G Awak Test

It seems that the consensus from the vast majority of people I talk to is that the year 2016, as a whole, was pretty rotten. Whether it be the ongoing crises in various parts of the world, the tragic deaths of numerous iconic legends such as Prince and David Bowie, or the uproar stemming from the U.S. election, we all seemed to have several metaphorical tough pills to swallow this year. This hardship also seemed to ripple into many of our personal lives, as never before have I crossed paths with so many individuals battling anxiety , depression, and stress, among many other challenging experiences. Yet here we are in late December, having survived another year of this journey that we call life. Whether or not it feels like it to you right now, it’s a gift to be here. And no matter how difficult 2016 was to work through, I can guarantee that it also offered you a number of wonderful experiences. Hoping to help you tap into that positivity, here are 5 quick things that you can d...

Quit your job, travel the world, be free. There are a lot of movements gaining steam out there that promote quitting the rat race, embracing minimalism, putting experiences before owning things, lowering your carbon footprint, and embracing sustainability, among other admirable initiatives. With countless studies revealing how the typical American diet, job, and lifestyle are killing people and the planet, it’s easy to crave change, no matter how drastic it may be. Simplifying your life and opting for small space living has inspired a growing number of people to find alternatives to the American Dream. People are finding it utterly overwhelming to keep up with the resource-intensive lifestyle we’ve long revered as ideal — the one with a white picket fence, manicured lawns, single family homes, gas-guzzling cars, and long hours clocked driving to and from work, then at work itself. Change, in one way or another, can be a really great thing. And that’s what one f...

Barrett Brown is an activist and journalist best known for his work with Anonymous. The 35-year-old was sentenced to prison for threatening an FBI agent and helping to share stolen data. Though his original charges carried a sentenced of more than 100 years in prison, Brown ended up pleading guilty to much lesser charges that consisted of: transmitting threats, aiding hackers, and obstructing authorities from carrying out a search warrant. Free speech activists urged that Brown was merely targeted by the federal government as a result of sharing data hacked from the Austin-based defense contractor Stratfor. Brown was released from jail just this November after serving a controversial 4-year sentence, in which he spent at least six of those months in solitary confinement. Though he is currently free, he still faces six months of house arrest, and must pay more than $800 thousand in restitution fees. The controversy of his jail time is largely in part to Brown ultimately doing tim...

Vegetable oils are bad for you. That’s the straight up truth. And eliminating these oils from your diet is a significant step you can take toward improving your health. Unfortunately, that means cutting out anything that is fried in them as well — yes, that means french fries, potato chips, donuts, and even vegetable chips. Now, I don’t want to tell you how to live your life, but your heart, liver, and the rest of your body will thank you for cutting these out of your diet, and once you do, you will soon realize how little you needed them in the first place. Why Exactly Are Vegetable Oils Harmful to You? The high levels of omega-6 found in vegetable oils can cause inflammation , which has been found to be a key culprit behind many illnesses and diseases, like cardiovascular disease, arthritis, cancer, and even depression . Vegetable oils  damage  the reproductive system and hinder the development of both babies in utero and growing child...

Whether or not you’ve seen the film American Beauty , you’ve likely seen the infamous image of a young Mena Suvari lying nude on a bed of red rose petals with only her bare essentials covered. The image was not only the key trigger of lust for the film’s main character Lester Burnham, played by Kevin Spacey, but it also graced most movie posters and DVD covers printed to promote the film. In the picture, Suvari perfectly represented what the mainstream beauty industry regards as beautiful, a form that the majority of women cannot realistically ever attain — nor should they want to. I believe that every individual on this planet is beautiful in their own unique way, and it’s time that we created a world that embraced that, rather than cast judgment upon those who do not meet a certain fabricated ideal. It is because of this belief that I was incredibly happy to come across a series of photos that exemplify the infinite number of forms beauty can take. Inspired by S...

Have you ever noticed the messaging found on covers and inside most beauty magazines? Whether it’s women’s or men’s magazines, there is a common element: advertising -a lot of it! Not just that but, the wording tends to tell us quite clearly that there’s something not right about us, something we have to change or that if we don’t do something, we’re “out of style,” “not beautiful,” or “not handsome.” Now, it’s one thing to enjoy fashion, clothing, and our image innocently but it’s another thing to be drawn to it because we have low self esteem, confidence and low self worth. The tricky part is, a lot of times we aren’t consciously aware of how much our desire or obsession with these things are actually fuelled by our lack of self confidence – the ego can be tricky to catch in that way. Have You Noticed? In the video below, watch as the truth behind not only advertising but wording is brought to light when it comes to these magazines. Then begin to reflect: what are you drawn to whe...