LOST ONES - Mickeal Bolenge (28/08/2014)
“You could be here today smiling in a pic, and then the next day that same pic you took is edited with RIP in it”

I was sitting down in my room listening to music on my iPhone, when ‘Reptar – Losing my balance’ started playing, and the lyrics that I have quoted above really made me think about my own life, and the people around me that have passed away. Losing someone you know is never something you ever want to hear. Especially when they’re young, full of life and have so much to give to the world. Many of us have lost loved ones whether it be friends or family, the circumstances in which we have lost them vary from a range of things but the one thing that I feel we all have in common is when we ask Why did it have to be them? This question continuously runs through our minds. We tend to question God or life in general and wonder why something wasn't done so that the people we love would still be here today. This has led many people away from God and made them non-believers because of the rage, anger and overwhelming flow of emotion that had suddenly consumed their hearts, and sometimes people do not recover from such things. Can you really blame them for feeling like this? Or should they be more understanding because they know that everything happens for a reason. With so many questions out there but not enough answers to give us the satisfaction we need; waking up each day is a blessing, breathing in itself is a luxury. Both these things are major things in my opinion but how often do with think about them.
In life we have to understand that we cannot worry about situations that are out of our control, and death is one of them therefore we just have to sit back, relax and enjoy the journey, otherwise we would have many unanswered questions

Young Entrepreneurs By Boohema Boohene (21/02/2014)

                      

 “An entrepreneur is a person who exercises initiative and benefit of an opportunity and is a decision maker. He or she supplies risk capital as a risk taker, and monitors and controls the business' activities as a manager. The entrepreneur is usually a sole-proprietor, a partner, or the one who owns the majority of shares in an incorporated venture”. – Business dictionary.

Starting up a business is very hard work. It is time consuming, demanding and can be very stressful attempting to balance it alongside other commitments with your goal. However new jobs are being created daily, and there is always space in the market for new ideas, or reconstructing what already exists. 

As a result of the alarming redundancy and unemployment increase during 2009, people were forced to create their own means of survival from the ‘comfort’ of their own homes. As a result of this initiative shown by the UK public, un-employment rates are at the lowest of 7.5% (BBC, 2013). Entrepreneurship has become a more appealing way for people to live their lives especially for young people. There are many push and pull factors which are leading youngsters to become their own boss.

 Being able to work around your own timetable to start, is very appealing to students, full time single parents, or those who have passions to peruse yet alternative career paths to make ends meet. Instead of having restricted times working for an employer, many young people with determination to achieve, and stand on their own two feet are likely to start their own business.

 Money is a key component when starting a business, without it, many doors seem closed off, however there are various establishments who’s primary focus is to enable young people to get the training and funding they need to get their businesses up and running.  Not only do these schemes aid with the financial aspect of building a business but also:

·    Advertising

·      Networking,

·      Legal advice

And much more to ensure young people are starting businesses that last. They may also offer a consultant to guide the entrepreneur in making the right decisions for their business. Those who have made use of such opportunities are part of the reason free enterprise has increased over the years.

Background and lifestyle also plays a big part in entrepreneurship. According to research female businesses are more community based; they are also more likely to be successful. For example a female is more likely to start up a charity from scratch as it will benefit the community and offer a service. They are likely to also get funding and help from friends and family. In such cases, success is measured by service. Men on the other hand are more likely to have a business on a regional, national or global scale. Funding is accumulated more traditionally from companies, and success is measured by growth and profit.

Overall becoming a Young Entrepreneur is empowering, as you are able to offer a unique, innovative product or service to the world, which nobody else has. Owning your own business can be stressful however if you order your priorities it is possible for almost anyone to start something they can take pride in.

Here are a few tips to help get you started.

1.  Find a gap in your market field and see how you can fill that gap

2.  Research on your product or service find the benefits the disadvantages and the risks

3.  Get started!

4.  It is fine to do a business alone, however if you are young you may lack knowledge in certain areas which will cause you to make mistakes. Therefore talk to a specialist or someone who has an established business similar to your own to get ideas.

5.  Start networking and building relationships with other business owners, as they may be able to help or contribute to what you are doing.

