Not taking things for granted

Do you ever sit back and think about what it would be like to live with half the things you do now? For instance, without your phone, without a handful of good friends or even without a roof over your head. All of the world there are people living in poverty. There is no light at the end of the tunnel for them, or at least they think.

I want to change the world.

– Start with one act of random kindness a day and you will be on your road to achieving a positive change in the world.

Someone once said to me how it’s not about giving to get, and rightly so, but quite often in return for happiness and all round abundance we do need to offer a service – or in other words – give something back. The world seems to materialistically driven now and technology has certainly emphasised this rapid change in the new paradigm. More than likely you have seen people on the trains or walking down the street with a tunnel vision, oblivious of the world around them. They don’t stop for a moment to take everything in, nor half the time do they recognise the company in which they are serving and fail to take full account of it. Is this living? Are we forgetting what it feels like to actually feel and connect with people in the way that humanity should?

Most things seem to come to an end, and although it can be hard to accept it is something that is out of our control most of the time. This is where the point is raised to not take things for granted and appreciate what’s in front if you whilst it’s there. Embrace it, laugh until your stomach hurts, take pictures (after capturing the moment with your eyes) and surround yourself with the things and people you love.

We don’t always see even if we look.

In the news recently there has been so many disasters occurring all over the world, from the turmoil crisis in Ukraine to the sinking ship in Korea to the missing Malaysian plane.

Lives are being lost all over the world, unreasonably, breaking up families, tearing hearts and shattering what could have been abundant, happy futures. There is no justice for that, and so don’t you think we shouldn’t take for granted all the things that enable us to live a safe and comfortable life?

You never know what tomorrow may bring.

You can take your passion anywhere

Do you ever feel like you have something unique that you want to give to the world? I do. All the time. I love giving and sharing, and bringing people together in the virtual world and in reality. It is a beautiful collaboration where you learn so much; about yourself and from other people.

Leaving that spirit of happiness and passion behind you when you walk into and out of a room can radiate a mass amount of joy which is, quite simply, priceless. It is the things that money cannot buy, the things that are blind to us in vision but we feel it in our hearts and soul. What do you want to be remembered for? What legacy do you want to leave behind? I think it’s important to remember where you come from, be grateful for everything you have and have goals set in place that you know you will achieve. That driving force, along with motivation, will ensure you achieve them even if it is bit by bit.

Like I have previously mentioned in a different post: most of us are not afraid of what we cannot achieve, but we are afraid of we can achieve.

Like at the moment in the news, we have all this fear and confusion about the missing plane and it is frightening because we cannot even imagine what might be happening; there is nothing scarier than the unknown. It takes us back and question this world, and how important it is just to appreciate every given moment, because our time and moments we share with others is the most precious thing. All we can do is hope that the people on the flight are okay, and the families and friends of those people are coping okay with all of this trauma. Me personally, I cannot even bear to think about the pain and hardships they must all be going through, we can prey to God and hope everything will be okay.

So don’t sit back and accept if you’re not happy, it’s never too late to change! NOW is what matters, thrive and go at any one thing you want with full throttle and ammunition because it is true to say we can have what ever we want; just that most of us get too impatient and give up when it’s just a few more metres away.

Keep smiling and take your passion everywhere… and share it with as many people as you can.

My inspirational voice

It’s about how you got there, not where you end up…

My feature written for QH University of Westminster Newspaper

Do you think outside the box? Do you wonder what is on the other side? I do. All the time…

It’s crazy when you think about society and how we are expected to conform to the norms and regulations of what is seen as ‘right’. Going to school, then to college, then to University. Education is priceless and is definitely worth every penny. You carry it with you for life. But what is on the other side? What is it that you want to do? What are your dreams and aspirations?

Sometimes we get so caught up in day to day activities we can forget about what actually matters. We need to sit back and realise what is around us, because quite often we don’t appreciate the things that are in front of us. People say that our school days are the best days of our lives. It’s a process we all need to go through, then many of us decide to further our education at University – as we have a particular interest in a specific subject. This is great. There is no better feeling than when you know what you want to do… The next step is to figure out how to get there.

There is no right way to get to anywhere. I think it’s like anything in life, if you believe in yourself and your capabilities, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. If you have a passion; let your passion drive you. Lead you onto bigger and better things.

A lot of the time we need to turn a bad thing into a good thing. I remember so many times when I have hit rock bottom in the past, and all I want to do is cry: like the whole world is against me.

We have to be grateful for all the little things in our lives; that is what truly matters. Family, friends, loved ones…the people that care about you. That, alone, is enough to put a smile on my face every morning when I wake up.

The point of the matter is, we can quite often think that the thing that makes us happiest, our hobby, our dream job is stupid, or will not be accepted by others. A lot of us are afraid to excel on it because it seems so out of reach and so far away. There can be people surrounding you telling you can’t, and what you need to reply is, “watch me.”

Turning negativity into positivity is crucial. For instance, since a child I always wanted to go to University. None of my family ever went, so as much as they were proud that I wanted to go and that I had so much enthusiasm for it, they didn’t encourage the situation. How can you understand something you have never experienced? You can’t. But what you have to keep doing is what you want to do – something so simple yet so many of us quit at breaking point because of the influences and pressures that surround us.

When I went travelling last year it changed my life. I had always wanted to travel since my early teens but with somebody. I wanted to experience what was on the “other side”, what else was out there? I was so curious. Things didn’t go to plan, however, but I dug up the courage and went on my own. Through organised tours and pre-planning all of my accommodation and flights on my own I felt at ease. On the other hand, my parents were petrified. It wasn’t the Gemma Leigh Smith they knew. I was such a timid girl; afraid of so many things, yet my determination always pushed me further than my fears.

Like I previously said – you cannot explain something until you have experienced it yourself, so it would be wrong of me to even begin to try. All I can say though is you get a sense of freedom – something you would have never previously felt. Waking up every day wondering who and what you will meet is such an incredible feeling. You learn so much as part of your life skills. Social skills and verbally communicating with strangers – all of which are vital in this world of living.

I pushed myself to the limit when I travelled. I ventured to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and then New Zealand. It was the most rewarding thing I have ever encountered. Literally, it changed my life. It makes you such a rounder person with an enriched perspective on life and the opportunities that are out there. You see things in a different light; it is certainly ‘right’ that it broadens your horizon.

Not only that but you make friends all over the world, and just when you think you’re on your own, if you look around you notice how many other people are like-minded. If there’s anything you want to put to the test, travel. It is worth every penny; and coincides perfectly with education and the whole process of ‘growing up’ and conforming to society – except you can break the boundaries a little whilst you’re there!

Let loose, enjoy yourself and follow your dreams. Seeing is believing so please believe in YOU because anything IS possible.

Like I said… it isn’t about the ending of where you get and what you have achieved; it’s how you got there…

Written by Gemma Smith, Journalism Student in Year 1 at the University of Westminster

My favourite please in the entire world.

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Thanks, Gem x