The 10 most unexpected consequences of being online

1. Going online looking for a something specific and ending up googling something completely different.

2. Telling oneself that “I am only going to be online for a few minutes” and then you end up surfing the net for hours.

3. When you’re on a site and all of a sudden you see a pop up on the screen stating that you’ve won $ 10 million and even though you keep trying to cancel it, it keeps popping up.

4. Meeting someone by chatting to them online and then finding out that they are a stalker.

5. Spending so much time on the internet thinking that your bill at the end of the month will not be that much, but then the bill comes and you figure out that you thought wrong.

6. Doing research for an important assignment on the last minute and then all of a sudden the following words appear on your screen, “Internet Explorer is unable to connect”.

7. Entering personal information into a site that claims to be legible and then finding out that you’ve been scammed.

8. Thinking that you are going to find specific information on Google fast but then you discover that it somehow is not giving you the correct information that you want.

9. Receiving emails from strange organisations and then trying to figure out how on earth they found your email address.

10. Becoming addicted to the internet.

The elephant in the room

Sometimes there are important and obvious topics which people are aware of but they do not discuss it at all due to the fact that such a discussion is considered to be uncomfortable. People just decide to ignore the important topic or issue just to avoid any awkwardness. At the end of the day it is better to confront any important topic even though it is going to create a sphere of awkwardness.

In some cases people might have issues with each other or they might be offended by something that the other person has done, but instead of opening their mouths and saying exactly how they feel they decide to sweep it under the carpet and have a negative attitude towards the other person. At the end of the day doing this just makes matters even worse than it already is. In other instances there are people who automatically decide to ignore important things that need to be discussed and beat around the bush or just do not mention it at all. People tend to avoid addressing important issues or topics.

I think the reason why some people do this is simply because of stubbornness. They feel that they are not the ones who are responsible for making the first move. I would advise any person who is aware of an important and obvious topic that they are aware of to address it even though they know that they are going to feel out of place whilst doing so. Instead of ignoring something important that has to be discussed and brushing it off, why not just let the big fat elephant in the room out?

Family

Just the other day I sat and wondered what life would be like without family. Would it be as filled with joyous occasions and laughter if we were to live without family? Would there be as many arguments and struggles? At the end of the day if you think of it, it’s our family that helps us through difficult and trying times. I don’t know what life would be like without family.


When I think of family I think of many generations. It’s like an onion, many different layers. Family is the same, there are many layers of family members. And all those layers make up one whole strong onion. And as soon as you try and chop up one of the layers or just a piece of it, your eyes will burn. That’s how families are, they stand together and support one another. And as soon as anyone tries to mess with a member of the family they will end up in tears.

Many individuals tend to take their family members for granted. They do not realise how fortunate they are to have a family and just see it as a normal, every day, “so what” thing. It’s important that we spend as much time with our families as we can and we should also make them aware of the fact that they are greatly appreciated. In the end blood is thicker than water….

The Bigger Picture

Today is just one of those days where I am sitting and pondering, so many thoughts running through my head at the moment. I’m wondering when people will eventually get the bigger picture. When will human beings realise that there is more to life than fame, money, popularity, partying, drinking, living reckless lives and thinking that the way they’ve been living is acceptable? I truly hope that every single person would stop for a moment, even if it’s just for a second. I hope that people will come to the realisation that tomorrow is not promised. We each have a purpose on this earth and we need to realise that living a life that is reckless and full of irresponsible decisions is not part of that purpose.

There’s more to life than just waking up in the morning and going to bed at night. When was the last time you showed someone an ounce of kindness? When was the last time you were more than willing to help someone in need? Whether it be a homeless person out on the streets in this unbearably cold weather or a close friend who simply needs you. In life we truly need to see the bigger picture, we need to realise that everything that we do in life should not just be to our benefit but we should strive to help others. We should show kindness to others, let those close to us know that they are loved, cared for and appreciated. After all, tomorrow is not promised so how will they know if we don’t tell them?

