Hey guys,
So today I posted a YouTube video talking about my thoughts on Shane Dawson coming out. I know I’m like two weeks late to this but anyway, I wanted to make a video talking about it and I also wanted to make a blog post just to maybe clarify some things in my video.
I was kind of all over the place with my video because I had so much to say but I think that it was a good video with some good messages, so if you guys want to watch the video I will put it at the end of this blog post.
One of the main reasons why I wanted to talk about Shane coming out in particular is because he was not coming out as gay like a lot of other YouTubers in the past, but rather he was coming out as bisexual. Which is less common to see on YouTube.
I have to say I was really surprised to find out the news. For the longest time I thought that Shane was straight, so a coming out video of any kind was a surprise. Especially since for so long Shane has portrayed a character on his channel.
This is one of the few videos in which we see Shane as himself. It’s not scripted, he doesn’t have his big camera set up and he didn’t even do his hair. He just wanted to sit and talk to us for real. And it was something that I really appreciated.
I always love when a YouTuber can be real with their audience and show them that the person behind the camera is a real person. It’s one of my favourite things because it reminds us that just because they seem like they aren’t people and are just internet personalities with no real problems or responsibilities doesn’t mean that’s really the case. It really lets you see the person they are and it helps you really connect with them on a deeper level.
And over the past year Shane has shown us a lot more of his real self rather than the character we are so used to seeing on his channel and I love that. I like seeing a real person behind the character. I think that’s why I like daily vloggers so much because they are just real people and you feel like you know them personally and can relate to them.
So to see Shane be so real with us in his video was really great. And to listen to his story about how he dealt with his sexual confusion really helped me understand more about him and his life and the things he went through such as his weight problems and his depression.
I just got really emotional when watching the video because I have been watching Shane on YouTube for so long that I feel like I know him personally so to be listening to what he had to say and understanding everything that he went through was a lot to take in.
By the end of the video I was tearing up and also freaking out because I was so happy for him and so proud of him for beginning to accept himself and being able to share this news with us. I mean Shane did say he wasn’t sure if he was going to make a video about it and he decided to do it to help at least one person decide to be happy. And I think it was just a really amazing video.
Another thing that I thought was important to note in the video was that Shane said he didn’t want his sexuality to be the only thing he is known for because he is so much more than that and I completely agree. He is an amazing writer, director and creator and this is just one more thing to know about him. It shouldn’t change how you see him.
Moving onto another issue that I think was brought up with Shane’s video. People commenting saying that Shane is just gay and that he’s lying about his sexuality. I hate this. I mean…I really dislike people who act like you have to be gay or straight and that there is no in between.
In Shane’s video he talks about how there is a scale that everyone is on, and at one end there’s heterosexuality and at the other end there’s homosexuality and that you can be at one end or the other or you can be somewhere in the middle. And I agree with that, I mean you can be more at one end than the other, but there is definitely a spectrum that we fall under.
And I think that’s completely fine. And if someone wants to choose to identify as bisexual then why is that a problem?
I mean I completely support anyone who decides to come out and tell us their sexuality or if they are trans or anything because we’re all just people. I mean if it’s not directly affecting you in any way why is it a problem if someone is attracted to both males and females?
I just feel like everyone should love who they want to love because everyone has the right to love. It doesn’t matter who you love. It shouldn’t matter. Not to anyone but yourself.
However when people do decide to share their sexuality with us online it’s usually part of their process to self-acceptance and to help other people in the same situation as them. Which is why I never want to be negative about someone coming out. I mean it’s a very private thing that they are deciding to share with us and I think we should respect their decision to share it with us.
Even if you don’t support it, I think you should at least respect it and if it really bothers you ignore it. No one is forcing you to watch their videos or see their online posts.
I think that’s everything that I wanted to say. I mean…at the end of the day I guess it doesn’t matter what we think about someone else deciding to come out. It’s really about how they feel about it. But I just wanted to say that I 100% support Shane and anyone else in the LGBT+ community because we’re all just people and we should all be allowed to love whoever we want or to not love at all, whatever floats your boat. 🙂
Just be happy and unapologetic of who you are because life is too short to worry about what everyone else thinks about you.
