The Socratic Paradox

A lot has changed since I last blogged! One of my first posts was about eating clean and getting lean.  I would never have thought it would've taken around 2 years to get to this point, that is the 'get lean, eat so clean I don't eat a thing' part. It's funny the way things work themselves out. When I was younger I used to dream about a lot of things; and being skinny was one of them. I was already clever, articulate and creative, so all I ever wanted was to be rich, pretty and adored. It sounds stupid but these were just the stuff of my lucid daydreams. I wanted to be able to go away to any paradise, be accepted by people I would never usually brush shoulders with and instead I felt so confined.  I was involved in a lot of situations that I couldn't control growing up and I thought that as I got older  the things I used to worry about would vanish, but they only seemed to have worked themselves out in exchange for other worries. For example, now I look about half the size I did when I first started this blog. I lost weight and I lost my way.

I became obsessed with Carl Sagan, Quantum Physics &
Became Well Versed in The Expansive Universe

Sometimes we look for possible solutions in all the things we encounter. We look for reasons within

the incomprehensible. We try to fix things that aren't broken and end up breaking them. I used to (and still do) spend hours of sleeplessness nights searching for answers to questions I didn't really understand. I didn't even know why I was asking them in the first place, I just felt compelled to. It became an obsession, I couldn't rest until I knew what it meant for Mercury to be in Retrograde. I couldn't sleep until I understood what Descartes meant, and what that meant for me. Where did I fit in all this? Was I made up of atoms? How could I raise my vibration? What was the law of attraction? I reached a stage where I had all the answers and never before had I felt so stuck, confused and dumbfounded. I started asking questions that didn't have definitive answers like, was any of it real? and Should I be afraid? I had a formula for success and I kept failing. I had the recipe for happiness and got burnt out by stress and anxiety. It seemed every time I found the answer, the question would change, there was something new to consider, another person, another circumstance, something that I needed to consolidate into the equation. Sooner or later, I ran out of words. I felt cheated, that I had cheated myself and let others cheat me too.

Mercury goes into Retrograde 3 times a year &
will have you in your deepest feelings!

Then in a moment of pure divine intervention, I lost touch with what was real and what was imagined by just letting go and unlearning all the answers I had come to know. Let go of everything you think you know, because someone out there will teach you how to be wrong. And if you're wrong and strong it will be the hardest lesson you will ever learn. And don't ask 'why?' because the hardest part is unlearning the question.

I never realised the extent to which I had locked myself within The Socratic Paradox "I know that I know nothing". I felt absolutely cheated when I realised that everything I knew meant nothing if I didn't know who I was, or what I was going to do with myself, day in day out. This immortality of knowledge felt burdensome, I knew everything yet I knew nothing because I didn't know what to do with it. Then I heard Kendrick's song 'Momma' again and it all made sense..

Kendrick Lamar's 'Momma' Lyrics 

Music has always had the ability to free me from the confinement of my mind, to offer me perspective. It enables you to step outside your mind and mode of thinking to understand the mechanisms of thought and how you can pimp it to your own ability and reanalyse everything.

Kendrick Lamar's 'Mortal Man' Lyrics &
What It Means To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick taught me that you can become entrenched by your own mind, but only you can free yourself. Rings a bell, "Emancipate yourself from mental slavery" right? Its a message that is repeated time and time again. You have to get lost to find yourself. So when its time, let go of your answers (Ignorance) and your questions (Fear) and just be (Love).

This post was inspired by everyone who has recently mentioned my blog to me, thank you for encouraging me to speak my thoughts into existence again..

Have you got any songs that have enlightened you? Or any funny stories about what happened to you in Mercury Retrograde? Share in the comments or drop me a message! x

LoveSounds: Willough

It's not surprising to find that some things do not change in life. The things that happened in your past still happened and the things that will occur in your future will too occur. But the joy of music is that it helps to change your understanding of situations and circumstances. Better yet, if you can't understand these things with your way of thinking, music can help to open up a new dimension in which your perspective changes and acceptance becomes a constructive process. Willow Smith has slowly over the years become an advocate for this kind of transformative thinking. 

