Category Archive: Articles
In the Age of Instant where texts, emails and photos can be sent with the tap of a thumb from wherever you are in the world, there is little chance of finding peace, and finding a moment to be truly alone. But in this world, we are also feeling more isolated and more disconnected than ever before. With all the noise we surround ourselves with, nothing is being said.
Mental illness is at crisis point, and all around us the problem is getting closer and closer to home. In Australia more than one million people are suffering from depression, that’s 1 in 6 women, and 1 in 8 men. More than two million people are suffering from anxiety, that’s 1 in 3 women, and 1 in 5 men. 75% of mental illnesses appear before we are twenty-five years old.
Fortunately, as the issue surrounding mental illness, and the number of sufferers grow, so too do organisations and support networks to help.
No matter what happens in life. No matter what obstacles you face. And no matter how they may bring you down, there is always one constant in life – family.
Family comes in all shapes, sizes and varieties. Some you are born into, some you buy into – but all are there for you no matter what problem you may face.
Your family are the ones who know you inside and out. They are the ones you come home to at the end of the day. And they are the ones who will love you unconditionally.
But when there are voices inside your head saying that there is something wrong with you, and that you are immoral or doing something bad – family can seem to be the hardest ones to face up to.
There are people in life who are dealt a tough hand and crumble. There are people in life who fall, never to rise again.
But then, there are the few people who manage to pull themselves up from the darkest pits of hell. People who manage to overcome the most crippling of adversities and come out the other side. People like Tony Jackett.
This man was dragged down, hit rock bottom but rose nonetheless
Life has a way of testing us – testing our strength, testing our resolve, testing our resilience through adversity and life certainly tested every ounce of strength that this man possessed.
Wise Guy (noun): a man or woman who thinks that it is funny, interesting and/or necessary to gossip about another’s sexuality.
There are some who love to find power and ‘intelligence’ within themselves when they say, “I always knew they were gay”. To them, they are the Olivia Benson of the LGBT world, solving the most pressing issues in the lives of others and commending themselves ten-fold for doing so.
So to those wise guys…please, shut up.
I’ve had people’s parents, classmates, even employers use the question mark around my sexuality (pre-2011) as the most interesting thing they can bring to the table when talking to others. These are people who have nothing more stimulating to talk about than whether the quiet teenager from Surrey Hills will end up marrying a man.
The stage has been set, it’s a-ok to be gay and roll with the punches on the footy field (high-fives to Jason Ball and the increasingly-supportive AFL community). With this opens the flood gates for same-sex attracted footy players’ partners to join the footy hierarchy and reach the big time – as a member of the WAGs.
This is my story.
When the world seems like a place full of nothing but negativity and hatred, it can be hard to find someone who can free you from the pain.
Every freedom fighter has a blog devoted to hating them.
Every positive role model will receive a death threat via twitter.
And for every one person that helps you see the world in a better light, there will be one person telling you why you shouldn’t like them.
It can feel like every step forward is met with one shove back.
Try looking into your pets eyes and find negativity and you’ll see, it really can’t be done.
Robert Hoge has an extraordinary story to tell that truly does begin from the moment he was born. From medical complications stemming from medication taken during his mother’s pregnancy, Hoge’s legs were in need of almost immediate amputation, and he was born with a tumour smack bang in the middle of his face that pushed everything else outward from their original position. But what makes Hoge and his family’s story truly remarkable, is just how damn normal his life was 90% of the time.
Role Model: “noun; a person looked to by others as an example to be imitated”.
A role model is a source of inspiration, an aspiration, someone that encapsulates everything you dream to be, and everything you want from life.
Role models come in such varying degrees, because everyone chooses someone different to look up to.
Role models can also be the ones that help you realize that who you are is all that you need to accomplish great things in life.
We choose our role models based partly on who we are, and part based on who we want to be.
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