~ Courtney x
Category: Life
Rain – Enjoying the Simple Things in Life
Hey guys,
So the other day I was sitting at my desk when I heard the sound of heavy rain outside and I kind of had the urge to go outside in it. I don’t know why really, but it was just something that I wanted to do. However I didn’t actually do it, mainly because it was night time and it seemed a little bit weird and plus I wasn’t really dressed to go outside in the pouring rain.
Instead I decided to open my window and just sit and enjoy the sound of the rain, and it was really nice. I mean I’m sure you all know the feeling of hearing heavy rain while you are inside in a nice warm house. It’s very calming and relaxing and so I sat there for a while just taking it in.
While I was sitting there I also thought it would be a great time to vlog. I just talked for about five minutes and decided to update my subscribers on my life and what I was doing. Just because it was one of those moments that I wanted to share with people. And if you guys are interested in seeing that vlog I will put it at the bottom of this blog post.
When I had finished filming my vlog I also decided to read a little bit, because I thought this was one of those perfect scenarios where you can sit inside by the window and enjoy reading a good book. So that is exactly what I did.
It was one of those times that I had wished that I had a built-in window seat at my window because I could have sat there all night listening to the rain and reading but unfortunately I did not and the rain stopped and my chair became uncomfortable to sit in haha.
But for a while it was really great. It was really nice just to take a break from sitting at my computer and do something else. It’s not everyday that something like this happens, normally I don’t really pay attention to the weather or go out of my way just to enjoy it but I do think that it will be something that I do a lot more.
I just thought that it was a really lovely thing to see because it hasn’t rained that heavily here in a long time and while I wish I had gone outside to enjoy it a little bit more I was really happy with my decision to just stop for a minute and enjoy it from inside.
And so, what I think I can take from this is that we should enjoy the simple things in life. I know that I am someone who takes things for granted a lot, and when little things like heavy rain showers happen I don’t really think much of them but I think we should enjoy them when we can. Yes, the rain can be annoying sometimes especially when you live in a place where it rains a lot but it’s not just rain that I think we can appreciate sometimes, it’s all weather and all things.
I think we should be grateful for the time we have to take a break and appreciate these things and we should be lucky to have warm houses that can shelter us from the weather because some people aren’t as lucky as us.
So if this blog post had any real point it’s that we should all take a break sometimes from our crazy lives and just sit back and enjoy the simple things like the weather because it’s a really soothing thing to do.
~ Courtney x
My Holiday in Portrush
Hey, guys!
So today I thought I would share with you some photos of my holiday. If you guys didn’t know I went on holiday with my friends for the week to Portrush. Which is probably the only holiday destination we have in Northern Ireland. Everyone else decided to go abroad for their holidays, but me and my friends decided to stay up by the coast for a week. Haha.
So we rented a house for the week and packed our things and went off. I had no idea what we were going to be doing when we were away, mainly because we didn’t really have any plans, we just sort of decided we wanted to go on holiday and this was where we were going.
The house that we rented was called Isle Cottage and if you guys are thinking about staying in Portrush I would definitely recommend this house because it was such an adorable little house in a quiet area. Plus there is plenty of room for everyone.
 |
| Isle Cottage |
If you guys are interested in seeing the little house tour I did of this house you can check it out in my vlog below:
The first day that we got there we didn’t actually do much, we just got settled and did some shopping for the week. Then we played some Cards Against Humanity which has quickly become our favourite game.
The next day started out nice, we went to Barry’s which is the amusement park in Portrush. We went on some rides and then we decided to go along the streets and look into the shops. A lot of the shops in Portrush are very touristy you can pick up almost anything there with a name on it if you want to bring back personalised gifts, they also have a custom t-shirt store if you want to make customised t-shirts for your holiday.
We also stopped by one of the arcades that they had known as ‘Phil’s Amusements’. We played some arcade games to win some tickets. I ended up winning the most out of all my friends and picked up a few things from the prize counter, nothing special, just a ring, a notebook and two sweets.
We had also planned to go to the beach this day but then it began to rain so we just decided to go home and we played some more card games. A popular one was “bullshit” which is basically where you have to try and get rid of the cards in your hand by putting them in the centre and if people think you are lying about the card that you have put down they say “bullshit” and it escalated and got heated very quickly but it was fun. You can also replace the word “bullshit” with a less explicit one if you don’t feel like yelling swear words at your friends.
