Miranda meanders

Hello everyone, I thought I would let you all know that I am going to Japan for the whole of July. I am ever so excited because I have been wanting to go to this country for so long. Japan fascinates me. There is so much to their culture, their attitudes toward day to day living. From the Japanese people I have been fortunate to know, they present themselves in a serving, gentle manner. I feel they are strong willed and anchor their beliefs and values to the heart of where they are from. Their home, Japan. I have deep respect for Japanese people because not only can many of them be so sweet, they are hard working and radiate a warmth, in their smiles. I’ve been blessed to know such amazing Japanese people in my life to this day forward.

In the month of July, I am going to be participating in a project with a group of individuals from Europe with Japanese students. Through interactions on self development and spiritual growth, I hope to understand this culture better. We will also being doing other activities together like service projects and sightseeing. I am not the organiser, so I don’t know the details. But I look forward to sharing with you, when I have the chance, to share with you what we have been up to.

I am super excited.

I really am.

Thought it would make sense to kick off this journey Japanese style with

Matcha choc chip Frappuccino ..COZ I LOVE MATCHA ANYTHING! ^^

(I actually got this for free from Hong Kong airport because my connecting flight to Japan is delayed~woop! So damn.good.)

Ciao for now everyone. Peace out.

Hello everyone, it has been a while since I have posted. I hope you are all well. I have decided to raise the topic of ‘self-awareness’ because it has been key to overcoming obstacles that come my way.

In identifying the root of a problem, acknowledging the emotions and doing something about it, comes with mindfulness, in turn becoming self aware.

I am speaking from my own personal experience, so this may not apply to everyone. But I hope, this can raise some eyebrows and perhaps awareness toward an essential part of living which can help the best of us in the long run.

On Google ‘awareness’ means knowledge or perception of a situation or a fact.

It makes me wonder how the world would be like if we were not aware of the terror or pain around us. The human consciousness is indeed so real. Raising ‘awareness’ through charities, for example, ultimately strips down the toxic layers of misery, and alleviates the needs of those who seek hope, love and trust. It is the collective spirit that strengthens awareness, in effectively spreading good influence among society.

‘Self-awareness’ means conscious knowledge of one’s own character and feelings.

Self- awareness is vital for our emotional well being. I am not declaring I am the most self aware person, and it isn’t something you can measure.For there are so many distractions to ‘numb’ the pain, whereby I find myself ignoring my pain via surfing on social media, watching cat videos, or binging on Netflix, or a cheeky splash on a new dress. However crusty I feel, I will find something to substitute this feeling somewhat inevitably.

I realise, one cannot be relieved from negative feelings unless one confronts them. And talks about it or seeks help. I encourage you to do so. Because every time I talk with a friend or family member, its almost as though my thought process becomes clearer. The acknowledgement of my emotions is registered in the space between us whether it be face to face or over the phone . Through talking, I become self-aware of how I am feeling. Another way, is writing a diary. At the end of the day, I write a diary because it helps me to register what I have done today, and how it has made me feel. If you feel angry or frustrated , write it down. Or share it with someone you know. For I believe something will bounce back, as though you are playing ping pong.

Everyone goes through their own struggles. I go through mine. Overtime, it’s an interesting phenomena in a weird funny way, but the more you articulate your feelings the more in tune you can be with your mood. If I am angry and I want to change this..I am self-aware of this. If I am happy…and I want to sustain this, then I can be consistent in being aware of this..and do my best to be proactive in my thoughts. Being self-aware, can be good for the present and beneficial for the future. For we expect the unexpected, and life can be tough. Being self-aware of ourselves can help us to be resilient.

Photos taken by my younger brother around my home town. I’ve been here for nearly 20 years. And what a string of memories have been made here….with more ahead to come….

The irony of writing about anxiety is..I feel anxious writing about it. I think it is one of the most complex mental health issues surrounding society today. Anxiety falls under one big umbrella that covers areas of such; physical health, trauma, depression, loneliness, bullying, cyber bullying, social media and many more. I will not talk about all of them, however I will touch upon a couple I can relate with, I hope will raise a few ears to a reality, that could be detrimental to me and perhaps to you.

Where I am in life at the moment. Who you see me as. My DNA. It is reflected through my parents. My friendship circle. My belief system. The norms and values I choose to follow. There is no other person who can be the way I am. However, I am as vulnerable as you are. To feelings of inadequacy. Feelings I am not good enough. Feelings of loneliness. Feelings of anxiety. Not knowing what tomorrow will bring when today was tough and yesterday was a nightmare. It’s almost as though I am being tested to my very limits and the scary thing is I surrender to my ‘weaker’ self. I don’t compete with society but I take the passenger seat and live life with a deflated attitude ‘I can’t do anything..’ I have been in this position a few times…and it is during these times where I don’t feel I want to leave my room, or see any body. I resort to comfort eating, for that instant boost of energy and listen to soppy music…

However as ‘the untethered soul’ by Michael A. Singer (Thankyou to a friend who gave this to me 🙏🏼) , he mentions the inner roommate inside our head “To attain true inner freedom , you must be able to objectively watch your problems instead of being lost in them. No solution can possibly exist while you’re lost in the energy of a problem” He goes on to say ‘if you would like to meet your roommate, just try to sit inside yourself for a while in complete solitude and silence…you’re going to listen to incessant chatter “Why am I doing this? I have more important things to do. This is a waste of time. There’s nobody in here but me. What’s this all about?”

Of course, it’s not simple to just do other things when we are caught up in an emotion so strong. However, I do believe trying to harness a proactive mind is a healthy approach to moving on from our own problems.. just as simple as a walk in the park or hoovering the house..or reading a book reminds me there is so much out there for us to do. (Listening to Lana del Rey is 👌☺️)

SOCIAL MEDIA. Fat. Skinny. Plain. Stylish. Curvy. Cool. Bikini body. Perfect skin. Food. Cake. Vegan. Vegetarian. Meat. Businesses. Celebrities. TV. Football. Mental issues. Gossip. Paparazzi. Trending. Money. Holidays. Beauty. Friends. Cyber Bullying. Nerd.Ugly. Dates. Mental health. Insecure. Books. Self-help. Intellect. Art. Inspiration.

THE LIST GOES ON. Social Media is the platform…it is the platform for everyone to voice their opinion. To flaunt their charismatic sides. To change. To influence. To project opinions on behalf of those who cannot. It is more or less the centre of attention and it can make some and break others. The power of abusive words, enough to make a footballer feel crippled inside makes me question how footballers show their face on the field. Instant happiness is heavily apparent in the face of Instagram (I display my happy snaps too) portrays the snippets of our lives we want to share. I have no problem with this. However, I wonder whether future generations are going to be delusional by the ‘perfect’ body or the ‘perfect’ lifestyle on this widespread social network. Not to say we should take pictures of us struggling but it’s more this quick paced nature of social media, that scares me. Keeping on top of other’s lives..Can make me hungry to achieve a certain level of happiness as quickly as possible… sometimes forgetting I can be happy in the present… in the now.. if I want to be. I think anxiety and social media is like a playground. There are so many cliches. How one fits in, they’ll do what it takes to fit in. How one can feel anxious, or isolated…well I guess I feel that way at times…don’t we all? But that shouldn’t stop us from giving what we can to one another.. understanding and moral support.