New Year, New Freak
I've been debating with myself about writing one of these blog posts about the new year, and the 'fresh start' it's bringing with it. I don't want to be too cliché - goodness knows I've been known for that recently - but I want to make my contributions, and share with you some of my 'resolutions' for this year. I know we're almost a week into 2014 now, so I've left it a little late, which isn't a good start for one of my goals. Oops.
Last year was a pooper. Okay, 2012 probably topped it, what with the whole collapsing chimney/wall thing (I will tell you that story one day), but 2013 wasn't much better.
I shared some of the less enjoyable moments from my year with you at the time, such as getting lost in Strood after a job interview ( Finding The Way ) and being stranded on my own at Victoria train station for over 7 hours after a McFly concert ( The Waiting Game ), so that gives you an idea of the kind of luck I had.
As mentioned in previous posts, I made some bad choices and handled a few things rather terribly, which resulted in the loss of something important to me. That, and the events surrounding it, only happened in the last few months, but unfortunately it overshadowed the very few highlights I had: getting my job at the library; meeting new people; seeing some amazing artists live - McFly, Dave Giles, Danny Gruff, BriBry, Hollywood Ending (who I'll be coming back to later).
Now, I don't want to go all doom and gloom, because I'm in a decent mood right now, and I don't want to put a dampener on that. However, I know it's important to recognise mistakes that have been made in order to move on from them and make myself a better person by learning from them.
So that's what I'm doing now.
I, Sarah, made huge mistakes in 2013, which I do not deny, nor am I proud of them. I sincerely apologise, one last time, to anyone in my who may have been affected by any of those mistakes. I promise to try my hardest to make up for these mistakes by being a better person in the future, without royally screwing everything up like that ever again.
Now that's done, I can put the past aside, and begin to use it to become more positive, rather than continue to dwell on it.
Right, New Year's Resolutions!
I've never really done these properly. When I was a little younger, I'd be like 'I'm going to eat less chocolate!' or 'I must make my handwriting better this year!'.
Pfft, needless to say those are things I didn't stick to.
But this year, I've been doing some serious thinking, and I have a feeling that setting myself some real resolutions and goals to stick to might do me some good. So here's my mini-list of them:
New Year's Resolutions.
#1 - Have more respect for myself:
This is loosely based on those 'rumours' I mentioned a month or two ago, although I must admit, it stems mainly from the way I am when I've had a few.
Not only do I tend to cuddle people a lot, but the things people have been sent aren't exactly anything to be proud of. Now, I know a number of people (especially my age) have been, and will continue to be, guilty of this kind of thing while drunk, so it may not seem like a big deal. Personally, though, I think I tend to go a bit OTT, so the way I present myself isn't ideal, to say the least.
So from now on, I'm going to work on keeping my cuddles to myself while I'm out with friends, unless I'm asked specifically for a hug, and my phone is going to be turned off once I've started drinking.
While these aren't the only steps I'll need to take to increase the level of respect I have for myself, it's definitely a good place to start, and I will continue to work on this throughout the year.
#2 - Only chase what matters the most
I'm always the chaser, never the chased.
I had the realisation a week or two ago that if there's something I want, I often end up being the one chasing after it, rather than being patient and waiting for it to come to me. This isn't always a bad thing, especially as there is the notion that if you want something bad enough, you'll work your bum off for it. The sad thing is, the majority of the time it dawns on me - too late - that something I've wasted time chasing was never actually worth it in the first place.
This revelation came recently, after finally seeing that I'd put so much time and emotional energy into going after something I've wanted for a while, only to finally twig that it was never going to happen.
So in the future, I'm going to be so much more careful with my desires, and not embarrass myself by constantly placing my hopes in something which is only going to let me down. From now on, I'm only going to chase what's important, and what I may have a good chance at catching. Which brings me to my next resolution.
#3 - Write more!
My dream is to be an author, but I've been slipping recently with the writing front - I even feel a little rusty writing this! Now, I can blame that on work, or distractions, or blahhhh, whatever else, but the important thing is that I start doing something about it.
But earlier on, I saw Alex Day's latest YouTube video, in which he declared that he'd finished writing his own book. He talked about the pride and sense of achievement he felt, knowing that he'd written something which he could work on getting published, in turn fulfilling one of his goals.
That's motivated me so much, and inspired me to dive back into writing, because I'd love to get that same feeling one day. I think that making better use of this blog is a good way to get started, as well as adding to the Story Corner as often as I can. (Don't worry, I haven't forgotten that it exists!)