It's fair to say the young star has caused a lot of controversy, due to her age and actions, she's shaved off her hair, had it in very expressionistic styles and dresses in the same manner which reflects her musical abilities. Most people know her from being the youngest of the smiths, her role in the Madagascar movies and of course who can forget how hard she 'whipped her hair back and forth'. She's always had a positive message to share and I'm glad she realised she had a voice to speak out. Recently, I watched a documentary which explored the possession of power through the use of the Internet; who has it and what will they do with it? Willow is one of the strong, young minds that have grasped the power that they have and the messages they can send out. Whether or not you believe in numerology, or chakara's or the fact that she has 3 eyes and 6 arms is irrelevant to the fact that her voice and music and thoughts can have a proficient affect on you and your train of thoughts. 

Instead of capitalising off of her talents by making music which means nothing to her, she shares soundbites on Soundcloud on what she's been working on with big artists like SZA in their track 'Cuban Pete' and her amazing freestyle 'Female Energy' which I completely adorned the moment I heard it. I wore the track like a turban and let the thoughts, the vibes and the feelings emitted seep into my mind and became complete zen. She's right, some things are really out of our control and we can only deal with these things once we accept it and allow ourselves to float above the negativity. Willow talks about a lot of things which some people may find uncomfortable or strange, in an interview with MTV.com she said she's been really into number as a few had been 'chasing' her and her friends. If you're familiar with Lisa 'Left-Eye' Lopez and her thoughts on numerology you'll understand a little about what these numbers mean to people like her. It would be a huge mistake of yours to disregard her music on the basis that, this kind of thinking about Prana energy, frequencies and vibrations isn't your sort of thing because the message still stands as the same. 

Willow tells in an interview, “I’ve been coming into this new phase in my life, just becoming one with all that is, going deeper into myself and getting to the goal of my music, which is to share that feeling and pass on knowledge so that consciousness can be raised on this planet.” 

In 2015, what could we stand to gain from a 14 year old creative you ask? Well I say you could learn and vibe with Willow so much, the production on some of these tracks will blow your mind. The lyrics will leave you speechless, comprehending whether you've just learned what your emotions sound like through sounds and melodies and what they look like painted in the artwork of the tracks by a 14 year old who started writing her own novels aged 6! Willow has so much to offer and an array of tracks for you to indulge in. 

Head over to her Soundcloud 'Willough', to experience what change feels like though music and free yourself in such beautiful LoveSounds. 

La Chienne: Evolution

I dabbled into the idea of creating a new anonymous blog as a space to talk about all the things which result in me being called a Bitch. I wanted it to be anonymous because well contrary to popular belief sometimes I don't like being called a bitch, but its all in the name, embrace it. Ive been doing a lot of wall-flowering as of recent and have blended into the background taking the magnolia way out of situations, but I'm getting bored so I brought the bitch back. Don't worry all who fear, I keep her locked in a cage and every now and then I let her breathe while I take her on long walks in the crevices of my sane mind and let her say her piece. So with that being said, this is another addition to the ReRegal blog, small think pieces which stem from very bitchy, strong, smart independent girly thoughts! So here's to change!

Recently i've been thinking a lot about evolution, change and growth in a magnitudinal way. Growing up I knew I loved to write, on scrap paper, diaries and notepads. I wrote so many stories and letters to my windows document folders; no one ever read them-and look where I am now. Still sat typing away but now I have some kind of audience, some kind of consumption, even if there is no reception I can feel the release from the pads of my fingertips to the stratosphere of the Internet. We will capitalise it because often it doesn't capitalise us, off of us. The Smith children have had a huge impact on my zen like vibes with their beautiful songs which they've shared on Soundcloud-I'll save that for another post.

Very Zen Like Gems That I Collect

I've been thinking a lot about capitalism in my sociology module as part of my degree. We live in a world where the system of monopolisation is still as dictating to our society as it was in the days of the Egyptians and the Fuedal system. However, this Y generation which I belong to is growing and growing and 'they' don't know it but the revolution will indeed be televised.. probably on Youtube but televised none the less. You can't cheat the Internet, 15 years ago today the Internet had everyone shook up and scared of it, Y2K! The Millennium Bug! You get it if you're a digi-native, born into the digital era, you know all about the power of the Internet. www.dontmesswithus.com, the Y generation should be reclassified as the evolutionary revolutionaries.