Many people are too concerned about things that aren’t important such as partying and living a life that is filled with ‘temporary feel good moments’ which in the end could lead you to make decisions that are irresponsible. So my question for you is when will you see the Bigger picture?

 

Winter warmers

This winter has probably been one of Cape Town’s coldest thus far. And keeping warm in these weather conditions is essential. I truly believe that winter is a wonderful season, even though it is the coldest season of the year. Even though winter has its disadvantages there are also many advantages. During this season there are many things that could be done. Most individuals prefer staying indoors during this season because of the cold whilst others are fine with going out as usual. There are many fun, exciting and relaxing activities to keep oneself occupied with when staying indoors. These activities include partaking in various exciting board games, watching movies, reading books, trying out new winter recipes and relaxing in front of the fire place with a lovely warm cup of hot chocolate.


Each of us have our different preferences when it comes to keeping warm and busy during the winter season. My personal favourite winter warmers are relaxing in front of the fire place; watching movies underneath warm blankets; cooking delicious warm dishes, layering myself with clothing; turning on my electric blanket when I get into bed, playing board games with friends and family; drinking lots of hot chocolate with marshmallows in it and exercising.

Winter is the perfect opportunity to spend loads of time with family and friends. But keeping warm is certainly the most important during this season. In cold weather, layered clothing is essential. I personally believe that one should wear at least three layers of clothing. Eating warming foods is also good during winter. This covers a large spectrum of foods. As you’ve read and already know there are many winter warmer tips which we could use. So don’t forget to keep warm!

Don't forget to dream.....

It is very important that one has a dream. When you have a dream you have a destiny. And possessing ambition and striving to reach that dream is important. Life throws many curve balls our way. Many people are disappointed on a regular basis. But the big question that remains is, “How will you handle the pressures of life?” Will we just give up our dreams and hearts desires because of certain difficulties which we face, or will we get up and persevere?

At the end of the day what you put in whilst striving to reach your dream is what you’ll get out.In order to go far in life and to reach your dreams you need to have a positive attitude. You need to see yourself in a positive light. The way you walk, talk, act and carry yourself is a reflection of who you think you are. It is also important to look after yourself, how can anyone else treat you right if you don’t treat yourself right. If you think of it, the manner in which you treat a vessel or object is based on your perception of it. I.e. if a ring is valuable to you, you would cherish and look after it to the best of your ability. The same goes for oneself, you treat yourself based on your perception of yourself. Therefore, in many circumstances perception is more powerful than reality.


Identify what you think of yourself and how you perceive yourself. Always do something to move closer to your dream and destiny. Even though life may be full of trials and it may take as much as it likes from you but it can’t take your dream. So don’t miss your moment but live it!

Try a Cliché

There are quite a few sites that encourage individuals to make use of or to simply try out a cliche. To be completely honest I am not one of those individuals who make use of cliches on a regular basis. In fact I can’t even remember when last I used one. But then again sometimes it becomes such a norm to certain individuals that you do not even realise that you’re making use of cliches as many times as certain people do.

It was rather interesting to discover how many cites encourage us to make use of all the many sayings it possesses. One of the sites which I visited is called ClichéSite.com, the site contains a whole bunch of different cliches, Euphemisms and figures of speech. The site has various different categories that you can choose from such as, Aging; Beauty, Children, Business, Jealousy, Hope and Death etc. So once you enter this site it is As Easy as Pie to find whatever you are looking for. You can either just search for the cliche or saying that you are looking for or you can choose from the list which is provided.

One of the definitions of cliches which I came across is a definition by Richard Nordquist’s. His definition is as follows; ‘A trite expression, often a figure of speech whose effectiveness has been worn out through overuse and excessive familiarity. Cliches have become such a norm or shall I rather say that it has become such an everyday thing. I think it adds some spice to a conversation, it makes it much more interesting. So why not try a cliche each and every day?