To be a published author is something I've wanted so much since I can remember, so I think it's safe to say that it's more than worth the chase!
#4 - Broaden my horizons
As well as losing touch with the writer in me, I realise that I haven't read a book in a while, which is strange for me, because I'm normally such a bookworm, it's untrue.
So I think a good way to get back into reading will be to try something new, an author I haven't yet discovered. Working in a library, I've come across the names of so many writers I never would have heard of before, but I haven't actually taken the time to read more than the titles of any of their books. So this year, I'm going to make it my goal to read at least one book by each of five authors who are new to me. I may even use this as my little review spot so you can see how I'm getting on.
I'm also going to aim to 'broaden my horizons' in terms of things like the music I listen to, the films I watch and the people I socialise with. In 2014, I want to make new friends who I can 'hang out' with. I want to go and see a movie at the cinema which I wouldn't normally pick - even if it is something like Paranormal Activity which is guaranteed to scare the pants off of me. I also want to discover new bands and artists I haven't listened to before.
And I think this is a good time to bring Hollywood Ending into the mix!
Just in case you haven't been introduced to this huge chunk of awesomeness yet, here's a quick summary:
Hollywood Ending is a band made up of four members, three of which are from America (Tyler Wilson, Dan Geraghty and Cameron Byrd) and one who's from England (Chris Bourne).
Chris is, in case you didn't guess, the brother of Busted's James Bourne, and is the main reason I discovered HWE in mid 2012. (He sold me some Loserville merch once while I was internally fangirling.)
It's safe to say that this band is my latest obsession, especially if my tweets have been anything to go by. Their music is so catchy and easy to sing along to which, for me, is a very important feature for any song to have. Although I must admit, I'm still working on perfecting the Grocery Store Rap...
I saw them live at the O2 Academy in Islington last month, and they are incredible. They're such nice guys too and it's so easy to see how much they love doing what they do!
As I'm writing this, I have their latest single, called Freak Like Me, on repeat on my phone, as it has been since it was released on iTunes at midnight. They wrote, recorded and produced it themselves - it's 100% HWE! I love it already and I doubt it'll be leaving my head anytime soon! So, yeah...you should go buy it ;)
Oooh, the guys are also going on tour in the US in February/early March, which is awesome! It's called the Freaks and Geeks Tour and I'm so excited for them, even though I can't actually be there (what with an ocean in the way and all that...). Who knows, maybe they'll come visiting the land of tea, crumpets and 'chips' again soon! ;) (Bit of an inside joke there, sorry.)
So if you've been looking for something new to listen to, and you haven't yet discovered Hollywood Ending, give them a shot! They're especially ideal for anyone who's already into McFly, Busted and even One Direction (their cover of Kiss You is fab!). I don't think my fangirling does them enough justice, so please do check them out and witness their greatness for yourself! I'll link to their YouTube and suchlike at the end!
As a result of finding HWE and seeing them in London, I met some new people! I was there on my own, but ended up talking to others there, namely some girls called Jenny, Katie, Natalie and Zoe, who are lovely. We chatted and fangirled and they helped the time pass while we were waiting in line. I'm looking forward to the next chance we might get to gather together for body heat in a queue for a Hollywood Ending gig!
Last year was a pooper. Okay, 2012 probably topped it, what with the whole collapsing chimney/wall thing (I will tell you that story one day), but 2013 wasn't much better.
I shared some of the less enjoyable moments from my year with you at the time, such as getting lost in Strood after a job interview ( Finding The Way ) and being stranded on my own at Victoria train station for over 7 hours after a McFly concert ( The Waiting Game ), so that gives you an idea of the kind of luck I had.
As mentioned in previous posts, I made some bad choices and handled a few things rather terribly, which resulted in the loss of something important to me. That, and the events surrounding it, only happened in the last few months, but unfortunately it overshadowed the very few highlights I had: getting my job at the library; meeting new people; seeing some amazing artists live - McFly, Dave Giles, Danny Gruff, BriBry, Hollywood Ending (who I'll be coming back to later).
Now, I don't want to go all doom and gloom, because I'm in a decent mood right now, and I don't want to put a dampener on that. However, I know it's important to recognise mistakes that have been made in order to move on from them and make myself a better person by learning from them.
So that's what I'm doing now.