I heard the Internet was taking the world by storm. I heard all about Eric Garner, Mike Brown and the fact that 'WE CANT BREATHE'! from Twitter.. not The News. Apparently, 1000's who can't breathe in Westfield London, stopping traffic with their suffocation and shutting down Central London with their asphyxiation isn't newsworthy. But what do 'they' know? The Internet is ours, we are the news and we own the communication across the seas, so tell your story in OneHundredAndFortyCharactersOrLess. Instagram is the time capsule that will tell our legacies about the truths 'they' didn't want to share through pictures and videos. And these blog posts right here are the messages in a bottle that somebody will stumble across and consume what I have to say and what I have to share.

I've been thinking a lot about evolution and I think i'm evolving. I've been thinking a lot, and some people don't like it when you think too much. Tumblr tells you overthinking blows your mind and crashes the system. But thats fine, break the walls down and think long and hard because knowledge is power and we're getting pretty powerful.

Race For Life - Meesh's Racer Angels

Hello Beautiful People!

Happy Easter and blessings all round! 

A week to date was the famous London Marathon, the worlds runners, skippers and fancy dress joggers joined forces to say no to life threatening illnesses and raced for life. Watching the beautiful array of colours of peoples vests and numbers was mesmerising, how could you not want to be apart of something so vibrant, a show of brilliance, bravery, courage and pride?

For the last 2 weeks i've endured an endless barrage of Snapchats of my best friends sweaty face and laughed at her whilst she struggles to train for a 5k run for Breast Cancer supporting her mama and family. So before I could talk my indecisive self out of the idea, I whatsapped my best friend and said I want to do it too! SIGN ME UP GIRLFRIEND! The sheer excitement and thrill I got when I said yes was immense, I wanted to say yes over and over again, tell everybody and their mothers that I, Regina has said YES to A 5K RUN!

Go Team! 

FOR BREAST CANCER! If you know me then you know running is my weakness, my kryptonite, my Harry Styles-Zayn Malik. I have spent the majority of my spare time researching a variety of ways to say the same thing "Will I die if I run 5K?" Think of courage the cowardly dog and multiply that image by 10 and there you have me torturing myself on a treadmill. However, with some friendly advice from my novice runner friends and family, and obviously the everpresent helping hand of Google search engine I've garnered some tips on how to journey from Couch to 5k around Clapham Common.

London Marathon 2014

Everyone has a story or knows of someone who does when it comes to the nightmare that is 'The Big C' but we don't have to whisper in fear anymore because times are changing and we are fighting back!... So help me, my friends and family say it... Cancer, we're comin' to get ya! Do something bold, say yes to something new and frightning, then plough through it and show it whose boss! I cant wait to rip open my starter pack and get fundraising and I'm counting down the days until I can wear my number with pride panting around the common. If you see me give us a wave! 

If you've got a story you should share it too and others can learn from you or help you get through! Drop a comment, and share this all over the world and back again and visit our Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/meeshs-racer-angels and donate anything you can to support us and millions of others in the UK. If this is too much to ask then I give you full permission to laugh at my expense on the 31st of May when I'll be sweating, crying and cussing under my breath. Thank you all for your support Big Love and Happy Easter! x

Life Advice-Eat Clean > Get Lean

Hey Everybody! Now that all the festivities have died down and we've finally said 'No more' to the heaving snack cupboard, I think it's now time to embark on a 'Eat Clean, Get Lean' lifestyle. Notice I didn't use the word 'diet', this is because I am deadly serious guys, I'm so Pro Green it hurts!-Literally. I dropped my old gym membership, with its cheap benefits for my new local gym, more expensive and more hard work. But this new lifestyle means more effort, I have to cook my own meals (I still live with my ma!) and be sensible when it comes to portion control and timing. I'm getting the hang of it and it's so fun, making new meals, trying out different meal plans and working out which releases those endorphins! I'm a happy chap these days, I tell ya! 

However, about a week ago today when I decided to go all the way, I made a rather ill-advised decision. Scrolling on one of my new favourite apps 'Pinterest' I came across the Victoria Secret Model diet and got sucked into the dark side, where unfortunately, there are no cookies, or sweets, carbs and oh of course no meat. Zilch. I thought what could I do to improve my fitness and general health, I definitely cannot train twice a day like Adrianna Lima and carbs and meat make up most of my meals; overwhelmed I took the plunge and rose to the challenge, no meat for two weeks.I eat meat literally everyday. Now there's nothing wrong with not eating meat, there are many healthy pescatarians and vegetarians, the difference is, they have a healthy alternative which I didn't consider. Day 7 on my meat free diet I felt lighter and pretty keen to carry on, I lined (and I use this term loosely) my stomach with Special K honey nut clusters, with crushed walnuts and hazelnut soya milk (another substitute) and headed off to my local gym.

