Clab8261

=__//Clab8261's Page//__= __What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?__
 * Week 1**

The best piece of advice i've probably ever recieved would be "When the world gives you a thousand reasons to cry, show the world you have a million reasons to smile." I used to let little things get to me, make me depressed. A negative comment from a stranger would always throw me.

"He's never even met me?" "Why does he care what I do?" "How can he just assume something like that about me?" "He has such a good vocabulary when it comes to insulting someone, but I bet he's failing english, and probably every other subject as well."

And then I would start to ask myself these questions.

"What //is// wrong with me?" "Why does //everybody// hate me?" "Why can't people just accept me for me?"

Finally, one night, in a state of panic I decided to call up my friend. It took no longer than a few minutes to calm me down, at which point he spoke those great words of advice. For some reason after that one conversation, I discovered a new found confidence. It was like something in my brain just clicked, and I realised, at the end of the day there's always going to be someone without something nice to say. You can stand there pondering the motives behind the event, or you can move on, and be happy with who you are. Fight back with positivity and the world brightens up. If someone doesn't like it, they can just go away. If my existence is enough to irritate someone to the point of needing to shout abuse at the top of their lungs, despite never having held a conversation with me, clearly they have bigger problems with themselves.

Now I couldn't care less about being called names, or being threatened. Very few people actually follow through, and even less have the confidence to say things to my face. I've found that 99% of people who say things either do it via the internet, or when they're in big groups and I happen to walk by. I've only once had someone actually stand infront of me, look me in the eyes and say something. I still get the up and down looks of judgement, but I just brush it off, like the filth it is and continue on with my day. Because it is //my// day and i'm not letting something so stupid bring me down.

Week 2
__What would happen if you threw a piece of trash on the ground? What if everyone did?__

I've had to reflect on issues such as this alot this semester. I always used to think "It's just one piece of rubbish, someone else will pick it up eventually." I was blissfuly unaware of the effect it has on the environment. If everyone threw just one piece of rubbish on the ground, then that's infinitely worse. Just one piece of rubbish really doesn't have that big of an impact, to the point of the destruction of our environment (my previous way of thinking) but i'm not the only one doing it. Not to say i'd go out of my way to litter, or even do it on a regular basis, but occasionaly i'd see a wrapper of mine be swept away by the wind, and I would leave it be. Getting back to the point, I am not the only one who litters, and it builds up over time untill the problem becomes out of control and the envronment has suffered from the ignorance of our actions.

I have since made more of an effort to put not only mine, but other stray pieces of trash in the bin. Likewise with the dropping of rubbish, if everyone just picked up one piece of rubbish, it could greatly benefit and clean up our precious environment.

Week 3
__What would you do if you saw a friend cheating - report it, confront the friend or nothing - and why?__

In the event I catch a friend of mine cheating, I personally would be more likely to confront the friend than anything else. Reporting it would only cause the friend to harbour resentment towards me, and doing nothing doesn't solve the problem. Confronting the friend, finding out why they did it, and trying to persuade that same person to do their own work is, in my mind, the best way to go about things. If nothing else I pride myself on being a loyal friend, therefore, for me, reporting such an act, at the risk of the friendship between us, is out of the question.

__What do you think courage means?__

Courage is standing up for your beliefs, and to continue standing up for them, even in the presence of fear. If you are faced with a situation you don't feel comfortable with, and continue doing it, despite that feeling, to me that is courage.

__What do you think makes a good friend?__

The one thing I look for in any kind of friendship is loyalty. I don't care how a person acts, looks, speaks etc... A good friend is someone who will stand up for you, who will listen to you, who is just pleasant to be around. I cannot tell you how many times i've heard of a "friend" of mine bad mouthing me behind my back, just because the people they're around are. If they were any sort of friend at all, they would have at least left the conversation, not make a huge contribution to fit in with the crowd.

Week 4
__What is your most indispensable possession and why?__

I'm sorry but I have to choose two, I simply can't decide between either one. My most indispensable possessions would have to be my sketch book and iPod. Drawing always helps me relfect how i'm feeling and in most situations, helps me vent. No matter what has transpired throughout the day, a quick little drawing soon returns me to a balanced state of mind. If you look at any of my drawings you can generally tell what I was feeling at the time. I've had many comments on how emotional my artworks are, and to me, it's like taking out every emotion in my body, and throwing it at the page. Laying out all feelings on that thin sheet of paper and leaving it there.

I also choose my iPod as a highly indispensable object for the pure fact that it keeps my emotions in check and brings me endless joy. Music is an escape for me, and is a very powerful tool that helps me calm down, cheer up, let out some sort of deep seeded anger etc... I am aware it is easily replaceable, and probably will be once a newer version is released, so I guess the indispensable thing is the music. However my iPod is the way I am able to listen to it at anytime, therefore is a valuable asset to me.