I, Sarah, made huge mistakes in 2013, which I do not deny, nor am I proud of them. I sincerely apologise, one last time, to anyone in my who may have been affected by any of those mistakes. I promise to try my hardest to make up for these mistakes by being a better person in the future, without royally screwing everything up like that ever again.
Now that's done, I can put the past aside, and begin to use it to become more positive, rather than continue to dwell on it.
Right, New Year's Resolutions!
I've never really done these properly. When I was a little younger, I'd be like 'I'm going to eat less chocolate!' or 'I must make my handwriting better this year!'.
Pfft, needless to say those are things I didn't stick to.
But this year, I've been doing some serious thinking, and I have a feeling that setting myself some real resolutions and goals to stick to might do me some good. So here's my mini-list of them:
New Year's Resolutions.
#1 - Have more respect for myself:
This is loosely based on those 'rumours' I mentioned a month or two ago, although I must admit, it stems mainly from the way I am when I've had a few.
Not only do I tend to cuddle people a lot, but the things people have been sent aren't exactly anything to be proud of. Now, I know a number of people (especially my age) have been, and will continue to be, guilty of this kind of thing while drunk, so it may not seem like a big deal. Personally, though, I think I tend to go a bit OTT, so the way I present myself isn't ideal, to say the least.
So from now on, I'm going to work on keeping my cuddles to myself while I'm out with friends, unless I'm asked specifically for a hug, and my phone is going to be turned off once I've started drinking.
While these aren't the only steps I'll need to take to increase the level of respect I have for myself, it's definitely a good place to start, and I will continue to work on this throughout the year.
#2 - Only chase what matters the most
I'm always the chaser, never the chased.
I had the realisation a week or two ago that if there's something I want, I often end up being the one chasing after it, rather than being patient and waiting for it to come to me. This isn't always a bad thing, especially as there is the notion that if you want something bad enough, you'll work your bum off for it. The sad thing is, the majority of the time it dawns on me - too late - that something I've wasted time chasing was never actually worth it in the first place.
This revelation came recently, after finally seeing that I'd put so much time and emotional energy into going after something I've wanted for a while, only to finally twig that it was never going to happen.
So in the future, I'm going to be so much more careful with my desires, and not embarrass myself by constantly placing my hopes in something which is only going to let me down. From now on, I'm only going to chase what's important, and what I may have a good chance at catching. Which brings me to my next resolution.
#3 - Write more!
My dream is to be an author, but I've been slipping recently with the writing front - I even feel a little rusty writing this! Now, I can blame that on work, or distractions, or blahhhh, whatever else, but the important thing is that I start doing something about it.
But earlier on, I saw Alex Day's latest YouTube video, in which he declared that he'd finished writing his own book. He talked about the pride and sense of achievement he felt, knowing that he'd written something which he could work on getting published, in turn fulfilling one of his goals.
That's motivated me so much, and inspired me to dive back into writing, because I'd love to get that same feeling one day. I think that making better use of this blog is a good way to get started, as well as adding to the Story Corner as often as I can. (Don't worry, I haven't forgotten that it exists!)
To be a published author is something I've wanted so much since I can remember, so I think it's safe to say that it's more than worth the chase!
#4 - Broaden my horizons
As well as losing touch with the writer in me, I realise that I haven't read a book in a while, which is strange for me, because I'm normally such a bookworm, it's untrue.
So I think a good way to get back into reading will be to try something new, an author I haven't yet discovered. Working in a library, I've come across the names of so many writers I never would have heard of before, but I haven't actually taken the time to read more than the titles of any of their books. So this year, I'm going to make it my goal to read at least one book by each of five authors who are new to me. I may even use this as my little review spot so you can see how I'm getting on.
I'm also going to aim to 'broaden my horizons' in terms of things like the music I listen to, the films I watch and the people I socialise with. In 2014, I want to make new friends who I can 'hang out' with. I want to go and see a movie at the cinema which I wouldn't normally pick - even if it is something like Paranormal Activity which is guaranteed to scare the pants off of me. I also want to discover new bands and artists I haven't listened to before.
And I think this is a good time to bring Hollywood Ending into the mix!
Just in case you haven't been introduced to this huge chunk of awesomeness yet, here's a quick summary:
Hollywood Ending is a band made up of four members, three of which are from America (Tyler Wilson, Dan Geraghty and Cameron Byrd) and one who's from England (Chris Bourne).Chris is, in case you didn't guess, the brother of Busted's James Bourne, and is the main reason I discovered HWE in mid 2012. (He sold me some Loserville merch once while I was internally fangirling.)