I met with a personal trainer and we worked out my short/long term goals and a six week workout plan. Everything was going well and he seemed pretty impressed with me if I say so myself, that is until I fainted in true East-end duff duff moment style towards the end of my workout. Typical. There could only be one explanation-fatigue. I was zapped with minimal energy! We finished up after I came round with crimson cheeks (obviously due to my cringing) and I walked out head down ashamed of myself. I felt guilty because I couldn't finish the workout, in true honesty the old me would have given up and succumb to the wet towel, Gatorade, pack of sensations and a pack of strawberry laces treatment; but the new me took it on the chin and learnt a good lesson. 

So guys and dolls once again I have some advice for you, when cutting foods out make sure you have an alternative which is just as good. For example, I made Thai Coconut Prawns, a meal without meat which instead consisted of really tasty prawns, lots of spicy peppers like scotch bonnet and finger chillies to boost metabolism and some fresh Sugarsnap peas. Obviously I need to find a way to incorporate protein into my diet if I'm not going to eat meat otherwise it's back to the drawing board. When feeling peckish, which is standard for me go I for some homemade Granola which is incredibly easy to make you'll kick yourself for not thinking of it sooner. I made a really simple one earlier, it contains, oats, maple syrup for all my sweet tooth sistahs! dried blueberries, chia seeds, walnuts, pecan nuts and banana. You can have it with yoghurt, milk (flavoured soy milk if you're fancy like moi) and add more fruits if you're feeling blue. 

Bottom line is kids, be safe when it comes to your health, I was scared as I had no control over my body, my brain was literally starved and parched, much like me now, where did I put that Granola? Oooh Acai Berry Juice! See ya xxx 

Life Advice-New Years Eve

Hello & Happy New years to all my readers out there! 

This post is a little more serious compared to my previous topics, don't get me wrong I'm dead serious about all this boyband/fashion malarkey but this is like life or death serious- lol-no laughing. *clears throat* I should have predicted this would happen a lot sooner therefore this post would have been written for you all to read and take heed. (I'm really trying to be serious here but I just rhymed unintentionally lol) 

We all get caught up in the hype surrounding New Years Eve and the immense partying that usually goes down, I definitely planned to be apart of the loud, free spirited crowd who stumbled down the street with all my mates down from Uni, but it didn't end that way at all. I was stumbling down the street, but with one of my closest friends who was completely comatose from drinking too much too fast. Although experimenting with alcohol can be fun as you feel complete euphoric adrenaline pump through your body, what young people in particular are unaware of is the fact that this alcohol which lots of people will refer to as the Devil's nectar, is flowing straight through your bloodstream and slowly poisoning your brain. 

Going out clubbing or even to a house party is my idea of fun, being surrounded by all your mates, loud music and a thick bass making your chest vibrate is complete escape from a mundane and dead week at work or college/uni but when that good night is ruined by someone elses irresponibility you have to know what signs to look for and keep calm so you can be an efficient help. Here are some tips for you:

When drinking:

-Know your body, personally if I drink on a full stomach a chunder is defo approaching but it is not usually a good idea to eat on an empty stomach 

-Never put your drink down-You dont want to get SPIKED 

- Pace yourself, unless you're a complete lightweight you wont feel the effects immediately, take your time, you've got all night there's no rush

-KNOW YOUR LIMITS- I can't stress this enough, limits are based on the individual, size, weight, age and gender all constitute how your body is affected 

Helping A Friend:

-Give them water but no too much because it will fill them up and force them to be sick which isn't always helpful 

-If they are chundering, make sure you lean them forward so they don't choke-DO NOT EVER force them to be sick! Their brains aren't functioning properly so their gag reflex isn't good, they could choke and potentially die. 

-Don't try to walk them around if they are unresponsive (but obviously still breathing) again their brains are slow and trying to make them walk could cause both you and them injury 

-DON'T LEAVE THEM, no matter how tempting it may be to get back to the party, your friend needs you now more than ever, if you leave them alone anything could happen, they are completely vulnerable and helpless 

-Get help, no one expects you to do this alone, if things get too scary and there's no one to help call the emergency services and they'll take over 

Anyway, keep safe guys, you don't want to be that friend and you definitely don't want to be the person left responsible for someone else's life. 

This Was Me

HAVE FUN but be responsible for your body!