Another game we played was “spoons” and this is where you pass cards around and try to get four of a kind and then once you do, lift a spoon. Then everyone else has to take a spoon after the first one has been taken and the person without a spoon gets a letter. They are out if they get all the letters that spell “spoon”. It was a fun game and definitely not as aggressive as “bullshit”.
 |
| The set up for Spoons |
The next day was a lazy day and we didn’t do anything. This is because the weather wasn’t great so we spent the day at home, but that was fine, we all had our books and electronics to entertain us. Another plus side to the house was that it had WiFi and the WiFi was pretty good, it did cut out a little when we were there but for the most part it was strong.
The day after that we headed back to the amusements because the last time we went one of our friends wasn’t able to go as she had to work. This is the day that we won ourselves a Pony. It sounds weird that a bunch of 18/19-year-olds went to the amusements with the sole goal of winning a Pony from the ticket counter but that’s what we did.
It started out as a joke but it quickly escalated and so we were able to take home our prize, we named it Isla Sheniqua, and there has never been a more majestic pony in all the land.
That night me and three of my other friends went out to Kelly’s which is a nightclub in Portrush. It was one of those places that we had heard a lot about and so we decided to go for the night and see what the fuss was about. Some of my friends didn’t want to go and so decided to stay home instead, they had their own dance party at the house.
I’m not really the type of person to go clubbing but I would recommend Kelly’s in Portrush. It wasn’t like I expected it, I had heard it had been around for a long time and so I didn’t know how well it would look on the inside but it has been renovated and it looks really great. The music was good and the atmosphere was really great.
Also, the taxi driver that we got to the club was so nice! He was very helpful on giving us information on the club and its opening hours and he also arranged with us a taxi back to the house which was very generous of him. Since it was our first time going there we really appreciated the information from the taxi driver.
The sad thing about it is that it is only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays which was very upsetting to me and my friends who really wanted to go again before we left. It’s a fun place to go to but it’s not the kind of place you can go to every week if you live far away from it like me and my friends do. But it was good to go just once so that we could say we’ve done it.
 |
| Me and my friend Jasmine before we went out |
The next day we went to Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge which I have actually never been to before. It’s one of the main attractions in the coast and it was a nice way to spend part of our day. Going over the actual rope bridge wasn’t too bad, although I’m sure if you are scared of heights it would be more of a challenge.
The weather wasn’t too bad when we went however it was windy which could sway some people when they are on the bridge. Other than the bridge itself the scenery there is beautiful. I really loved it and was able to get some really great pictures while we were there.
After the rope bridge, we decided to head to the beach but unfortunately it began to rain when we got there so we didn’t spend a lot of time there. When we got home we ordered a Chinese from JustEat.co.uk and chilled for the evening. It was surprising that we were able to get a delivery because we thought we’d be too far out and have to go and collect the food ourselves but we did find a place to deliver to us. It took just over an hour to get to us which was good timing considering where the house is.
The next day we had plans to go to the Giant’s Causeway but after looking up the prices we decided not to go because we thought it was too expensive. If you are going to Portrush and have never been to the Giant’s Causeway I do recommend it though because it is something we’re known for.
However, because my friends and I live in Northern Ireland we decided it was okay to give it a miss because we’d all been before.
So instead we decided to go to the beach again and have a picnic. Luckily this time the weather was nice and we were able to find a place in the rocks to sit so we didn’t get sand in everything. Again, I was able to get some really great pictures.
This was our last full day here because we had to leave early Saturday morning and so we decided to go out for dinner. One of the best-known places to eat in Portrush is Ramore, I’ve heard a lot about the restaurant because of people from school going there and so we decided to go.
Ramore is not just one restaurant however, it is actually a group of different restaurants located in the same area of Portrush which I think is really nice because they have different restaurants for different occasions. My friends and I decided to eat in the Harbour Bistro which has more of a ”bar’ type atmosphere and we didn’t have to book a table, they only take bookings for parties of 10 people or more and there were 7 of us but we luckily didn’t have to wait for a table. The service there was great and they were very quick in serving us, the restaurant also requires you to order at the counter which is nice because it allows you to have time to decide what you want before you order.
Overall the experience was great and we had a really nice time and, of course, the food was good too.
