Let's End Islamophobia

One thing that upsets me is Islamophobia. And yet, I can only imagine what it must be like for people from Islam countries and/or faith. Many of my friends are Muslim, and it saddens me that anyone would call them out as violent just because a small fraction of people who claim they are the same religion are.

I am not arguing religion and its varying interpretations (although I do believe that violence is the work of extremists, whose claims say nothing about the entirety of the religion). But what I am arguing is that ISIS does not represent all people of the Muslim religion. And yet, there are people out there who think that it is okay to let them be the sole representation of an entire culture. Tell me if I'm wrong, but isn't it a little silly to believe the claims of what a religion is by a group of violent and sick group of people over people who are peaceful and sane?

There are people of every race (a word I use lightly, since we are all members of the human race) who engage in violent, terrorist activities. And yes, that does include white people, as well as people of every ethnicity, culture, religion, etc. But it doesn't represent their entire group; it represents the individuals. Because if we were going to blame entire groups, we're talking about blaming all white people for the KKK, and all Christians for the crusades.

I've heard too many racist comments. And worse, people easily shrug it off. They say they didn't mean it "that way." Guess what? What you might think is a little, silly comment, really has a lot of power. It adds onto the Islamophobia that too many individuals face. And the comics and jokes aren't funny either. I mean, are you laughing at the body count at the hand or terrorists, or the fact that innocent people are being tormented for actions they didn't even commit? Because if you answered either, well, it's not a very good answer.

Violence around the world isn't the responsibility of a group of people just because they share a quality or two with the terrorists. If so, then in Canada, we have a lot of responsibility to take. I mean, there's so much violence that happens right here, by its very own citizens. If anything, it's all our responsibility to do our part in ending it, and to relevantly protect the individuals who are targets of false labels.

The main purpose of this post is to raise awareness. Too many of my friends deal with this, and it's not in any way okay. I feel like it's a topic that is ignored by mostly everyone except the groups that  have to deal with it first-hand. Racism, however, is a societal issue. This is one form of it, and as members of society, it's all our jobs to put a stop to it.

Valentine's Day is an Occasion for (Self) Love

I used to be someone who hated Valentine's Day. I mean, the moments leading up to it were fine. I had hope that some perfect gentleman would swoop in and ask me to be his Valentine. And then the day came, and I had to bask in the idea that I was single, without a date.

Let's be honest. Valentine's Day is all about the marketing. But I'm not a hater of the day. I think it's always great to spend time with your significant other. But if you're single, I don't think it's a time to focus on a loss either.

The real focus of the day is love. Love, for one, can be for friends and family, which is why I think it's a great idea to get together with a bunch of your single buds and have a date. But let's be real: we all sometimes feel like we are the only single one, and it's easy to feel down in the dumps because of that.

So, in that situation, how about focus on loving yourself? On being happy being you. So I've created a list of awesome things to do on a Valentine's date with yourself (although we all have our own ways, here are mine):

1. Dress up. I mean, you're on a date right? And it's with a pretty awesome person. So do it all up! For me, that's a hot bath followed by doing my hair, makeup and a mani-pedi, but it's different for everyone.

2. Light the candles. Why not have a romantic mood? Candles are awesome (as long as you're safe with them). It's a great way to relax and focus on yourself!

3. Eat chocolate. That's sort of a given. With all of the tasty goods in every single store possible, it's hard to resist anyways. Don't feel guilty chowing down on them either!

4. Watch chick flicks. This might sound a little weird, especially since most of these are romantic comedies (way to rub in that you're single??!). But hey, I refuse to be mourning a loss of love on a day dedicated to it. And it's important to remember that just because today you are single, doesn't mean you always will. Plus, you could always go the other route of chick flicks with embracing being single, like Legally Blonde, John Tucker Must Die, and The Other Woman.

5. Pizza. Or whatever your favourite order-in food is. Because you deserve to have an awesome meal. After all, it is a date. Plus, pizza is awesome.

6. Sleep. Who doesn't like sleep? My suggestion is a nice tea to relax, and then getting that beauty rest you need. It's a perfect way to end your date.

That's my ideal me-date anyways. We all have our own ways. Whatever it is, Happy Valentine's Day!

One Survivor's Story

Today is Bell Let's Talk, and is 1 of 365 days we should be having the exact same conversation...the conversation about the realness of mental illness. However, this day is a day where Bell Canada commits to raise awareness on mental illness, donating five cents to the cause for every text message sent, mobile call, sharing their Facebook image or tweeting #BellLetsTalk.

I've been wanting to share my personal story in regards to mental illness on here for a while. The reasons are to raise awareness, but also as a form of self-therapy. It seems like today seems appropriate to share. Before I do, I'd like to note that mine is one of millions. None is more important than any other, and there is no such thing as the "strongest survivor."

Picturing myself five years ago from today, you would see a completely different person. I had just come out of the hospital about a month prior, due to mental illness reasons, including being at risk of suicide. I was constantly on edge, sometimes being too hyper to manager, and other times uncontrollably crying. My arm still stung with the pain of my harmful coping mechanisms.

That year I had moved to a completely different city: I had a new home, new school, new family members, and new friends. That was enough to make it hard for any teenager, but I also had been struggling with mental illness for a while. In my old school, I had to be put in a separate classroom due to daily panic attacks and social anxiety. But I had the chance to start over now. New year, new me, right?

For a while, there seemed to be long periods of time where I was okay, before it came crashing down. And that's exactly what happened. Slowly, I became to unravel until my mind became flooded with thoughts of suicide. It wasn't even the fact that I wanted to do anything, I simply couldn't get rid of the thoughts or the unbearable pain. I soon was in the hospital where I would actually be able to get some help.


This was the lowest point I had ever been in. I had some, and I knew that I had the support of my family, but when you are in that state, you are often unable to think rationally. I had the constant feeling of anxiety in my chest and I felt the immense emotional pain. And I turned to cutting to release that pain.

After coming out of the hospital, everything still seemed grey. I don't remember the exact moment that things seemed bright, it just seemed that one day I realized that my life had actually fallen into place. It was only after medication, counselling and support of loved ones that I was able to feel like there was hope for me. And that took a long time.

Later, I found strength in many like-minded friends through a group I began volunteering with called POSSE Project (which has become my inspiration). Some of them had mental illness, some of them didn't, but all of them had a passion for social justice. I began spending my time involved in something greater than myself.

Today, I am far from perfect. I still take medication, and I still need to rely on support, whether it be family, friends, or even professionals. I live with anxiety and bipolar disorder, and I've learned to except it and to cope with it positively. It's a part of me, but it isn't me. I am defined by a million other things, like my passion for creating community change, or the joy I get from writing, or my probably-too-much love of television shows. I, like millions of others deal with mental illness. It's real, but it doesn't define anyone.

I hope that someone reading my story might find that they feel less alone. Or that someone else feels more aware of the issue. Because although what I've gone through is something very significant to me, other people have equally significant stories too. I encourage everyone to reflect on that. To realize both the struggles and strengths that those who deal or have dealt with mental illness face, and that all those labels are far from accurate. It shouldn't a taboo topic. It's real. Let's create a community of support for those around us.