10 Ways To Not Give A Fuck

Happy 2019 to you all!

I recently read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck and decided to share some gems of wisdom that might benefit us all going into the New Year. Enjoy!

1. A positive experience is a negative experience but accepting a negative experience is a positive experience: what this is trying to say is that we need to view unpleasant circumstances as a time of growth and to welcome them with open arms
2. Pain serves a purpose and is part of the process
3. Happiness requires struggle
4. Good values are:
   1. reality based
   2. socially constructive
   3. immediate
   4. controllable
5. Bad values are:
   1. superstitious
   2. socially destructive
   3. not immediate
   4. not controllable
6. The human mind is a jumble of inaccuracy
7. The more something threatens your identity, the more you will avoid it
8. Define yourself in the most simple and ordinary way possible
9. Improvement is based on tiny failures
10. growth generates happiness

While these are not my own words, I have found them very valuable in realigning my priorities in life and learning to accept things rather than fight them.

I hope these help you as well and I would strongly encourage everyone to go read the book

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LAW SCHOOL; HOW I STUDY

It has been a hot minute since I posted anything

Life keeps getting in the way and the next thing you know, blogging is not even a priority anymore

But no worries, I have found my zeal again and hope to come out with content that focuses on wellbeing.

Since the only things I read these days are textbooks, I thought it might be valuable to share some study techniques and who knows it might help you get your life in order

Break it down 

A one thousand word essay always seems intimidating until you break it down. It’s actually proven that your brain is more productive when it can focus on one tiny little task rather than a mountain of work.

So, when it comes to studying I have a three-step method that I repeat every single week for all my units to maximise my learning.

Readings

I’ve realised I am very much a person who learns by reading rather than listening. So I make it a point to at least skim over the textbook every single week.

A more in depth reading involves summarising important information

How I further break down my readings is by doing say twenty pages every day rather than burdening myself with the task of reading a hundred pages. See once you break it down, it’s all G

Lectures 

To be perfectly honest, I am not an audio learner at all. About ten minutes in and I’m day dreaming or staring at some cute boy.

One of the things I’ve found helps me with retaining focus in lectures is by putting my phone in my bag so that distraction is out the way and by handwriting. Now I wanna do a whole post on handwriting but just know that by forcing myself to learn, I actually learn.

Write up 

At the end of each week, once I’ve done my readings and attended my lectures I take the time to go over what I’ve learnt. Studies show that by periodically revisiting what you’ve already learnt, your brain tends to remember that information better.

I like to create summary notes on Word or OneNote

In summary, my study technique basically involves exposing myself to the same information over and over again so it sticks in my brain

The point I’m trying to get across is that by breaking things down life is that much simpler

20 Things I Want To Do In My 20s

Turning 20 was one of the most liberating experiences. I feel like my life has just started and this era will give me more freedom to explore my identity and my passions more so than my teenage years did. So here is my bucket list for things I wish to accomplish in my 20s

1. Travel to at least 50 countries
2. Get my law degree and become a barrister
3. continue to grow spiritually
4. Find time for charity work no matter how busy life gets
5. Have my voice heard on a mater I care about (gender equality, racism etc)
6. Find love
7. Make every person I come across feel valued
8. Not abandon this blog
9. Find a “real” job
10. Finish reading the top 100 books of all time
11. Own a house or a car
12. Do something erratic that I would never do like skydive
13. Visit the seven wonders of the world
14. Learn more about Indian history and culture to grow my identity
15. Help build a school or an orphanage
16. Get a Masters or a PhD in something
17. Stop buying so many clothes
18. Have my own personal collection of recipes that I can pass down to my children
19. Learn to be more patient and less judgmental
20. Do a cross country road trip

Okay this list was harder than I thought but what are some of your bucket list items?

A Very Aussie Skincare Haul

I just wanted an excuse to show you what I got from Kangaroo Island. You can read all abut my trip here but other than that here are some purchase ideas

Lavender Shower Gel

I visited a lavender farm and learnt about all the amazing things lavender can do for your skin so of course I wanna come out of the shower smelling good. The product is handmade from locally sourced lavender

Honey Lip Balm

So I visited a honey farm and honey is one of those things that is good for every part of your body like as a food, as soaps, as a foot scrub. But I just wanted a nice lip balm for these cold winter months

Earthy Body Lotion

Not gonna lie I stole this from the hotel’s skincare line. It smells like crushed leaves and I just could not resist

Miraculous Emu Oil

So we visited a eucalyptus distillery and the lady was saying how this oil can be used a natural parabin free mosituriser in the morning. I tried a bit in the store and it smells like nothing but it leaves your skin feeling so nourished

Stolen Facial Bar

Again this was in the hotel product range and the idea of a hydrating facial bar which smells like crushed leaves just gets me okay

Those are all the things I spent my money on. I haven’t tried any but they all look so promising

The Need to Feel Connected

 

Since time immemorial humans have relied on connections to ensure survival and the progression of our species

But with social media in the mix ‘being connected’ has taken quite the new meaning

I took a little hiatus where I just went off and vacayed on an island for about four days. The cell service was super bad so I was only allowed emergency calls and of course no internet. What I found out was life changing

I realised that this need to be in the know with Facebook and Instagram and all that is generated by how readily available everything is in this day and age. The internet is a privilege and we’ve mistaken it to being a necessity

Humans were designed to adapt to their real environment and take in their surroundings but with our heads in our phones all the time we’re doing ourselves a disservice

I read this article a while ago about how our vertebrae is going to evolve because of how long we spend looking down at our phone rather than straight ahead. Doesn’t that freak you out?

