Saying "Fuck You" to Celebrity Worship and "Social Networking" - and Inspiration to Live Your Own Damned Life

Why are we so obsessed with celebrities, as a culture? I think it's ridiculous. I could see it being understandable if the majority of the people in magazines were WORTH being interested in. And not to say these people aren't nice, but...why do we spend so much time and energy bringing them up or burning them down, when most of them are famous for no real reason!?

I think there are lots of great famous people out there who are worthy of interest, but the stuff I see all the time is about the ones who just HAPPEN upon being famous. And I don't get the fascination. Why are we giving notoriety and money to people who do NOTHING? People who exist to make us yearn for fame, to aspire to nothing but consumerism and "beauty" - these things exist to distract us from other more important things, and then less important things get done in the world.

There are many particular people in the news that I have in mind, and I really wonder what all the fuss is for. Most are train wrecks. I really miss the days of talented people. They're still out there, of course, but a lot of them are just getting ignored or bypassed for the people who just cause drama. They're like trolls - just ignore them and maybe they will go away, maybe they will do something better with their lives once they stop getting attention.

There are so many damned celeb magazines, so many poor trees wasted on garbage that adds NO depth to ANYONE'S lives. It's just time squandered. Can you imagine the things you could accomplish if you ignored all the tripe being targeted at you? And it IS being targeted. Even I pick up this crap sometimes, because it's hard to ignore. But it only holds my interest for a brief moment. Almost all of it is negative, or pushing you to buy something, so you can be like someone else, someone FAMOUS.

It is SO rare that anyone is famous anymore for working hard and spreading a message like a beautiful disease. It's so much more beautiful and interesting than who has been having plastic surgery, or who is scary skinny, or fat, or anything that makes no difference in our lives.

Also, "social networking" is such a misleading idea. We all talk to each other via texting, facebook, twitter, etc. What happened to meeting in person, writing letters (or even emails!), writing in PRIVATE journals, etc? I like these sites, but I find that they're just replacing real life. I want real life.

HERE IS A LIST OF THINGS TO DO INSTEAD OF READING CELEB GOSSIP:

+ Erase all the gossip sites off your internet history. Don't read them anymore. It's almost all LIES anyway! Do you want to waste your life reading lies, or someone else's opinion?! Form your OWN opinion! Spend your time on your OWN interests, and read about AMAZING people! Seek out people who are not FAMOUS, but well-known, for reasons other than squandering their inheritance or being on a reality show.

+ Remove any potentially damaging imagery from your household, bedroom, etc. Put up things that inspire your MIND.

+ Who actually INSPIRES you...to actually DO something with your life? Write down all the reasons WHY. Then emulate them in a way to make your own personal dreams occur.

"I saw a documentary on Jimi Hendrix, so I know that he practiced guitar twelve hours a day for his whole life and we've practiced our vocal scales zero hours a day. Yet suddenly I am under the impression that everything in the world is easy, and most people simply don't understand that and that is why they don't do much - because they mistakenly believe things are hard." - Lisa Carver

Here's some awesome links to peruse instead of lame gossip sites, or facebook. God, I am so sick of facebook. Go learn something, feed your brain. It's so cliche to say "you only have one life" and not to waste your time. It's so over-said that it has no meaning anymore. So instead I will say: will you feel good about having wasted so much time on such insignificant things when you are old? Because guess what? It WILL happen, and faster than you think. The older you get, the faster it goes. And the more you sit around, the faster it goes. You aren't missing anything - ANYTHING - you can spend your whole life offline and still miss nothing. What you are actually missing is YOUR OWN LIFE. In fact, off the internet, you probably will be living MORE than almost everyone!

(P.S. I'm not talking about casual usage. I'm talking about spending hours upon hours a day on this thing - something I have been very guilty of for years).

% A Brief Guide to World Domination e-book. It's not actually about dominating the world. It's about dominating your OWN world, your own life.

% Asgarda - REAL warrior women!

% HOW TO BE AWESOME

% I don't feel like it What is "it"? Do "it" anyway. Otherwise you will probably just sit there and do nothing. Which accomplishes NOTHING. Who wants to accomplish NOTHING?

% This is a stunning post by Star, whom I really admire. I really think you should read this link, because it's totally amazing. In fact, I am going to read it again after I write all this.

% Hell YEAH, or no - makes sense.

% Empty Bellies Do Not Beget Genius - this article is genius.

% Regular people are usually the most inspiring - that's right - REGULAR people! This is why I LOVE blogs, and loathe celeb stuff. I like it direct from the source, and no editing down, no false pretenses, and no bullshit. Give me real, raw, intense people, damnit!