**Week 5**
__What do you think about people polluting the environment?__

People polluting the environment is not a good thing. The long term effects it has is detrimental to the environment and all that lives in it. Pollution kills animals, it destroys animals habitats which in turn is harmfull to it's inhabitants. I know most people are unaware of litterings' effects, and honestly don't really care. When all we see is tv ads and posters, radio jingles etc... telling us about big clean up days and groups that voluntarily go around picking up after us polluters, why would it matter if I left a chip packet on the ground? Clearly there are other people out there who care enough to clean up after me, what harm could on little piece of trash do? So I understand why some people can live with themselves destroying the environment, weather I agree with it or not, I understandt it.

Week **6**
__How do you feel when you do something wrong?__ __How do you feel when you do something that is very good?__ When I first looked at this question my instant thought was that when I do something good I feel good, and when I do something bad I feel bad. But then I started to think more about what i'd answer, I realised it's very rarely the case. When I do something good I do tend to feel good and warm inside, that nice feeling of pride, knowing you've done well. But when I do something wrong it feels like more of an adrenaline rush. You've done something naughty and forbidden, it awakens something within you that makes you feel... empowered? I guess would be the word to use. The feeling, however, last a very short time. So either action, weather it be good or bad holds very little meaning to me. What's done is done, as long as you are willing to accept the consequences of what you do. In saying this, I don't set out to do bad things, this is merely an observation i've made about myself.

Week 7
__I wish there was a law that said... This would be a good law because...__ I wish there was a law that said spitting in public places is illegal and people would get fined for doing so. This would be a good law because I think spitting is a vile and disgusting thing, that should not be made a public spectacle. Being a frequent Werribe station goer, I see alot of spitting, and on ocasion, I am used as target practice. Making spitting illegal would give the place a slightly less scummy reputation, and overall a nicer image. Not just there but everywhere.

Week 8
__When you are angry, how do you look? When are you happiest? When have you felt lonely? When do you feel proud?__

Anger truly is an ugly emotion and I hate feeling it. But there are times when someone has done something absoutely unforgivable, and I am overcome with rage, it brings out the worst in me, as i'm sure it does for everyone. As for how I look at this time, that is something I am not going to share.

I am happiest when surrounded by friends, or doing something I really enjoy. Nothing beats the feeling of sharing and laugh with the people you care about. Where would anyone be without friends? They can instantly put a smile on your face just with their presence. A good friend can turn the worst day into one of the best days of your life, so for me, I am happiest when surrounded by these people.

When have I felt lonely? Pretty much every night I spend alone with my thoughts. If i'm not around people I tend to get myself into a sort of depression. It's something I can't really control, and I face it quite regularly. I never used see myself as being lonely, probably because I never knew what it felt to be anything else. But recently (over the past few years) i've made and lost some really good friends, and i've regretted my actions throughout the process of losing them even to this day. When we were close it felt amazing, I was actually truly happy for once, that I could say I had a friend, which only made it harder for me when they said goodbye. After the last friend i've lost, I find it really hard to get so close to people, because I don't want to go through that feeling of losing someone close again. Which explains my constant feeling of loneliness when i'm all by myself.

I feel proud alot of the time. Not to get this mixed up with vanity or being conceited, I feel quite proud of myself, my achievements, the things I accomplish throughout the day. If I find myself doing something good, why not feel good about it? No one else is going to pat you on the back for getting 90% on a test, I think it's fine to gloat a little, just not too much.

Week 9
__Which quality do you dislike most about yourself - laziness, selfishness, childishness - and why?__

A quality of mine that I dislike is my tendancy to be a little stubborn. There are some things I just won't accept and i'll make sure you know it. It can get me in trouble sometimes, because I refuse to back down, and that can escalate a situation to a point of no return. I guess I don't completely dislike this quality. It shows my passion for certain things, however sometimes when I look back on times when I have been incredibly stubborn, and I just wish I could go back and tell myself to shut up.

Week 10
__Why do you think prejudice exists in the world?__

Prejudice is a word that covers a broad range of discriminations including; racism, sexism, ageism, elitism etc... I believe prejudice is taught, and is not an inherent thing. That we are all equal at the moment of birth, but society is evil, moreso than good. And it is what we get exposed to in this society that can corrupt our way of thinking, thus prejudice is born. Ignorance also plays a big part in prejudice. Prejudice itself means to pre-judge, not knowing all the facts before making up your mind about something/someone, and forming a biased opinion.