That night we came home and we packed up our things to prepare for leaving the next day, we were all quite sad about having to leave because it had been such a nice week away.
We left early Saturday morning and made it back home around lunch time. The drive was long to get back home but I suppose the journey will always be long depending on where you are travelling from.
If I had to say anything else about the trip it’s that I really enjoyed spending time with my friends, I know that we have seen each other every day at school but soon we won’t even have that so it was so good to have a little holiday away together. Plus we were able to make it through the week without wanting to kill each other which is great because it means our friendship was meant to last haha.
Now just because the holiday is over doesn’t mean we’ll never see each other again, we told ourselves we’d make plans and hang out over summer because there’s still a lot of summer left.
Anyway, I hope that you guys enjoyed this blog post, it’s a little different from my past blog posts but I hope you found it helpful and maybe it’ll make you consider taking a holiday in Portrush sometime soon…who knows?
~ Courtney x
❤️ #LoveWins ❤️
Just thought I’d post a quick blog post to celebrate marriage equality in America.
My Twitter timeline has just been an explosion of love and it’s such an amazing thing to see. It’s literally such a heartwarming thing.
It makes me want to go out and party or something to celebrate and I don’t even live in America, nor am I gay. But still it’s a huge thing that I think should be celebrated no matter what.
Because at the end of the day, love is love, whether it’s been two people of the same gender or two different genders it doesn’t matter. We should embrace it.
❤️❤️❤️
YouTube posted this video today about celebrating marriage equality and LGBT month and it is the cutest thing and I even teared up at it omg, I love it. #ProudToLove
❤️❤️❤️
Also I thought I would share with you some of my favourite tweets, because it has been such a love-filled day:
❤️❤️❤️
Exam Stress and Leaving School
Hey, guys, just a little blog post about life.
So as you know, it’s exam season and that is always stressful. It might not be on the same level of stress for everyone, but it definitely gets a little stressful.
And I was definitely feeling stress this year. This was my last year at secondary school and these exams had to count for something and so of course you want to do well. Especially since these exams are what are standing between you and getting into university. It’s a scary thought.
However, the only way to get through it is to push yourself. Work hard and get the results that you want. And I definitely think that I did my best. There’s nothing else you can do.
Which I know, makes me sound like such a teacher but it’s true. If I didn’t work hard I definitely would not have the grades that I do. Like my mock grades gave me such confidence about the real thing and that’s because I worked hard for it.
So I’m just hoping that the real thing goes just as well.
We don’t find out our exam results until August so we have some time to wait which sucks sometimes because it’s not exactly something you want to be worrying about over summer. But the truth is, as soon as I walk out of the exam room I don’t think about it anymore. And I think that’s how everyone should be.
My whole approach to exams is that you need to stop worrying about the exam the night before. Like, set a time to revise to and then stop and go to bed or do something to take your mind off of it. Because otherwise you just won’t sleep and lack of sleep is not good before an exam.
I know that sometimes you think you’ll forget something if you stop revising it and I have had the same worry but honestly, when I’ve stopped revising for the night and then go back to it the next day, I’ve found that I still remember most, if not everything that I learnt the day before. Your brain needs to take a break.
So you rest and then you go to the exam. By that point, there’s nothing extra you can do which is when I just stop worrying. Like, I take my seat in the exam room, take the exam and don’t worry about it after. Like you have done all that you can and now you just have to let it be whatever it is.
I don’t think there’s any point stressing about something that you can’t change. The only time you can change it is any time right up until before the exam. Like you either know it or you don’t and so you just sort of have to go with it.
Which sounds like I have such a laid back approach to exams but I think it’s so much easier to be this way. I might be a total mess up until the exam, but as soon as I’m in the hall I’m pretty calm. I think you just need to let the stress out of your system before the actual exam. And you just need to find a way to do that.
I mean, I guess everyone is different and if you have a way to cope with exams that works for you then that’s good. But this is just how I feel about it.
You work hard, you take the exam and then you can finally breathe because it’s all over.
Which is finally what I can do now. I have finally finished all my exams and it means I can just breathe and start my summer.
This summer also marks me leaving school. As in…I’m going to go to university. And that…that is scary and exciting.
