Favourite Music of the Moment.

I dont know why but after months of not blogging i have a sudden urge to. It wasn't even planned, I just felt like saying something so I said it and I posted it and it's all here.
Such a random post =P But I have been loving these songs lately, mostly because of the ah-may-zing lyrics.

1. Lawson - When She Was Mine
Now I'm breaking at the seams
Dropping to my knees
Nothing left of me
Black stone turned into dust
My heart wasn't enough.

2. Ed Sheeran - Lego House (and YES that's Ron Weasley)
I'm out of sight
I'm out of mind
I'll do it all for you in time
And out of all these things I've done
I think I love you better now

3. Ed Sheeran - U.N.I. (I don't know what U.N.I. means but its such a good song!)
Because if you want
I'll take you in my arms
And keep you sheltered
From all that I've done wrong
I know you'll say
That I'm the only one
But I know God made another one of me
To love you better than I ever will

4. Maroon 5 ft. Wiz Khalifa - Payphone
You turned your back on tomorrow
Cause you forgot yesterday
I gave you my love to borrow
But you just gave it away.


5. Florence + The Machine - Shake It Out
Regrets collect, like old friends
Here to re-live your darkest moments
...
I like to keep my issues strong
Its always darkest before the dawn

6. Jack's Mannequin - The Mixed Tape (YES, its Peyton, season 3 of OTH =P)
Where are you now?
As I'm swimming through the stereo
I'm writing you a symphony of sound
...
And this is my mixed tape for her
It's like I wrote every note
With my own fingers

Believing in God, the universe and karma.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about our world and how messed up it is.
To quote Brooke Davis, season 5/6 "It's official, life sucks and then you die."

Christians/Catholics (forgive me if I'm wrong) believe in a God, a man who determines and chooses how your life plays out. I have no problem with these people. I personally don't believe in God, but I fully support those who do.

In my daily life, I'll often refer to occurrences as "karma" or "fate" or even just as "a sign". But when I ask myself what I truly believe in, I don't believe in that stuff. That the universe has mysterious ways of showing us the way. That the actions we make every day come back to us in some form of payback, something that karma thinks we deserve. But when I stop believing in those things and I accept the fact that there is nothing other than us people and the world and our environment and the choices we make are purely our own and the events that occur are choices of others and we just happened to be in their path, its too hard.

The immensity and weight of this truth is too much to bear on one small person, in one small part of the world so I pass that burden on to some invisible force that I don't really believe in so that I don't have to carry that around. Which is why I never question others about their beliefs in God or nature or the invisible forces of the universe, because its just too hard to face.

Mindfulness

We learnt about this thing called "mindfulness". It's a therapeutic technique used to overcome depression but I think it's relevant to anyone who is unhappy. There's a quote or a saying that goes something like: if you live in the past, all you'll know is regret and if you live for the future, you'll always be disappointed. So live in the present.

(sidebar: I also love the quote about how if you're talking about what you did yesterday, then you haven't done enough today).

Anyways being mindful is about being in the moment, living your life right where you are and understanding and appreciating where you are in that moment. There's a little exercise you can do, where you sit and close your eyes and relax. And trying to focus on your breathing. In and out. Notice the way your chest moves and the feel of air rushing into your chest... And occasionally your mind will wander but make sure you keep bringing it back to your breathing. It's just am exercise to teach you how to start focusing on one thing rather than the millions of other things, the mistakes you made (like the pleated skirt on a windy day) or planning for your future ( hoping the wind stops by the time you and your skirt head outside).

Being mindful is also about appreciating what you have. I have been known to not only take what I have for granted but to ask for even more than I deserve. I'm trying to learn patience and to be mindful about what you have/are/doing.

I think its easy to get caught up in the things that don't matter so try to be more mindful. Try to focus on the good things you have now rather than what you have lost or what you think you deserve to gain. Happiness will not find you if you think like that.

Unfortunately, that's easier said than done.

Photography.

For my 21st birthday, I was lucky enough to receive an amazing camera as a gift.

For years, I was stuck with a badly chosen pink, 8MP camera I chose when I was 15. So I was super excited about getting this camera. It may not look like much, but it is (to quote Hannah Montana) the best of both worlds. I love photography, and in the right light, with the right angles every day items can look like art. I, unfortunately, have zero artistic experience, so I think this camera is perfect for me. It's photos are amazing quality, like an SLR but it isn't bulky or complicated, just a basic point-and-shoot. And yeah, it has a few extra features but I haven't figured out how to work those out yet.

Anyways, being the beginner that I am, I have occassionally Googled photography tips, basic ones that I can remember or learn quickly. I found one great blog post and I wanted both to share it and to keep it as a reminder.

Tips for Great Fall Photography. By Ingrid Owens (Click for original article).

1. The Golden Hours - best lighting one hour after sunrise, or one hour before dark. 
2. Shoot after the rain
3. Don't clutter the image
4. Use contrasting colours
5. Only incorporate the sky if its bright blue
6. Use puddles for reflecting images (from comments).