% Check out this story about a 17 year old girl who was the only survivor of her plane crash in the Amazon - freaking amazing! I love survival stories!

% Some random ideas of things to do that maybe you hadn't thought of. Spend one of your days off doing one of these. I will. Then I'll write about it. In fact, I did the first one - well, partially. The place exactly opposite of Vancouver on the globe is in the ocean, and the closest land are two islands that almost no one has ever been on (Heard and Mcdonald islands) - so, not really feasible! Would be cool, though.

% Stop talking yourself out of things. Yeah.

% Living with less! - this is rad! I love having very little. In fact, I always think I have way too much stuff. The only thing I get really attached to is books, but I am much more incline to use the library now than I used to. I still OWN a lot of books. God I love books.

% Life will break you! - Amanda Palmer is worthy of attention.

% Finding the secret to happiness while totally naked - the basis being if you resist something, it will cause pain. If you don't resist, it probably won't be so painful.

% Byron Katie - this woman changed the way I view life. I implore you to watch her videos. Out of ALL self-help books I have read, hers are the only ones with LASTING impact on me. Watch the one on full potential - inspiring!

% Self Government - Natalia Rose is an amazing, amazing lady. ALL of her blog is worth reading. I've read every post.

% The Big Lie - here's another!

% Healing Depression with Ayahuasca - ever heard of it? Or iboga? Interesting stuff. Please indulge yourself. It's so much more interesting than celeb culture, believe me.

% Das Energi - someone scanned this entire book for you to read! It's awesome!

Here's some books for you to read.

* Ishmael - Daniel Quinn
* Drugs are Nice - Lisa Carver
* Ecstatic Beings - Kate Magic and Shazzie (I had to order mine from the UK - worth it!)
* I am an Emotional Creature - Eve Ensler
* Born to Run - Christopher McDougall
* Tracks - Robyn Davidson
* Beyond the Horizon - Colin Angus
* The Ringing Cedars series - Vladimir Megre
* Pronoia - Rob Brezsny
* Raw Family - Victoria Boutenko (this book changed my life - literally! It REALLY changed my life)
* Vagabonding - Rolf Potts
* The World Peace Diet - Will Tuttle

anything by

* Byron Katie
* Ffyona Campbell
* Kira Salak
* Eve Ensler
* Diane Ackerman
* Keri Smith
* Sabrina Ward Harrison
* Lisa Carver
* Esther and Jerry Hicks
* Derrick Jensen

I am recommending books more than websites because they are portable, and will get you off your butt and out in the world. Another time I will write about the people who inspire me, and why.

Are you inspired?? Okay, NOW, go DO things!!!! Get off the computer! There are a zillion articles on the internet about this stuff, but unless you actually get up and DO them, it's useless. Stop wasting your time, live your life. Go SEE your friends! In person! Outside of clubs! Forge real bonds! Wow! It's a concept. The new concept is intense bonding in real life.

"Get off the internet! I'll meet you in the street."




OKAY, so, WHO WANTS TO HANG OUT AND DO SHIT!? I don't care where you live, we'll make it happen! In case you're wondering, I spent a long time writing this, with the full intention of meeting other people who want to do amazing things. Let's inspire each other, and inspire people who do nothing to do SOMETHING.

I WANNA HEAR FROM YOU. Send me an email or a damned letter.

And shit, now I'm gonna go take my own damned advice.

Real Bravery

I've been thinking about bravery lately.

People do a lot of stupid things, and call them brave. Some look incredibly fun, and like adrenaline rushes (always nice), but I'm not sure I could call someone brave for doing them. A risk-taker, yes. Brave means something different to me.

I've been told I am a brave person, and it's rarely because of so-called adventurous things. It's mostly been because I do what I want, I say what I feel, and I don't let people sway me from what I am really passionate about. If I feel someone, or myself, is being unfairly treated, I will speak up. I'm also told I am brave because I am so open, so loving, and so honest.

Here are other examples of things I think are very brave:

+ Telling people you love that you love them. Especially if you aren't sure they will say it back. Saying it just so they KNOW.

+ Being honest.

+ Standing up for your friends. FIERCE loyalty!

+ Going places on your own; not needing someone else to accompany you. This goes for dining out, movies, traveling, etc. Just go on your own! Unless it's a dangerous place. Then going alone is brave AND stupid.

+ Quitting your job if you are rarely happy. Leaving your partner if you are rarely happy. I have a rule now: If I'm not happy 90% of the time in any situation, I will change my situation. There are ALWAYS other options. I'd rather be happy. Wouldn't you? If you CAN'T change your situation, change your attitude towards it. There are rarely situations you cannot change.