I mean I’ve been at school for 14 years of my life and I am looking forward to being in a new environment. I am kind of glad that I will no longer have to wear a uniform, even though the stress of trying to figure out what to wear every day will be something I have to think about when the time comes. But I am looking forward to meeting new people and just having that “university experience”.
It is sort of weird to think I won’t be going to school anymore though. I mean I know I’ll miss it. I will miss the classes that I had and I will miss some teachers, and of course I will miss my friends. It’ll be strange to think they will all be somewhere else in September. They will all be in different places in the UK. Which I guess isn’t that bad because they are still going to be close but not that close.
I know I’ll keep in touch with them though. If anything I know that I made some really good friends the past few years and I do plan to keep them. I mean if anything I’m really glad that I made good friends. I think that it’s really important to surround yourself with good people, it really helps you to have someone out there that is going through what you are too.
And I suppose it’ll be the same when I go to university. We will all be a bunch of freshmen who have no idea what is coming haha. But I am looking forward to it.
As scared as I am I know I won’t be the only one and that it’ll take a while to settle in but it’ll be okay. I mean it’s just the next step in life and it’s something everyone has to go through eventually. Whether you are going to university or going into a job or whatever you chose to do after school…it’s scary.
But I do think we should embrace it.
So while I am sad that this part of my life is ending I am happy that a new part is starting. Adulthood.
Haha, that’s a scary thought.
I am not even ready to be an adult. But I guess that’s just something I have to take one day at a time.
I mean if I’ve learned anything it’s that no one really knows how to be a perfect adult, we are all just learning as we go along.
So if anything you just have to go with the flow. And at the end of the day don’t take life too seriously. Just enjoy it for what it is.
I wasn’t expecting this to get so deep, but it ended up being that way haha.
I can’t help it, I think when you are going through a big change like this it really does just give you a lot of time to reflect.
Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed reading. And I hope that you come back for my next blog post, I am planning to do one talking about my overall secondary school experience. Which I think will be a blast haha.
RuPaul’s Drag Race–The Shade, the Costumes and more!
Hey guys, so I posted here about a week and a half ago about how much I love RuPaul’s Drag Race and so today I thought I would give more insight to why I love it. I didn’t really know how to explain my fascination with it before but I think I can a bit better now.
So I have basically been watching the show non-stop since I first watched it and I have currently watched seasons 4-6 and I am caught up with season 7. I decided to watch them in reverse order for no reason other than I heard seasons 4 and 5 were really good.
But the show is just that addicting that it’s literally the only thing I have been able to talk about recently and I that’s kind of how all my obsessions go. Once I like something everyone needs to know about it which I admit can be really annoying…so I would like to apologise to anyone who follows me on social media because I know all my tweets lately have been all #RuPaulsDragRace haha.
Anyway, I think the main thing about the show that I love so much are the contestants. Normal reality shows just don’t have characters like these drag queens. I mean I think I love them because they all have such big personalities and are all so different. It’s good to have a lot of variety out there so you aren’t just seeing the same things every episode. Another thing about is, there don’t seem to be that many contestants. I mean I know they start out with 14 but when you binge-watch the series that quickly drops down to five or six which you get to know very well.
I always become really attached to the top 3 drag queens of every season because after spending about 14 hours watching them you really feel like you know them. So the top 3 have always been my favourites out of all the queens. However because they are all so unique they definitely leave an impression on you, and even the ones that don’t make it far in the competition you remember, well almost remember, if they leave the competition in the first few episodes I normally don’t remember too much about them. But the longer they are in the competition the more of an impact they make.
Another thing about the show is that the challenges are…insane. I mean I guess I don’t watch a lot of reality TV but I don’t know a lot of shows that do challenges that involve dressing up manly men and turning them into full drag queens. That’s always quite entertaining to watch, there are some guys that would be really into it and some that wouldn’t. Which I think is really interesting to hear what other people think about drag in general.
Like, personally I never thought too much about it. I was never really against it or anything I accept it. And after watching the show I live for it. I mean the amount of work that goes into getting into drag is incredible and the difference between some of the guys on the show, when they are in and out of drag, is insane. You almost don’t recognise some of them…
And then there are those guys that look more feminine than you on the show and you know that’s when they did a good job. I personally prefer the fishy queens, but there are a lot of styles of drag out there that, if you are the person that can pull it off, it can be done really well.
