"Lying" by G.

Ah that dreaded word; Lying. You were told time and time again to always be honest. And you should be. Lying can taint relationships, wilt the trust a person has in you, and has effects that are extremely hard to counteract. But... small bits of lying are actually healthy, believe it or not. If a friend who was horrible at dancing asked your opinion about it, would you downright tell them how bad they were? You would probably stretch the truth a bit. This is one common function of lying; to prevent people's feelings from being hurt. While it might be better to tell the whole truth, there are very sensitive people who would probably be very hurt. The other common function of lying is to avoid starting conflicts. Lets say there was a person who was very passionate and argumentative about a certain thing. While you might not like that thing as much as this person, you may once again "stretch" things to avoid a argument about it. So you see, these are healthy lies. White lies that do help to preserve some kind of social harmony and, well, keep the peace. Lying becomes a problem when it goes beyond this. When random things just come out of your mouth when people ask you questions. Remember, lies have the unfortunate potential to hurt people very deeply if the lie is uncovered. Don't dig yourself into that kind of hole. Your policy should always be to stay honest, but if a little fib now and then preserves the calm, then you are perfectly ok. Your thoughts on this are most welcome!

Relax! by G.

I think you deserve a dance break, courtesy of Jamiroquai
Feel the burn people.



But seriously, I think the world moves way too fast these days, and this yields unhealthy results. Remember to take a few moments out of your day to just let loose. Trust me, your body and your mind will thank you. And besides, if we are serious all time, we would go nuts.

"Adam and/or Eve?" by Shinji

These days I have noticed an ever-increasing trend in teenage women. It's become bigger than anorexia. Bisexuality has been showing more and more in women these days than it ever has been. Is it a problem? Should something be done about it? Well, it's the girls' choices in their lives, and nothing can be done about it. It's not necessarily a bad thing or a good thing. All I know is that girls are showing it and they're being proud of it lately. If you don't believe me, let's take into consideration the song I Kissed A Girl by Katy Perry. The first sentence of the chorus is "I kissed a girl and I liked it." I'm not bashing her song or anything, it's not my favorite but it's not bad, but all I'm saying is that it's an example that more and more girls are becoming bisexual these days. Is it because they think guys will like them more if they go both ways? Maybe they are growing tired of guys and are looking for something more within their own gender? Nobody knows. Is it a problem? Not really, as long as the reproductive cycle of the human species can keep going. Yes, it would become a problem if more and more girls started becoming lesbian, because then it would be 100% against the biblical tradition of Adam and Eve, and it would also go against the laws of nature - a male and a female must mate and reproduce to keep the population of that species going. Right now, let those girls have their fun. It could possibly just be a phase that they will grow out of.

"One Life" by G.

Your living it; right now. I don't know what your beliefs and ideals are, but we can probably agree that you don't really know what has happened before you were born and what will happen after wards. So we come back to the main point. You really only know that you are living this one life right now. You have probably gone through many things, had dreams, did a few things you weren't proud of ;D So tell me, do you have any ambitions? Goals? Something you wanted so bad you would do anything to get it? You probably do. As do I. As does everyone else. But now, here's the thing. How many of these ambitions or goals have you accomplished? If you have done everything you wanted to do, then you are a damn amazing person :P . But for the rest of us, there are probably some dreams or ambitions we haven't fulfilled. Many things could have prevented this. Hardships, fears, financial matters, these might have stopped the pursuit of your dreams. But you know what? This is all I have to say about this. Do not give up! And while I'm sure you've heard that a million times, let me give you some better reasoning. You are living one life, right now. Are you really going to waste it with settling for less than your ambitions and dreams? For the people who have their wide arsenal of excuses and fears, they seem to have forgotten something. You are a human being, and you have the ultimate powers. Creativity. Intelligence. Imagination. We are capable of doing so many things, but we are hindered by so many things too. Well, it's up to you to take that weight off your chest. Life is way too short to give up on the pursuit of your happiness. You may think you have something to lose. But in the end, you have everything to gain.

