my rules

Always Do Something Interesting
The 2 years before coming out to Melbourne were…well, terrible. I had grown very boring, depressed, and unmotivated. When I looked at why, it was obvious. I sat around doing the same things again and again. I’d watch TV shows and Movies I’d seen before. I’d read books for a second, third, or tenth time. And then I’d have the gall to complain that nothing good was out there. So I made it a rule. Rather than sitting back to an old Family Guy episode, or Harry potter. I’d get something new. Always do something more interesting than something you’ve done before.

Never Pointlessly Complain
This was made after being so annoyed by English and Irish travellers. All they do is complain. It’s too hot, it’s not hot enough for Australia, they don’t have money, the beach is too far away. I hate that level of complaints. I’ll take a rant happily at any time. But don’t just complain for the sake of complaining. And I noticed I did it. When I felt awkward, like the conversation was slow, bad silences, I’d complain about something to fill the gap. And what a terrible way to be.

There is always something to do
the worst words in the English language are ‘There’s Nothing to Do’. Utter nonsense. There is ALWAYS something to do. I hate when other people say it, I hate it more when I say it. I have hundreds of things I could do at any given time. I just choose not to.

This is happening Now
Kind of a way of saying ‘Appreciate the moment’. This is the only time this moment will ever happen. Are you enjoying it? If not, why not? Don’t wait for tomorrow, or keep thinking about the past. This is Happening Now.

Honestly Promise, Honestly Deny
Had a really annoying situation with an Irish Girl who said she’d look into something for me. And never did. I called her, texted her, and went to her place to check on it, and she just ignored the calls, and ‘Oh, I couldn’t get round to it’. It was obvious she never intended on doing it, but it sounded nice to offer. And we all do this. How often have you said you’d come to a party, or a gathering, with no intension of going? You say yes, then ‘something happens in the last moment’, or you ‘forget to check your phone’. And when people do this to us, it infuriates us. Yet we do it to others. So don’t. It’s nicer to say ‘Sorry, but no’.

Open Your Eyes
Again, appreciate the moment, but in a different way. Right now, open your eyes. Look around at wherever you are. Really look. It’s quite wonderful isn’t it. It’s best to do this outside. Whenever you’re stressed and annoyed by something, just Open your yes, look around, and relax. It’s pretty great out there.

Energy is Inspiration, inspiration is Energy
You ever noticed how the plans you make when in bed are a lot easier and slower than the one’s you make in the shower? I realised this, and extended it. I noticed that when I’m walking around, I have more ideas than when I’m sitting (pacing is a big part of writing). And When I have ideas for stories and characters, or just general thoughts, I have more energy than when I’m thinking about boring things. So it became obvious. If I woke up feeling low. Get out of bed immediately. Go for a walk. The more energy you have, the more energy you’ll get

If you say it, Be it
This one has become tricky, and was one of my big reasons for leaving Mildura. I’m a pretty opinionated person. As you may have realised already. I have my thoughts and ideas, and I will say them out loud. But, in Mildura, in that situation, I found it very difficult to stick with my principles. On one of my jobs, digging holes to put wires down, I worked with a lot of tradies. Tradies talk about girls, about coloured people, and why they are both stupid in various ways. I hate racism. It’s stupid, it makes no sense, and I want to argue with anyone who is a racist, to attempt to stop their idiotic thought process. But I couldn’t. Not there. I wanted to keep my job, to make friends, to not cause a fuss. So I let it slide. I listened and smiled along while this freakin’ morons went on and on about scoring with fat girls because no one else would sleep with them, and about how the blacks were lazy, and ugly, and idiots. I hated myself, because I couldn’t stand up for what I believed in. And I should. If I’m going to claim I’m for things, or against things, I should stand up for it.