I mean I think the show really does help you gain a better understanding of the world of drag queens because it’s not really something that is so easy to come by. At least not where I live, it’s like unless you are actively interested in this lifestyle you won’t know anything about it. But through the show I have learnt a lot of interesting things I find myself wanting to know more. To be honest, if I wasn’t a girl I’d probably be a drag queen. Hell, I kind of want to be a drag queen. I feel like I, personally can’t get away with wearing a ball gown every day but in drag? Yes, you can. I think it’s amazing.
Another thing I have learnt a lot about is the slang of drag queens. I don’t really know if these are things used in the everyday language by drag queens or just on this show but I love their slang. I was kind of introduced to it through Shane Dawson’s YouTube, like when he was hanging out with GiGi Gorgeous and people like that. Words like ‘hunty’ and ‘shade’, I kind of knew about but there’s a lot of terms like that.
My favourite words/phrases are probably ‘shade’, ‘no tea, no shade’, ‘*anything* realness’, ‘Sissy that walk’, ‘read’ and ‘condragulations’. I feel like I should incorporate these into my daily life just because they are so fabulous.
Also the one thing about this show that makes me love it a whole lot is the shade. I mean these queens be throwing shade like nobody’s business. I think season 5 is probably the one with the most shade. That whole rivalry between Alyssa Edwards and Coco Montrese had me HOOKED. It’s just so entertaining to watch and you’ll just never know what anyone is going to say next. Although sometimes the shade can be too much and you’d wish everyone would get along…kind of like in season 5 when everyone kept picking on Jinkx at the end. I mean I feel like it’s okay to be shady and bitchy at times but if you’re just that all the time I find it very hard to like you…
An example of that is Bianca Del Rio, at first I didn’t like her in the show because she was shady and bitchy to everyone but she actually turned out to be so nice and she did help the other girls when they needed it but at the same time she kept it real with the comments she made on the show. She was basically one of my favourite queens out of the entire series so far just because of the comments she made.
My favourite challenge that they do on the show is probably Snatch Game. This is a twist on the Match Game where the drag queens have to impersonate a celebrity. This is always really interesting because you always want to know what character everyone has picked and if they can pull it off or not. Some people can do an amazing job whereas others…not so much. I just think it’s a really fun challenge especially if they can pull off their characters, it makes it really fun and enjoyable to watch. Otherwise it kind of just becomes a bit of a train wreck like season 4s Snatch Game was kind of all over the place…
Another thing I love about the show is the Runway looks. These girls make the most fabulous gowns, or they have someone else make them for them. But it is actually incredible some of the things they are able to make. I mean if I could sew I know I’d probably make all of my outfits. I always get excited to find out what theme they are going for on the Runway and what everyone is going to come out in. I mean you’ll never feel over dressed on this show, it’s go big or go home.
My dream is to one day be able to put a fabulous gown on and walk the runway of RuPaul’s Drag Race. For no other reason than to walk the runway. I think it’d be amazing and so much fun. Basically any reason to dress up fabulous and walk a runway, I’m in.
And of course the show would be nothing without it’s lip sync battles. I know that this is not something that is new and a lot of shows are doing lip sync battles now – in fact there’s an actual show all about lip sync battles, but I don’t think it can compare to the lip sync battles on Drag Race.
From watching the show I now believe one of the requirements to be America’s Next Drag Superstar is that you need to have a death drop or be able to do the splits or something to that affect because a lot of girls who end up lip syncing will death drop and it is quite amazing.
And overall the show is just a lot of fun to watch, I mean it’s definitely something different and crazy and totally out there but I definitely think that you should give it a go. I mean I never really knew what to think about it at the start but from the bitchiness and the fashion alone I knew I was going to love it.
I have to say I have a lot of respect for people that do this and through this show you can really see the struggles that some people have to go through and the things drag has done for them. I mean it’s so sad that so many of them have families that don’t support them and love them just because they do drag, I think it’s horrible. But that’s why I am so glad there is a show like this and a community of people like this that are so accepting of one another. It’s a huge family and I love it so much and so I just thought I would share it with everyone.