+ Always striving towards your life-long dreams, regardless of your age or what people say about you. If people try to deter you, you do it anyway - YOUR way.

+ Taking your own health in your own hands. It can be scary, especially if you have a "serious condition."

+ To be compassionate when others aren't.

+ Helping less fortunate people, and animals.

+ Believing you are beautiful, all the time. Knowing you are.

What do you think real bravery is?

Girls Girls Girls

This is what I would tell young girls: life is big. It’s volcanic. It’s excruciating. It’s all you have, and then you’re dead. Dead! Forever! I mean, maybe you’ll fail. But failure should be big too. I despise — I spit on — this acceptance of a nearsighted life! I’d tell her: Don’t listen to anyone. You are a god. And gods are, at certain angles, terrible things to be. Don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re not terrible. Don’t be cute. It’s not enough. You’re better than that — better, and worse.

- Lisa Carver


I am all about this sort of thing. I've been reminiscing about the 90's again, as I tend to do once in a while. It started all because of a book I came across, called "How Sassy Changed My Life" about the awesome teen mag from the early 90s. If it was still around, I'd buy it. I also found a link to a blog called 90s Woman which sure makes me grin - lots of old gems in there, particularly Lisa Carver stuff. I never got much into her back then but my interest is renewed. I even have one of her books, which has gone unread all these years. It's on my soon-to-read list now. Sitting on my nightstand.

I must insist all girls read "I am an Emotional Creature" by Eve Ensler. It truly is amazing. Very awe-inspiring and powerful. If you're ever at a loss of what to buy your teen daughter, your cousin, friend (whatever), this would be a good choice. I loved it so much. Thank you to Sarah Von of Yes and Yes for reviewing it a while back - it captured my interest immediately. Luckily I work at a bookstore. I got it the day it came in - I rarely buy a book instantly without mulling it over (especially hardcovers), but I did. Worth it! Sure better than all the other tripe they market to teenagers now. There were so many great teen books before - now it's just overkill with the rich bitch stuff. There's too much of it.


I wish I still had all my Sassy magazines. Wouldn't that be a treat. I used to love reading BUST magazine but lost interest over the years - not because of the content, but because I found I was reading books much more than magazines. I would buy magazines and then they'd just sit around, so I stopped buying. A far cry from my teen years, where I devoured all magazines; I would buy at least 9 a month. It's interesting that I had as much love for Sassy as I did for Allure and YM, as they were very different from one another. I suppose I was a definite cross of the two - the model-y type but in a grungy, vintage style.

Here's me in 1993 in Whistler BC. I was 15.

What Would Happen if...!?

Photo by Wikstenmade on flickr.

This is a new regular thing I am going to do, sort of like "Why Don't You?" of Cosmo magazine and Diane Vreeland style, but in my own style.

SO...


What would happen if...

+ you booked a day off, just to enjoy yourself?
+ you left your computer off, all day, all week, all month? What would you accomplish?
+ you told everyone you love JUST how much you love them, even if they might not say it back?
+ you fed your body only food that had life in it?
+ you wrote down everything you loved when you were a kid and a teenager...and started to do those things again?
+ you believed you were the most gorgeous thing in existence?
+ you danced outside in the rain, naked? Even if it was freezing? Would you die? What if you just realized the "pain" involved was because only because of your resistance to it?
+ you decided to be kind and loving to EVERY SINGLE PERSON you encounter today?
+ you embody your idea of the ideal person?
+ you go collect your own spring water, your own wild food, your own fresh air, your own sunlight? For the day, how would you feel?
+ you stop thinking of eating healthfully as "denial" and instead think of it as "nourishing" and "ecstatic bliss"?
+ you question it all?
+ you "surf the library" like you surf the internet? Go randomly around the whole place and don't look where you're going, and pick up different books you know nothing about?
+ you read something, and watch something that is normally out of your comfort zone?
+ you read "I am an Emotional Creature" by Eve Ensler?
+ you give someone something of yours, that you know they love?
+ walked barefoot all the time?
+ you questioned all your beliefs? (read Byron Katie)
+ you were completely content with your body, and instead focused on how you feel mentally?
+ you traveled somewhere you never considered?
+ you wove leaves in your hair?
+ you kissed your lover as much as humanly possible, with intense sincerity?
+ you built a fort out of your bed and slept as if you were ensconced in love? (you are)

Please comment, and ask your own "What would happen if..." questions!