It's safe to say that this band is my latest obsession, especially if my tweets have been anything to go by. Their music is so catchy and easy to sing along to which, for me, is a very important feature for any song to have. Although I must admit, I'm still working on perfecting the Grocery Store Rap...
I saw them live at the O2 Academy in Islington last month, and they are incredible. They're such nice guys too and it's so easy to see how much they love doing what they do!
As I'm writing this, I have their latest single, called Freak Like Me, on repeat on my phone, as it has been since it was released on iTunes at midnight. They wrote, recorded and produced it themselves - it's 100% HWE! I love it already and I doubt it'll be leaving my head anytime soon! So, yeah...you should go buy it ;)
Oooh, the guys are also going on tour in the US in February/early March, which is awesome! It's called the Freaks and Geeks Tour and I'm so excited for them, even though I can't actually be there (what with an ocean in the way and all that...). Who knows, maybe they'll come visiting the land of tea, crumpets and 'chips' again soon! ;) (Bit of an inside joke there, sorry.)
So if you've been looking for something new to listen to, and you haven't yet discovered Hollywood Ending, give them a shot! They're especially ideal for anyone who's already into McFly, Busted and even One Direction (their cover of Kiss You is fab!). I don't think my fangirling does them enough justice, so please do check them out and witness their greatness for yourself! I'll link to their YouTube and suchlike at the end!
As a result of finding HWE and seeing them in London, I met some new people! I was there on my own, but ended up talking to others there, namely some girls called Jenny, Katie, Natalie and Zoe, who are lovely. We chatted and fangirled and they helped the time pass while we were waiting in line. I'm looking forward to the next chance we might get to gather together for body heat in a queue for a Hollywood Ending gig!
They, in turn, have led to me talking to other 'Enders' and they've all started to become my new 'Tweet-Pals' (that's a thing now. Like pen pals, but tweetier), who I can fangirl to about anything Hollywood Ending related. Yay!
I mention all this to make the point, to you and to myself, that broadening horizons and trying something new not only gives you something fresh to get your teeth into, but also brings potential for a knock-on effect through other aspects of life as well. This can also be applied to other goals you might set yourself at the dawn of a new year.
Who knows, I may see a genre of film I'm not used to which leads me to listen to the soundtrack, thus discovering new music.
I could become part of a new group of friends who give me advice on the things I chase, and whether it's worth it or not.
Hey, I could even end up writing and finishing a book and getting it published! (Though that one may take longer than a year...)
When you think about it, it's more than just an old cliché: New Year's Resolutions really can lead to a 'new you' if you let them, although perhaps not in an almost-instantaneous-Time-Lord-regeneration-with-a-new-face-and-new-kidneys way.
So, even if the 2014-onwards version of me does turn out to be a total fangirling mess, a bit of a Freak, or even a Geek, it's got to be an improvement on previous years... I'm going to make sure of it! :D
Anyway, I wish you all a (belated) Happy New Year! I hope 2014 brings fab things for you all. :)
*waves*
Hollywood Ending Links
You can buy Freak Like Me from iTunes here:
I mention all this to make the point, to you and to myself, that broadening horizons and trying something new not only gives you something fresh to get your teeth into, but also brings potential for a knock-on effect through other aspects of life as well. This can also be applied to other goals you might set yourself at the dawn of a new year.
Who knows, I may see a genre of film I'm not used to which leads me to listen to the soundtrack, thus discovering new music.
I could become part of a new group of friends who give me advice on the things I chase, and whether it's worth it or not.
Hey, I could even end up writing and finishing a book and getting it published! (Though that one may take longer than a year...)
When you think about it, it's more than just an old cliché: New Year's Resolutions really can lead to a 'new you' if you let them, although perhaps not in an almost-instantaneous-Time-Lord-regeneration-with-a-new-face-and-new-kidneys way.
So, even if the 2014-onwards version of me does turn out to be a total fangirling mess, a bit of a Freak, or even a Geek, it's got to be an improvement on previous years... I'm going to make sure of it! :D
Anyway, I wish you all a (belated) Happy New Year! I hope 2014 brings fab things for you all. :)
*waves*
Hollywood Ending Links
You can buy Freak Like Me from iTunes here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HWoodEnding
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hollywoodendingband
Website - You can find out more about the band and the Freaks and Geeks tour here: www.hollywoodendingband.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hollywoodendingband
Website - You can find out more about the band and the Freaks and Geeks tour here: www.hollywoodendingband.com
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