And of course I couldn’t go without saying how much I love RuPaul. I feel like that’s a given. Without her the show would be non-existent and I wouldn’t have gotten to know any of the amazing people who have been on the show. I mean RuPaul is just so inspiring and amazing and all of the things she has accomplished in life have been incredible. So keep it up mama! 
And so I think that’s everything that I have to say. I know I’ll be sad when I’m caught up with everything because I’ll be wanting more but we still have half of season 7 to go and they are even casting for season 8 which is fabulous. I look forward to seeing so much more from this show and the contestants and I just hope it’s around for a long, long time.
Now remember, “If you can’t love yourself how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else? Can I get an amen up in here?”
#DearMe – A Letter to my Younger Self
I’m a little bit late with this since International Women’s Day was yesterday and the YouTube campaign has stopped and everything but I have decided to take part anyway because it seems like such a great concept to me and it not only helps yourself but also helps many other people too. 🙂
Dear Me,
I have never been the best at giving advice but I think if I was going to advise anyone I think the best person would be to advise myself. So that’s what I’m going to do.
The first thing I’d like to say to my younger self is that it’s okay to want to spend time on your own. You might think it’s weird when you get days when you don’t want to talk to anyone and just want to shut yourself away and be invisible and that is okay. You are just not a people person. It’s not anything to feel bad about and it is okay to turn down plans if you aren’t feeling up to them. Your friends will understand, it’s just that sometimes you just need to take the day to yourself and just be.
On the other side of that it is also okay to want to be heard. If you have an opinion don’t be afraid to speak up and share it. Even if you are worried about people getting offended you have a right to say how you feel. Almost 99% of the time you say something someone is going to disagree but you just have to stand your ground and stay true to what you believe in. It is also important to be careful with the way you word things, while it’s important to be heard it is also important to be mindful of other people. Don’t go out of your way to purposely hurt someone with your words. Respect that they have a different opinion from yours.
Also stay away from the internet when you are angry. It is okay to rant when you are angry, it is okay to have negative thoughts from time to time but try not to share them with the world. I know I’ve always found comfort in sharing my thoughts online but if they are hurtful and rude I would keep them to myself. Spreading hatred online can only lead to trouble and you have no idea how the person you are aiming these things toward feels on the other side.
It is also best not to indirect post about other people. You might be angry with someone about something and you think the best way to let them know you’re angry is to talk about them indirectly. That’s the opposite of what you should do. I know I’ve never liked confrontation but it is better to talk directly to the person you have an issue with rather than tell everyone else but that person. Having open communication with people can make relationships a lot easier and save a ton of drama.
I would also advise my younger self not to worry so much about other people. It is okay to care about your friends and worry about them from time to time but you can’t force them to get help or change. So don’t worry so much you put their needs before your own because this can have a negative effect on you too. All you can do is be there for your friends and give them advice but it is their choice whether to take the advice you give. The most you can do is do your best to help them but you can’t control what they do with their lives. So while you may not agree with everything they do, you should accept them for who they are and hope they will make the right choices for themselves.
It is also okay to let go of the past and the people in it. I know it’s hard to let people out of your life but sometimes it’s for the best. You shouldn’t be holding onto people in your past if it is stopping you from living in the present. While yes, you have great memories with these people you have to accept that that’s what they are, memories. You can always look back and enjoy the time you had with them but at the end of the day if things didn’t work out it’s okay to move on. It just takes time.
And the last piece of advice I would give to my younger self is be yourself. Don’t be discouraged by people around you that don’t like who you are. Don’t let them influence how you live your life because they aren’t the ones living it. Find what you love and do it. It is always best to stand out on your own rather than follow the crowd. Be proud to be different and embrace it. Because it’s your life and you have to live it, no one else. So don’t be ashamed of doing what you love, don’t be embarrassed if you don’t like what everyone else likes. As long as you’re happy with your life, that’s all that matters.
Love, Courtney x
And so there’s my letter to my younger self. I am sure I would have so many more things to add but I think this covers a lot of it.
I hope you guys enjoyed reading this advice I’d give to my younger self and that you can relate to it and it helps you in some way. I’d also love to know if you have any advice you would give to your younger self because I think even when we are older we still forget basic advice like this. Especially when you are still growing up like me…
Thanks so much for reading. 🙂
~ Courtney x
Courtney's Blog 