"Education" by G.

And for a human being, nothing could be more important. Now technically, I could say that the only reason kids go to school is to learn enough to go to college and get a degree, where they somehow get a decent job...and voila. Sure, that's a valid reason. But really, education is something that is incredibly human. We are, after all, the only animals capable of learning complex concepts. But these days, the real importance of education is lost to the very students being taught. Learning is a core part of who we are. If we don't continue to learn and evolve, what is the point of being human? Go be a chimpanzee in your next life. But seriously, if the human race is to continue to survive the next few decades, we certainly cannot afford to be less intelligent in any kind of way. There is one thing that I would like to clarify though. Education is not limited to what you can learn at institutions. You are educated practically by your life experiences, and the obstacles you have overcome. So really, there are two main things that people will learn in their lives. The practical knowledge of subjects that they gain from schools and universities. And the important social and mental aspects that they learn, sometimes the hard way, that will help improve their character and maturity. It cannot be denied that the human race has been getting "smarter" over the years. When it comes to knowledge anyway. If only the numerous times humanity have been educated on relations with each other actually stuck. My main point? Education as a whole is extremely important. It is a core part of who you are, and it should not be blown off. But remember, learning from life experiences is just as important as what you learn in school. You can be the smartest person in the world, but if you are a unfriendly elitist no-one will really want to associate with you. Education is a funny thing...because it can be found in the least likely places.

"Like a Rock?" by G.

Damn, that guy Bob is like a rock! Huh? What in the world does that mean? Maybe Bob has tough skin. Maybe insults slide across him like kids on a Slip n Slide. Maybe Bob is someone's pet rock. Hey, these are all possible things. But seriously now, it is important to be like a "rock" from time to time. How you ask? A rock is something tough, mostly impenetrable. It does not bend or break easily. You should apply the characteristics of a rock to your motivation and determination. As we all know, these things can be broken pretty quick. It's important to be rock solid when you are trying to accomplish something. Being like a rock for the wrong things is very tempting however. Laziness is one thing that many people are rock solid about from time to time. Well guess what? It's time for a little water erosion. Weaken your resolve to be lazy or to drag things longer than necessary. Dumping a bucket of water on yourself is not mandatory. But when it comes to getting stuff done, let your resolve be like a giant boulder. No distractions or problems can put a dent in it. So try it. Be a little more like our friend Bob. Unless Bob is on steroids. That's not the kind of rock you want to be. Cheers!

"Imagination" by G.

Hey I got this random inspiration so I'm logging on here from my "vacation spot" to write a post. Cheers :)

Imagination. What an amazing power. People can come up with spectacular ideas about the world in which they live. Yet... Imagination is extremely fragile. Distractions can break it rather easily. We can only think so much before we get burned out. But you know what? It never truly leaves you. The spark. A spark that all humans share. That defines who we are. It truly is a pity that many of us don't embrace the spark of our Imaginations and use it to it's full potential . Its also a pity that many of us won't get the chance to use the spark, in a world torn by wars and famine, and a struggle for survival. I realize how incredibly lucky I am to be able to speak my mind here in relative peace. Imagination fuels the minds of people everywhere. It fuels the many great blogs that dare to dig a little deeper. And most of all, it is the mark of children, who dream about many things. Never lose your Imagination. It is one of the very few things in this world that is yours and yours alone. It is what sets you apart from the people around you. Dream, and then dare to bring those dreams to life. Speak your opinion. Think. And be happy. The only thing you know for sure is that you are living this one life, right now. Don't waste it. And don't let your spark fade away.