Don’t Let Others Discourage You- Tracey  Winu Landu (07/02/2014)

I came across an image on Twitter which had the caption "Don’t publicise your work, money, relationships until its certified, you never know who is waiting on your downfall" , and came to the conclusion that this is particularly true. Not only from our 'haters' or 'enemies' but our own friends. You would be surprised that most people who ‘hate’ on you do so secretly whilst trying to pretend they’re happy for you. You will notice they are the ones who do not congratulate immediately you when you achieve, do not share your happiness when you succeed and are silent in your triumph. Lately, I have spotted people like this in my own life but to be honest I am not surprised. Jealousy comes in all forms, styles and people and if you have not yet realised that then now you know. To be honest, it is time that you focus on doing the best for you! I am sure you've got plans, goals, new years resolutions you want to achieve! Isn't that right? Well, 2014 is not the year to entertain negativity in your life. Leave that all in the past and recognise that it is your life you are living. Only you know the pain and struggle you have been through and you don't need extra baggage from those that are going to bring you down and hinder you from success.

Let's face it, life moves on and our 'friends' will not always be at our sides. The only reason we only hold on to toxins in our lives because that is all we are used to. But when you slowly distance yourself from all the things that have a negative impact on your thoughts and cause you to doubt you will feel much better. Although, at the beginning letting go may feel foreign to you, in the end you will gain something much better than you have lost.

EXPECTATIONS BY NNENNA MOIZE (RE UPLOAD)

The older we get the more the search for someone who we can share the rest of our life with becomes cardinal. 
   It is safe to say that in today's world 'the game' has changed drastically, most of our parents probably met at university or were high school sweethearts who ended up with their own little version of 'happy ever after'. However with technology and our generation’s heavy reliance on the media to teach us life lessons the basic concepts that were in place in older generations are not present in modern day. 
   One of the main issues I've noticed amongst the young adults in our generation who are dating is their expectations from their partner. I've heard my parents speak time and time again about their own dating experiences and the one thing both of them seem to draw back to is that whilst dating they were searching for someone who had potential. With everything being so fast paced in our generation we inevitably crave a partner who is essentially 'ready made', meaning: great job, good car, nice house, no bad habits. Just someone who's good to go. Now who am I to say that doesn't exist? Some of you are looking at your partners and thinking, "What's she talking about I found that," however truth be told you probably didn't, the person they are today most likely came from hard work and patience on both ends. 
  I am fully aware of the fact that not everyone wishes to settle down, however if you are someone that does be realistic about your expectations and search for the right things in a future partner. So many relationships fall apart nowadays because people go in searching for the wrong things; they place heavy emphasis on variables and ignore constants. I can not sit here and tell you what you should be searching for in a partner as, but I can give you a few pointers; instead of looking for someone who's one hundred percent financially stable look for someone who's working towards that and is taking the correct measures to be there. That's the ambition we all want in our partner. Presentation is important but instead of worrying about how well they dress focus on their beliefs and morals, these are the things that make a relationship, dress sense is a variable that can easily be changed. Allow futile issues fall by the wayside and focus on the things that will matter in the next 20 years. 
   Whilst studying in America I remember an athlete saying to me, "the problem with females now is they see us broke in college and aren't interested, they don't want to ride out with us till we become that man on ESPN." The truth is who the person you're with is today isn't who they'll be in the next ten years and this goes for both sexes, dating someone who seems "perfect" now doesn't mean they won't be an overweight couch potato living off benefits tomorrow, however when you go in search of constants such as; their morals, ambition, mindset etc with hard work the change is more times than not positive. 
  My mother has always told me that the man I call 'dad' now was not the man he was when they first met, everything from sense of style to his financial situation indicates growth. Now she stands proudly next to a good man that loves and provides for his family. A man she grew with and had faith in. 
  As I said earlier, we live in a media saturated generation where we are taught to emulate couples like Beyonce and jay-z and completely overlook the hard work they put into getting there. Men are more focused on dating a woman who looks great in every picture and fills their friends with envy rather than a woman with a good head on her shoulders, and women search for a man with money, perfect style and who is self made rather than someone with potential to become that man. 
Overall we must be realistic in our expectations and seek out the appropriate traits, focus less on variables and more on the constants that will be there in 20 years. 

"When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are." - Donald Miller