Don't Look Back In Anger, Manchester

This morning, at 11 o'clock, there was a one minute silence across the U.K. in remembrance of the 22 people murdered on Monday night, and all others affected. It was the second deadliest terrorist attack on British soil since the 7/7 bombings in London.

Children, parents, siblings, friends, went to a concert, and did not come home afterwards. Some never will return home now. All because a small group feels such strong hatred for our way of life. It's horrendously heart-breaking, and what's worse is that this attack is not the first and it will not be the last.

So what can we do? Politicians, intelligence services and emergency services are all doing their absolute best to protect us, and have contingency plans in place so when an attack does occur the effects can be as minimal as possible. It is incredibly difficult for them however, as you can't stop someone getting in to their car and driving into a bridge full of people, and it is incredibly difficult to gather enough evidence about suspected persons to convict them before the crime happens. However, none of this means, I don't think, that we should stop our way of life and hide. No. We should continue as we always have, and be united and strong in the face of adversity.

And most importantly, as the crowd aptly reminded everyone at the vigil in Manchester; we must not look back in anger, we must look forward with hope.

The crowd in St Ann's Square in #Manchester sing 'Don't Look Back in Anger' after minute's silence to remember victims of attack pic.twitter.com/B3p6ZaEJyN

— ITV News (@itvnews) May 25, 2017

General Election 2017

If your immediate answer to this question isn't 'YES', then we can't be friends anymore and you may as well stop reading now.

I jest.

ish.

In all serious though, the Conservative party are sitting as far right, and the Labour as far left as I can ever remember, this general election will be life changing, revolutionary. However, you only get to be a part of that if you VOTE.

Whichever ever party you feel represents you and your own needs/wants the most, then go for it. A considered effort is respectable, a wasted vote is a shame. If you're unsure of who to vote for, still register, then use a website like this one: www.isidewith.com to help you figure it out. Also, read everything you can, manifestos from the party, newspaper reports from a range of newspapers - be aware that they're seriously biased too, listen to those already affected by policies such as NHS workers, and watch interviews with party members, get to a rally if you can.

People have died, are dying, and will die, fighting for the right to vote, don't let them down by not voting yourself.

You've got until 1 minute to midnight TONIGHT. GET ON IT.
https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

How to Motivate Yourself

Time for a classic procrastination-induced post. This one is a little hypocritical perhaps, because I'm trying to motivate people as a means to distract myself from work, and I apologise for that. There have been a lot of things going in my life this year, to the point where I was asked in multiple job interviews how I manage it all, and my usual answer is 'because I have to'. Thankfully, the 'have to' comes from a 'want to', I want to keep up great relationships, gain certain roles and experiences, so I have to jump through certain hoops.

It's incredibly helpful that most of my friends are also in similar times of their lives, because we can all support each other through it, and understand when plans have to be restricted or completely cancelled. I'm really grateful for that, and am massively enjoying seeing them move on in their lives so positively and successfully. Comparing yourself to others can be incredibly harmful, so you have to be careful, but in this respect I've found it quite helpful. I can look at what they've done in their first year since graduating, and get excited about what might happen to me this year; that's great motivation. It also means they're fantastic for advice.

Other than being motivated by the success of those close to me, I also find it motivating to remember that, chances are, you're not the first to have done 'this'. I'm not the first person to get a masters. I'm not the first person to get a job in a new city, meaning they have to find a new place to live by themselves. I'm not the first person to have long distance relationships. I'm not the first person to have to fit in a love for traveling around the basic holiday allowance given by jobs. I'm not the first person to try to lose weight. I'm not the first person to aim for everything out of life. I am certainly not the only. I also certainly won't be the last. It's all doable, because it's been done before and it'll be done again. That sounds dull I suppose, and takes away some excitement, but it's also quite comforting.

When all that fails, I have a couple of quotes from a range of sources that can flip my head right back round into focus: