Time management and why it stresses me

   I'm currently cooking and blogging at the sime time, as I just finished doing my dishes, I felt the need to instantly make them dirty again.
   I've been very stressed recently, and I can't seem to figure out why. I do everything I have to, and usually a bit more than that. Sometimes, I can hardly tell days apart, and things seem to pile up. The more I do things, the more new obsticles seem to stand in my way. And, of course, with my health (which you can read more about by clicking here), I often have a hard time finding the will and energy to do all the things I have to do, making them pile up as well. This results in me having days where I do nothing but work, and those days seem to come along much more frequently now, for some reason.
   Sure, my work piling up is partly because of my health, but I still find it hard, and some times even more stressful, that I can't seem to get ahead no matter how hard I try. Today, for example, I have gone to class, done laundrary and dishes, and there is still a lot of things that I haven't managed to get around to doing yet. For example; I have an exam this Thursday, and I'm not even close to ready.
   Does anyone else feel like they can't get ahead of all the things they have to do, or is it just me?
   I often find myself comparing my life and actions to others, and I feel like people my age are a lot more "adult" than me; they have their life together, aren't stressed all the time, have a structured day, are always on time to things... I wonder, how do they manage this wizardry? Because I've been trying for 19 years, and I still haven't gotten the hang of it.
   I'll try eating my rice now, and hopefully manage to study a bit after that. Maybe, if all goes well, I'll have a bit less studying to take care of tomorrow.
  Hugs from my apartment!

How To Obtain the Things You Want

I know there are people who are going to ask the question "Why should I listen to her?", and my answer: Why not? And besides, I'm currently attending my dream university, studying the subject I am most passionate about, have wonderful friends and a bright future. I'm exactly where I want to be in life, and I'm going to share with you how you can get where you want in life.
   Stop making excuses. What you're going to acheive, isn't going to be acheived by excuses. If you want to get in shape, and don't go running "because the weather isn't sunny", trust me: you're not going to get fit. Excuses are the primary thing stopping you from getting succesful.
   Make clear, simple goals. Make a checklist for short term goals, and one for long term. If you want to get a degree, place "pass next weeks exam" and "write essay" on short term goals, and "get degree" on long term goals. Having both short and long term goals will motivate you further when you acheive one.
   Surround yourself with positivity, and stay positive yourself. Negativity from others will push you down, and negativity from yourself will keep you down. Surrounding yourself with positive people and experiences will make you more energetic and more motivated.
   Spend your time with things you like. Spending time with things you don't like will only waste your energy and time, when both could be spent with working hard and/or doing things you consider to be fun or interesting.
   And finally:
   Hustle. If you think you're working hard, make sure you work twice as hard as you are. If you're passionate enough about something, sleeping or resting will feel like a guilty pleasure. If you don't feel exhausted at the end of the day, you haven't spent enough time bettering yourself and getting closer to your goals.
~
I wish there was a simple formula for reaching goals and success, but there isn't. Success and obtaining the things you wish for in life takes hard work, most of the time, it takes a lot of your time and it takes passion and dedication. But as long as you follow these things, you will acheive the things you want in your life.

Coming Out

   Exploring the internet, I've started to notice something. When people who aren't heterosexual come out to their parents, relatives or friends, they tend to have a pretty bad story to tell afterwards. Of course there are stories where the people in their life react in a bad way, hurting their feelings or even getting mad because of them being open with their sexuality. While I'm not gay myself, I get that people have a hard time coming out to people close to them. Meanwhile I also understand that hearing someone in your life is gay, or have another sexuality than heterosexual in general, you might be surprised or even confused, especially if you've known them their entire life, or even helped raising them.
   But some thing that you have to understand, is you can't be offended by their sexuality. How often do you see a gay person complaining about straight people? That's right, they don't. Besides, who they love or feel sexually attracted to, is completely their business and none of yours, and that is something you can realise perfectly fine on your own.
   Besides; coming out to someone close to you is said to be very hard. The person coming out to you is trusting you greatly to tell you something so personal and sensitive about them selves, and you acting offended is not going to help them.
   Of course, you have the right to be confused, or surprised. But you do not have the right to be angry with the person coming out to you. Your emotions are also important, and the person coming out to you will understand that you might be surprised, but if you're angry with them because they're not heterosexual, or simply because they told you about it, will hurt their feelings a lot.
   Sexuality is not a choice. Do you want to be shamed and hated for something that you have no control over? What if someone shamed you for being the age that you are, or being born first or second of siblings? Being different is always hard, and them telling you about their sexuality is a sign of enormous trust.
   Being a parent is about loving your child unconditionally, and being a good parent means you'll support and trust your child throughout their life, no matter what. So trust them and support them when they decide to tell you about their sexuality. Besides, telling your gay child "No, you're not" or "No, you're just confused, sweetheart" will probably just make them more confused, and since most people come out as teens, they already have more than enough to be confused about. Same goes for friends and relatives.
   Besides, from not accepting a person you'll only make them hurt, and, if continued, they will probably hate you.
   Acceptance and tolerance is are things our world needs a lot more of. Please be a part of that.

Don't Breathe

Three young adults in Detroit decide to break into an old veteran's home to make some money, since they wish to leave town as soon as possible. They have done it before, and the man is old and blind, there is nothing that should be challenging them. But upon entering, Money, Rocky and Alex, start wishing they would never have broken in. The old man living in the house has many secrets, following and creating death and destruction.
Taking on a new perspective on the horror genre by using creative camera work and re-shaping the role of the villain, Don't Breathe creates a unique athmosphere, and succeeds greatly in doing so. From a regular viewers point of view, the work of actors and director were great, the plotline good and there were no large plot holes to be found. In other words: good job.
Not a movie I would watch twice though, since I feel like once is enough. Not a new favourite, but a good movie nonetheless.
If you like the nice thrill of a good horror movie, I highly recommend you watch Don't Breathe, especially if you want to be afraid of elderly people for a long time.
****/*****

3 ways to be happier

1. Learn to let things go
By holding on to old grudges, problems, difficulties and arguments, you do nothing but gather bad emotions, stress and other negative things. The negative things in your life is what keeps you from being happier, healthier and feeling better about your life. By letting go of old negative experiences you can minimize the risk of expressing those negative things in your life.

2. Do things that make you happy
Are you supposed to meet with a person you don't like? Do you have a job you hate? Do you have hobbies you are no longer fond of? If the answer to those questions are yes, you need to re-evaluate what you spend your time doing and why. Spending your time doing things you dislike isn't going to make you any happier. Instead, put time and effort in things that make you feel good and leave you with a feeling of accomplishment. Of course, this doesn't mean you should stop doing dishes just because you dislike it. Logical boundraries are a must.

3. Everything in moderation
Are you afraid to eat chocolate because you'll get fat? Do you spend ten hours a day studying? Are you always making sure your home and your appearance is perfected? Of course, it is great to have priorities, and you should. But there is nothing wrong with enjoying chocolate, and you won't get fat from a few pieces. Doing things that are egotistic are actually good for you in moderation. Take time to relax, eat a few pieces of chocolate and you know, everything around you doesn't have to look perfect all the time.

Doctor Strange

As a huge Marvel fan, I had to watch this movie as soon as I found the oportunity to. And once again, I can honestly state that I'm not the least bit disappointed in their work.
Dr. Stephen Strange is a worldly recognized surgeon, until the faithful day when he damages his hands in an accident. Loosing the capabality to perform surgery, he desperately searches for a cure, and when at the end of his wits, stumbles upon a hermit in Himalaya who goes by the name The Ancient One. Being taken beneath the Ancient One's wing, Stephen Strange learns about powers he could never have imagined existed.
The special effects were absolutely magical, as always when discussing movies made by Marvel. The only thing bothering me slightly when watching the movie is the whitewashing in it (an English speaking man travels across the world to Himalaya, only to find another caucasian to lead him through a spiritual journey). Otherwise I can't find a single complaint about the movie, but that might also be because I love both Marvel and Benedict Cumberbatch (seen in the movie in the role of Stephen Strange, but most famous for his role as Sherlock Holmes in the tv-series Sherlock).
Have you seen the movie? If so, what did you think, and if not; based on the reviews and the general information you've read on the internet so far, are you going to?
I would higly recommend the movie to anyone interested, to every Marvel-fan, and to anyone who wants to find a new perspective on personal strenght. May very well be a new personal favourite!
*****/*****

19 life lessons in 19 years

As having spent soon 20 years on this blue marble we call Earth, I would like to think that I have learned a few things. On this saturday, I wanted to share a few of them with you. What kind of life lessons have you learned during your time on Earth? Feel free to share in the comments below!


1. Never leave your house without checking to make sure you're bringing your wallet, because sure enough, the one day you'll leave without it, you'll end up needing it.
2. No matter what you do, and why, you'll always have someone who dislikes what you do, or the reasons why you do it.
3. Learn to care a lot less about what others think about what you do, you'll be a lot happier that way.
4. Always dress like you're going to meet your worst enemy, it will make you feel a lot more confident. Also; wear clothes that you like, you will always be a lot more comfortable, in every situation.
5. Looks do matter (even though they shouldn't), but not nearly as much as you think.
6. Never fake who you are on a first date: in the future you'll either need to tell the awkward truth, or continue to fake your personality for the rest of the relationship.
7. Honesty is always the best choice, because even the simplest, whitest lies can lead to more and more lies.
8. Smiling is the best revenge, but you don't need revenge to be happy, just let things go and you will feel better about yourself and your life once you do.
9. Do what you love, otherwise your life will be a lot more empty.
10. People can be judgemental, stuck up and mean, but that doesn't require you to be that to them.
11. Spread more of what you love and think is important, it makes it easier to find people who share your views and have the same type of values.
12. Material belongings only make you happy temporarily, while friends and good human connection can make you happier for the rest of your life.
13. Most of the people in your life won't be there every day for the rest of it; spend time with them while you can, and make the most of your friendships and relationships. Good memories are golden.
14. Get to know your neighbours, at least enough to know their first name.
15. Be the kind of person who people ow favours, not the person who ows everyone else a favour.
16. Good and healthy food is in fact a real thing. Go out and explore the world of food, and you'll meet new people, have new experiences and fall in love with completely new foods.
17. Experiences are often of more value than gifts in the future, keep that in mind when getting your significant other, friends or family birthday or holiday gifts.
18. Treat others like you'd want to be treated.
19. Do not solve your problems by yelling or lashing out at people close to you, because this does not actually solve anything.

The American Election

Well, as most people know by now: Donald Trump has won the American election for presidency. As an innocent, european bystander, I'm completely baffled by the result. Not that signs haven't pointed to "GO" for Trump's part for a long time, but I'm still completely flabbergasted that the American people allowed him to get this far. The same goes for Clinton, since I wouldn't consider her a great candidate for president of one of the most influential countries in the world. How people with so many scandals behind them have gottent his far in a presidential election is something that has appeared to baffle people all around the world.
Electing Trump as president has only further proven the stereotype of Americans as extremely low-brow, and I am honestly disappointed. You have the chance to elect one of the most influential people in the world, and you choose a man with the skintone and intelligence of one of your famous Halloween pumpkins?
The situation being as it is, I greatly fear for every immigrant in the US. Your country was built on freedom and variety amongst your people, and your new leader is a man that has several times spoken about looking down on immigrants and people of other religions, and you think he is a good choice?
I fear for the global economy, for the beginning of another war, and for the consequences of global warming. Trump not being able to admit to climate change is one of the greatest threats to global health and happiness. Climate change is in fact very real, and not realizing the reality of the situation could very well lead to his fall.
Browsing the internet, many seem very unhappy with the elected presidents, there has even been jokes about assassination and this being the death of the USA.
Personally, I have (as many others) had a glorified imagine of the united states as a younger girl, I even wanted to move there at a certain point. Getting more involved in politics and realizing how much trouble the country is actually in, both globally and financially, I have almost stopped admiring the country all together.
I don't know what else to share about the president to be... I'm disappointed in America as a nation.

I'm back

   This weekend, I went to visit my parents, and some other relatives, since I hadn't travelled to them in almost three months and I felt like it was time to see them. I got to meet my aunt, my grandparents and my favourite neighbours. And of course, I met my parents, my siblings, my pets and my friends, and they all got to meet Alexander as well.
   We arrived in Kokkola around 22.25, and were greeted by my mother, sister and brother. We came home, ate and straight up knocked out as soon as we layed down in bed. The only problem with this is that my bed at my parent's house is really small. When I sleep in it alone, it's not a problem, but sleeping in it with someone else makes both of us hit our knees, heads, arms and feet on the sides of the bed, making sleeping pretty uncomfortable.
   During the day on Saturday, we met up with a bunch of my relatives, and it was really interesting, since I hadn't met them in a really long time. I had a lot to talk about with them, and they had a lot to tell me.
   The evening was spent with a few of my friends, eating tortillas and playing table tennis. It became a really intense game, and I feel like we already got a really strong workout out of it. It also was a really fun experience, and I realized how much I had actually missed my old friends, and I look forward to meeting up with them during holiday break.
   I also realized that I have really missed my pets a lot. For the first time in three months, I cuddled my cat and went out for a walk with my dog. I feel really alone in my apartment after I got back home, I miss my pets.
   I'm thinking of getting a pet when I move out from this apartment and I'm able to choose a place that allows you to have pets. Maybe a cat, or a hamster.
Hugs from my apartment!

The end of fall

   Yesterday was the last official day of fall, since in the evening it started to snow. I've been looking forward to winter for a long time, but now when fall is coming to an end, I'm actually kind of sad about it. I still want warm fall days, but I really look forward to the darkness, the snow and of course, Christmas and not having to go to school for a while. Besides, during the Christmas holiday I get to visit home, which since I live so far away, happens very rarely.
   Speaking of visiting my parents, I'm actually going there this weekend as well, to meet some relatives, my family, my pets and my friends for once. I really look forward to it, even though it's just a short weekend, and my schedule is going to be filled with things to do and people to meet up with. I feel like going home has been put off for a long time, but since I have about 500 kilometres to travel, I also feel like it's justified. Travelling and going home is going to be fun, I haven't travelled anywhere in a really long time.
   I have a test coming up wednesday, but I'm not too worried about it. I've actually started studying beforehand for once, and I feel like I at least kind of can grasp the material. Besides, I still have a full week to study for it, so I'm not too stressed about that.
   I've also started shopping for Christmas gifts for a few people, and actually found things that are quite fitting. Sadly, I can't share my gift ideas with you, since the people recieving those gifts, read my blog from time to time. To be honest, I'm really horrible at buying presents, so I always have to start early, or otherwise it's never getting done. I've already found two, so I feel quite proud of myself actually.
   Otherwise, not much is new. The snow is still here, but I really doubt that it'll stay for long, since the first snow rarely does. I look forward to having a bit more snow, I feel like building a snowman at least once this year.
Hugs from my apartment!