On this trip it also happened to be my birthday but it felt like any other day because I wasn’t being bombarded with facebook messages and people trying to get my attention. It turned out to be the most mundane yet the best day ever

That’s just some food for thought about technology. I guess the moral of the story is to look up from our phones more often

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2 Trailer Reaction

In anticipation for April 25 when the second season returns I thought it might be high time I make some predictions

The trailer starts off with everyone looking quite distraught and slowly transitions into scenes of rebellion.

It looks like we’re at the brink of a war. Unlike the last season which was all about the handmaid’s this time we’re seeing the ripple effect, the families that were torn apart, people who just want their home back.

We see people travelling on horseback, people being held at gun point and show cases of love. All pointing to a season filled with emotion and shock

The soundtrack is absolutely divine too! it sends goosebumps down your spine and the lyrics can be broken down to mean a million things

The Handmaid’s Tale returns April 25 which is only 22 days away woo!

Why I Went MIA

So I moved for college in February and it was the most stressful month of my entire life

Even though this was my second time moving, I was still as lost as ever

The first few weeks flew by in unpacking in getting used to the fact that yet again I would have to start cooking my own food, doing my own washing and what not

The next thing you know, Uni hits.

It came with a wave of reading and getting used to sitting in an overstuffed hall full of 500 other bodies. Unbearable

It also came with a greater focus on independent learning and realising that I would have to put in twice as much effort as last year because this time no was holding my hand.

So I spent a few weeks drowning and now I’m back. Life is slowly settling into a routine however, there is always something unexpected happening

I hope I can blog more often but with all the crazy happenings I can’t make any promises

7 Study Hacks Every College Student Should Know

So after a year at college I have discovered some apps and resources that have been literal life savers throughout my time. These can also help someone in day to day life or even people in high school

Google Drive

From storing personal files to backing up my academic work, I highly recommend exploring some kind of cloud storage. Google Drive has always been my go to because it’s linked to my Gmail account and it’s easy and it also means my work is secure in the cloud up there

Pro tip for college: ALWAYS back up your work

Google Docx

Following on from that is google docx. These come most handy when you’re doing group or partner work as multiple people can edit the same document at the same time while being miles apart! Not only that but my friend and I would take lecture notes on the same doc so we were getting double the knowledge and double the insight

OneNote

Once you get to college handwritten notes become a scarcity which is why OneNote is the best platform I believe. Instead of having five hundred different word documents you have one space for all your subjects and all your week’s worth. It’s literally your one stop shop for note taking

StickyNotes

On my Windows 10 the sticky notes application comes installed but nonetheless, just having something up on your screen to jot down important times and dates is always handy. It’s also great for list making

Cite for me

I don’t know how I went almost 20 years without this in my life. It creates your bibliography for you! you just select whether you want Harvard or MLA etc and fill in all the fields and voila!

Lost on campus

This app is a lifesaver in terms of finding rooms and lecture theatres and even coffee shops on campus. What I love about this app is that it shows pictures of the place you’re trying to find which just makes it so much easier

Those are all the hacks I have for now, let me know what works for you!

Your Bookshelf Is Your Identity

Have you ever thought about how the books you read help shape your identity?

In the process of moving house most of my books were lying in my garage in boxes so I thought it was about time they went on a bookshelf

A queer thing happened as I started putting together my bookshelf

I realised I simply did not want to display or keep certain books.

While these books had bought me great joy at a point in time, they did not represent the person I am at this moment and part of it is because I have grown out of those genres.

16 year old me would never even think of touching a non fiction book let alone a self help book but 19 year old me proudly displays her collection of historic, political and spiritual books.

This got me thinking, the books we read end up forming such a big part of our identity. I know it seems like every book doesn’t leave its mark but if you’re an avid reader, over time, the myriad of books you’ve read becomes a physical representation of the person you were at certain points in time.

In my early teens, I was a sucker for fantasy, contemporary and romance novels but as I’ve grown my taste has changed into classics, psychological and spiritual readings.

How much of your identity comes from the books you read?

Confessions Of A First Year Law Student

You know that phase in life where you think you’ve got it all sorted out and you know what you’re doing in? After finishing high school I was one of those people and then BAM law school happened.

Here are my musings of what I learnt after doing law for one year. Just remember it’s all fun and games!

Being stressed becomes a new way of life 

With all the readings, the principles, the high expectations and competition from your peers, being stressed becomes a core attribute for your personality. I can’t remember a time I wasn’t stressin’ and I have to admit I’m kinda missing it over the holidays

Be prepared to meet some of the biggest personalities out there

Evidently, if you’re in law school, you’re opinionated (at least to some degree). This means that no conversation you have with your fellow elites will be devoid of contradictions. I have met some of the most quirky, outspoken and driven people in this cohort

Drama follows you everywhere

This isn’t just true of law school but given that we’re all very heavy headed and intelligent we don’t skip a beat when it comes to jumping on the juciest gossip and enjoying every last bit of it.

Egos are at an all time high 

Okay law school is hard. While the academics themselves manage to crush the life out of you, add to that extra curriculars and ongoing politics. Which is why it is no surprise that law students are some of the proudest and arrogant folks out there. I mean we worked so hard to get here, hell yea we’re gonna announce to the whole wide world that we study LAW

Aside from these very important observations I also learnt that caffeine becomes your new best friend and notes and Google Docx have never seemed more dearer