A couple of months ago I shared a post called 'New Beginnings'. It was an introduction to me in case you were a casual observer and not one of the two select acquaintances that I have in the universe. Today I thought I would build on that, perhaps somewhat for your benefit, but mostly for mine. Sit back and prepare to be outraged as I detail what I believe in.

1. Being a decent person. For a long time, I thought that this would be a fairly obvious trait that most would aspire to - but apparently, I am a dunderhead and this is not the case.

Just yesterday I slowly ambulated down to the beach to watch sunrise. On the way there I passed a construction site that hasn't seen much action lately. A Santa Claus looking guy had just parked his bright red chariot adjacent to the site, only to be confronted by a worker who ripped him a new arsehole for getting in the way. There was no signage preventing him from parking there (although as a courtesy it wouldn't have been too hard to move), they argued for a bit and parted ways. As the worker sauntered away he muttered under his breath, "see how you like it when I punch you in the head". Neither Santa Claus, nor the cowardly head puncher were great examples of community in my eyes, and that is a shame.

The notion of being a decent person for me is simply following that intrinsic hunch we have differentiating what is right and wrong - even if doing what is right is hard. This also feeds my thoughts on loyalty and trust. If we act in a way that could be perceived as "decent" we set an example that should foster loyalty and trust amongst our circles - both close and further afield. If we can lead through actions and subsequently attract people with whom we are honest, supportive, caring and accountable, we can go a long way to rebuilding the sense of community that has been eroded through disconnection from self.

2. Dogs are better than cats!!!

Enough said

MillieDogs are better than cats

3. Science, and more specifically the scientific method, hierarchy of evidence and the volume of research that support a hypothesis. Because of said belief, I am not religious, I staunchly support vaccination and I am not a huge fan of diets, well at least diets that have a hash tag or some kind or product that needs to be purchased. I think we all inherently know what we should and shouldn't eat, and that we could all probably move a little bit more. If you can't get these basics right, diving deeper down into physiological processes, or macro and micronutrients is probably a little superfluous. Own your decisions folks, take accountability and move on.

4. Gaming is Stupid. Kaizen is a Japanese concept that can be roughly translated to 'good change'. For me this is reflected as continuous and never-ending improvement, or the quest to always be learning - whether externally or internally. Remember, there will always be someone better than you at something.

Laziness often gets in the way of this pursuit, as does mindless consumption of shitty entertainment mediums - the reason I single out gaming is simply because I have an astigmatism which results in getting headaches anytime I play video games.

Instead of escaping reality via the mindless channels that I am inclined to do, my preference would be to learn, create, think and play. I believe this to be a noble pursuit - and one that I will continue working on to broaden my horizons and understanding of the world around me.

5. We should consume less. Following on from the previous points, to date I have been too lazy to get up to speed on the science of global warming - to be honest it just feels like an overwhelming amount of content. My thoughts on it however are simple, especially in our current environment. If you can afford to buy a coffee a day, every other day or every week, you can sure as shit afford to buy a reusable coffee cup - stop generating so much single use waste, resources are finite. Abusing cashiers because they are suggesting you pay 15 cents for a reusable shopping bag is poor form - time to start thinking a little bit bigger than yourself. Tap water is fine - get a drink bottle and get on with it. Paying more per litre for bottled water than you do for petrol is just stupidity.

Regardless of the science, there are very simple things we could do every day that would no doubt have significant benefits on multiple planes.

6. It ain't weak to speak (https://livin.org/).  If we can build a stronger sense of community, trust and loyalty then surely that will afford us the opportunity to feel safe talking about how we feel. We won't always be comfortable in our own skin, but chances are many of those around us will feel the same way. A few weeks back I sat down with a friend I haven't seen in 22 years and had possibly the most candid and fulfilling conversation I have had, no fluff or false machismo - just two blokes being honest about where they were in life.

Going around in circles in your mind is never going to solve anything - invite someone else in, in doing so you will potentially not only be supported but get to support another. Trust me, it helps.

None of this is intended to offend, nor denigrate the beliefs and opinions of others. I do not wish to change the way you think or move through life. It is simply a reflection of me.