22: a year full of epiphanies

Having recently turned 23, I feel it's time to get deep (yay) and reflect on the pivotal year that has just passed…

1. Mystery is key
It's my nature to be open, but I often found myself regretting sharing too much with new faces, particularly re my mental health. Observing, listening and reflecting instead of mindlessly talking is the way forward. After all, "confidence is silent, insecurities are loud".

2. Never compromise on weirdness 
There aren't enough original people out there. If you have a dose of weirdness, don't at all repress it! I just surround myself with people who celebrate (or at least tolerate) the occasional out there comments, rather than being judgmental.

3. Analyse less, feel more 
Over analysing has been a habit of mine for too long now, but I've gradually become less preoccupied with the thoughts racing through my mind and more in tune with niggling, revealing feelings. 

4.  Nature really can heal 
There's something uplifting, therapeutic even, about a solo walk in the open. Headphones out, wind in hair, I feel energised by the surroundings and often have a few epiphanies along the way too.

5.  … and so can a killer lipstick 
"Can I pull off Mac's 'dark side'?", I considered. Well, why on earth not!? Call the riot police, but wearing a near-black shade to Tesco is about as naughty as it gets in final year. As my grandma's late husband once told her: "Darling, I think you're truly beautiful. But, with a dash of lipstick, you're even more beautiful to me".

6. The world is a magical place
Having become more open-minded, I'm seeing everyday life in a new light. Rather than dismissing certain happenings simply as "cray", I've embraced life's mysteries and come to notice that beyond the crowded, stressed city streets lies untapped magic that is within all of our reach.

~~~

Weirdness ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAmHqIGc124

Analysing/ "Becoming something" ~ http://fractalenlightenment.com/33866/life/the-mind-and-its-incessant-need-to-become-something | FractalEnlightenment.com

Magic ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YKa7iWFJsA

My favourite things

I love the power of words. That moment when you think of the perfect word to fit the essence of your sentence. A speech that reaches the tip of your spine and resonates with you for a while after. The art of nonverbal communication; arms that flap like a baby bird leaving its mother's nest. Noticing that someone can't contain their smile when approaching a loved one. The look in people's eyes that encapsulates their troubles and innermost desires.When someone makes you feel something, not from their appearance or speech, but from their presence. That moment when conversation is exhausted and all that's left is the echo of silence. I love when language fails to act as a barrier between cultures or age groups. Children who express something that shows wisdom beyond their years; elders who share a story that, in a magical swirl, brings you back to their childhood. I fall in love with people and their zany ways all the time. I adore their breakdowns and their tear-stained cheeks and their wonky smiles. Human communication never fails to fascinate me. 

Infinity House Magazine

I'm now a contributor to Infinity House, a health and lifestyle magazine centred around positivity and spirituality. I will be focusing on mental health- related ideas. To find my page, follow this link: 

http://infinityhousemagazine.com/author/tania/

The healing qualities of sunsets

Photography: my own 

Oh final year, how you drain me so

It's rare to find one of these amid the final year sea of students. The sea is threatening and unpredictable. Waves of work engulf us and we struggle for breath, choking and spluttering as we drift with the relentless tide. Occasionally, the sea takes a turn for the menacing and a giant wave consumes us in the form of a deadline, perhaps an assessed essay. Other times are misleadingly calm, but the threat of a storm is forever on the horizon. 

I'm lacking energy and losing motivation. I haven't got my act together. 

This year has sucked any spontaneity and fun from my life. It pales into the shadow of my adventurous year abroad. I feel washed-out. In an attempt to maintain a balance I enjoy copious amounts of caffeine, indulge in retail therapy or shimmy out the stress but the drained feeling is omnipresent, flirting with me like a persistent old man in a dodgy pub. 

I'm in need of a glitter shower.