"Limits" by Shinji

Have you ever heard someone say they're about to be pushed over the edge? It means they're about to reach their limit of what they can take, be it physical, emotional, or otherwise. We all have limits; some people have bigger limits than others. But still, all of us have some point that, if we're pushed past it, something bad is bound to happen. If you eat too much you'll have a major stomachache. If you have too much emotional stress, you'll have a nervous breakdown. So how do we know when we're close to reaching our limits? It'll sound weird, but our minds automatically tell us, be it through pain or just a subconscious feeling. When you've had a stressful day and you're about to snap from the stress, that's your mind telling you you're near your limit. When you play sports and you start to feel weak, that's your body telling you you're at your physical limit. People's limits can fluctuate daily. If you've had a good night's sleep, for example, your limits are bound to be higher than if you had maybe 2 hours of sleep at night. When you are pushed past your limit things can be devastating. The cause of school shootings, suicides, and other destructive actions? People are pushed past their limit. Some people don't let on they're close to being pushed past their limit. Others let the world know the second they're pushed the slightest bit close to it. Usually it's the silent people you have to worry about. So the next time you do something strenuous, be it mental or physical, consider your limits and plan ahead so you don't push yourself past them.

A note from G.

Hey everyone. I'm sorry I haven't been posting more lately; I've been busy >< I just wanted to say that I'm going to be gone for a week on a little trip. Maybe I'll get some inspiration who knows. I'm sure the other writers will have some good posts, so look out for that. Anyways, I hope everyone has a good one.

"Laziness" by Shinji

No new article in 6 days? Shinji to the rescue!

As we all know, everyone is lazy at some point; some more than others. I'm not going to lie - I had to overcome laziness to even write this article. Still, though, why are we lazy? I think it's because we like to live for the moment instead of planning ahead. There's a million-and-one things I could do, but laziness prevails and I don't do them. All I do is chill out. Yes, you can get a lot done if you put your mind to it, but sometimes it just feels good to sit around and do absolutely nothing, like you don't have a care in the world. A quote I heard a while back still sticks in my head and I doubt I'll ever forget it: "Hard work pays off tomorrow, laziness pays off now." Is there such thing as too much of a good thing? Yes. If you're too lazy, you end up being a big ball of fat sitting on a couch collecting welfare cheques. I suppose there's an age where you need to stop being lazy, or at least don't be as lazy. When you're a kid or a teen, laziness isn't very harmful. The reason is because you don't have a lot to deal with at that age. All you really have to worry about is school. When you're an adult it's time to grow up and get a job. In conclusion, when you're younger you can get away with being lazy a lot, but when you grow up you have to step up. Yes, everyone's lazy, but you need to fight it eventually. Things have to get done some time, right?

"Improvise" by G.

Yep I'm back after my little break wooo. Lets see what my mind came up with today eh?

Has any one ever watched Man vs. Wild? Bear Grylls gets dropped off in some fashion into desolate environments, where he has to survive with little equipment and unconventional methods. Now, its the idea that is important here, not how valid the show is. Since he doesn't have much of anything, he has to use his head to try and survive. He puts into play a vital skill; the power to improvise. Improvisation is a valauble skill that can make many situtations easier. To really use the power of improvising to its full potiential, there are a few things we have to check first. One is functional fixedness. Its a psychological term that represents a person's tendency to only use objects for the purpose that they have been given. To be good at Improvisation you should do your best to elimante this. You have to be able to see things fluidly. So lets say a butterknife drops out of the sky. What could you do with it? The chunky hippo says, "I can use it to slice my stick of butter into perfectly sized portions!!!". But if you were smart, you would look beyond that. It could be used as a lever to pry things open. It could possibly be a makeshift hammer. To Improvise, you look at everything you see as changeable; never solid. Also, you have to be decently calm under pressure. People Improvise most of the time when they are forced somehow. Whather you have to quickly come up with a explination, or you have to survive in a treachrous jungle, having a calm head is key. Leaders in particular would find Improvization highly useful. Leaders have to make many hard decisions, with many pros and cons latched to them. They can think of creative methods to solve their problems; they aren't restricted with the chains of being conventional. To be able to Improvise is to be a useful person indeed. You may not be dropped off a plane into a desert anytime soon, but in real life it could possibly save your butt in more ways than one.