Bright Lights

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

- William Ernest Henley

That's my new favourite poem. It was in the movie I saw today, Invictus, about Mandela and the '95 Rugby World Cup. It was a fantastic movie though maybe a little bit too long. Really inspiring though and made me want to make some changes in my life. Or more to the point, make a proper effort with my new years resolutions. Sure I can cross off 'get a job' but I should have made much more progress by now, even if it has only been a month. Let's see how things stand at the moment...

1. Become a better person.

1.1 - Get a job (can cross this one off)

1.2 - Get fit (need to make more of an effort with his. "It's too hot" is no longer an acceptable excuse)

1.3 - Start eating healthy (actually trying with this but working at KFC doesn't help. Might thing about taking food in to eat instead)

1.4 - Try harder at uni (so that I actually have some kind of future) (obviously I can't do much about this until I actually start again)

1.5 - Stop (or at least cut down) the swearing (trying, but it's proving harder than expected. Tough habit to break)

1.6 - Invent "sub resolutions" (this was just a joke anyway. But I can cross it off nonetheless)

1.7 - Be a better driver (I've added this new one. I've managed to avoid speeding tickets and accidents so far but I don't want to push my luck so I've decided to quite while I'm ahead. From now on I shall endeavour to stick to the speed limit and pay more attention to the idiots on the road. And turn my music down.... maybe)

2. Spend less time in front of a screen (especially a computer screen).

2.1 - Find a sport (hockey sign up is a couple of months away, but for now I've decided to take up mountain biking. Keep making the "not fit enough yet" excuse so this is dependent on 1.2)

2.2 - Read more (done a fair bit of reading this month but I could do more, and spend less time on the computer. Talking Ash into getting MSN may have been a bad idea. I don't regret it though and I certainly wont feel guilty about it. It makes me happy. Currently without a book. Trip to the library in order)

2.3 - Make some new friends (could technically cross this off but I think of it as a resolution that can never be truly completed. Always looking to make new friends so I'll leave it as is)

3. Write my goddamn story that's been in my head since 2004.

3.1 - Improve my writing by taking classes or something (I've done nothing about this. No more excuses, time to do some bloody writing)

4. Play guitar more. (this is going well, I almost have my callouses back from playing so often)

5. Do more art.

5.1 Improve my drawing (haven't really done any drawing yet except for a few tattoo sketches. They hardly count though. Time to do more)

5.2 Take up photography again (I took the camera with on my walk this arvo but didn't really take anything "photographic". Will look for more opportunities and try and make time for it)

6. Get a tattoo. (started saving, have a fantastic idea, and have an artist willing to do it. Just need the money now)