but I think it’s perfect for the occasion.

The cancer diagnosis came too late to give me at least a tenuous hope for a long life, but I realized that the most important thing about death is to ensure that you leave this world a little better than it was before you existed with your contributions. The way I’ve lived my life so far, my existence or more precisely the loss of it, will not matter because I have lived without doing anything impactful.

Before, there were so many things that occupied my mind. When I learned how much time I had left, however, it became clear which things are really important. So, I am writing to you for a selfish reason. I want to give meaning to my life by sharing with you what I have realized:

• Don’t waste your time on work that you don’t enjoy. It is obvious that you cannot succeed in something that you don’t like. Patience, passion, and dedication come easily only when you love what you do.

• It’s stupid to be afraid of others’ opinions. Fear weakens and paralyzes you. If you let it, it can grow worse and worse every day until there is nothing left of you, but a shell of yourself. Listen to your inner voice and go with it. Some people may call you crazy, but some may even think you’re a legend.

• Take control of your life. Take full responsibility for the things that happen to you. Limit bad habits and try to lead a healthier life. Find a sport that makes you happy. Most of all, don’t procrastinate. Let your life be shaped by decisions you made, not by the ones you didn’t.

• Appreciate the people around you. Your friends and relatives will always be an infinite source of strength and love. That is why you shouldn’t take them for granted.

It is difficult for me to fully express my feelings about the importance of these simple realizations, but I hope that you will listen to someone who has experienced how valuable time is.

I’m not upset because I understand that the last days of my life have become meaningful. I only regret that I will not be able to see a lot of cool stuff that should happen soon like the creation of AI, or Elon Musk’s next awesome project. I also hope that the war in Syria and Ukraine will end soon.

We care so much about the health and integrity of our body that until death, we don’t notice that the body is nothing more than a box – a parcel for delivering our personality, thoughts, beliefs and intentions to this world. If there is nothing in this box that can change the world, then it doesn’t matter if it disappears. I believe that we all have potential, but it also takes a lot of courage to realize it.

You can float through a life created by circumstances, missing day after day, hour after hour. Or, you can fight for what you believe in and write the great story of your life. I hope you will make the right choice.

Leave a mark in this world. Have a meaningful life, whatever definition it has for you. Go towards it. The place we are living is a beautiful playground, where everything is possible. Yet, we are not here forever. Our life is a short spark in this beautiful little planet that flies with incredible speed to the endless darkness of the unknown universe. So, enjoy your time here with passion. Make it interesting. Make it count!

Thank you!

Everything in this post is from HighExistence as I mentioned above. I don't think that you always need to be original; it's alright to steal every now and then, otherwise how are you gonna get inspired. 

Let's Start A Conversation: Being Black

Let us not feel down because we are a neglected race 
Let us not take out our anger on each other because the police seem to be doing a splendid job at that
And no, I'm not just a bitter black girl
I passed that adjective ages ago when you felt bad for Cecil being tormented by a trophy obsessed imbecile, though after you finished catching feelings you resumed to killing us
I'm Outraged. 
Offended is just too polite of a word 
We are a painful history
They say they care by taking down the flag though only after a gruesome event; and yes, that was very noble of you
Nevertheless, how long did it take until South Carolina was filled with protesters shouting 'black power' against those that got turned on by watching us burn
Let us not feel unloved because the state doesn't love us nor cares what becomes of us
We are surrounded by everlasting love and that's more that enough
However, we should feel loved since the most powerful man in the world is BLACK 
But it's hard to do so because whenever you turn on the news, one of your own is the highlights
And they weren't dribbling a ball or tearing down on the mic 
They just weren't given enough time to prove that they weren't a threat
Say Her Name
FRED HAMPTON!
Say Her Name 
MIRIAM CAREY!
Say His Name
JONATHAN SANDERS!
Dear Mississippi cop, 
Did it make you feel like a man when you "got your nigger"?
Why is it that Tumblr teaches me more than school ever has?
That a white man can reach for his gun in front of a cop 
Yet countless black women and black men have been murdered at the very thought of them concealing a weapon
Tamir Rice shot 2 seconds after the police arrived on scene for only having a BB gun
What about the unarmed peaceful protests that have ended in tear gas and riot gear?
How about the two beautiful black souls take endured more than 100 rounds for being nothing more than a threat?
Then there's Fred Hampton and Samuel DuBose...
No, they didn't matter 
They never did because even the most powerful man in the world can't even get his gun control policy passed or considered 
But take a look at the white man that will get to go home to his family
A man that doesn't have to become a # in order to matter
Let us not teach our kids hate
We may not be the best and we know that we are far from perfect but at least we value the importance of everyone's life 
It may not prevent them from going on a hunting spree for us;
But we have come too far to let the lesson that we leave in the world be retaliation 
Think back to the start 
Before we knew the concept of death 
Though we could comprehend that every life has its end 
Now fall back to what we know now...
Where one race is still superior to the other even though they try so hard to teach us otherwise
Now you see the problem with school is that they take something so pure and make it so glum
They have a month dedicated to our history
Sadly, it still makes some feel deserted 
I once overheard a girl say that "it was unfair that black people had a whole month dedicated to them" after our black history month assembly
Hence why my friend would reply "we study about your people's history for the remaining months of the year and you don't see me complaining"
Let us not feel sad because we are a neglected race 
It only seems like some people were made for this world and some weren't
Let us not feel disheartened because they are still killing us because they feel threatened
We should, however, keep our peaceful protests, always remember that just because they only happened a few years or months ago; we should forget about them
More importantly, we should tell our children that their race isn't a death sentence 
We may be the most hated race, but I adore being black

Dedicated to Sandra Bland, Jonathan Sanders and all the black women and men that we have lost at the hands of the police. 

Until we meet again! 

Ultimate Comebacks & Poetry Slams

This post is for two of my favourite spoken words. 

This is the video is possibly the best comeback to those that dare to ask how much teachers make. Whether it's enough or not; it's not your job nor life! So if you want to try and belittle teachers' salaries; then please watch this before you do and think again. 

Talk was given by Taylor Mali

Procrastination in history helps you discover so much. Whilst not all of the information that you uncover is important; I guarantee it that most of it will be like this video above.

My friend, Mia, found this as she's just about the best person in finding provocative videos. I wish the UK did something like this. Giving the youth, a chance to voice their thoughts without being judged. It'd be our own poetry word slam!

And from there on, I present you to the BNV Finals: Philadelphia Round 2. I haven't had the opportunity to watch a lot of videos but this was the first one that I listened to and I really loved it. 

For more on the second clip, check out: http://youthspeaks.org/bravenewvoices/