Tumblr

I have started using Tumblr as my main blogging platform. 

If you follow this blog or want to read more of my writing, PLEASE check out

http://mischsmith.tumblr.com/

It is a lot more interactive, informing and personalised. 

Thank you and much love  x x x x 

Redemption

It has recently come to my attention that I have hurt some really important people by my post on Instagram on this blog. 

It must be said then, how very sorry I am to have hurt or offended my friends and that I would never do so intentionally. 

While I am not taking away my  strong opinion on Instagram, I am sorry for creating an undertone that I did not like my friends as this was not my intention whatsoever.

I am lucky to have such a large group of girl friends, that support me and love me.

The blog post was intended at the wider population of young people who use the site to create some kind of online celebrity profile of themselves, the “Rich Kids on Instagram” of the world, you could say. 

I hope that anybody I hurt by the post can accept my apology and we can move on from here.

And for anybody wondering, these are (some of) the amazing girls that I am lucky enough to call my Gal Pals <3 

Positivity & Perspective

A beautiful friend told me this morning that 'perspective is everything', and I couldn't agree more. In fact, I agree mostly with everything she says as her positivity and wisdom is both contagious and awe inspiring.

 Perspective.

 Having spent the last fortnight playing tour guide to my long distance boyfriend, it is perspective that allows me to look to our relationship with maturity and unwavering commitment. Anybody that tells you long distance relationships are easy are completely bonkers, but why should you want a relationship to be easy. Perspective allows you to weigh life's priorities and enjoy the simplest pleasures for what they are. Like picnic-ing on a beautiful Winter's day or catching up with an old friend.

 As 2012 continues I realize I am at a strange pinnacle of my life where I am learning a lot about both who I am and what I want out of life. I have seen enormous love created in my family as well as loss and couldn't be more excited at the prospect of becoming an aunty, and it is these things in life that I treasure most.

 Perspective.

 I read a quote the other day that travel is the only thing we spend money on that makes us richer. Well, try telling that to my credit card statement, but somehow I agree. Travel enriches the soul and creates benefits beyond the self. Every time I return from an overseas adventure I am drunk with feelings of independence, pride and self awareness. And what better way to gain perspective than traversing Machu Picu or falling in love in California. Travel opens my eyes to so many new cultures and allows me to gain insight to the values and freedoms (or lack of) of other countries. It allows me to wake up in the morning and be grateful for my house and job and the amazing city I live in. And while I love getting away from home and exploring unknown lands, there is always that unshakable feeling when you land on Australian soil and with it comes perspective.

 I often feel naive in my idealistic views. I feel naivety in my optimism towards mankind and notions of believing in humanity, and I also feel naive about my gratitude towards everything in life. However I would choose naivety and love over pessimism and malice and with that I end and remind you of perspective and with that wish you a beautiful day <3

I am pretty obsessed with Pinterest, and yes I have realised the irony of this considering my incredible dislike in its photo sharing foe Instagram, but that is beside the point. I love Pinterest and this morning I saw a quote on the site which said:


"the key to happiness is excitement for the future"


After rendering me speechless I realised, I have not been able to shake this inexplicable happiness from my life for months. Besides the typical post-travel blues after returning from my recent seven months abroad, I have had this thirst for life that I cannot shake. 


Excitement for the future. 


Maybe it is just because it is my birthday, so I am feeling a lot of love from some of the most amazing people I have ever met, or maybe it is just because I am quite possibly the happiest girl in the world, but I am so excited for a wonderful future and whatever lies ahead of me. 


I look at everything in life as a positive opportunity and never want to keep that to myself. I wrote at the time of starting this blog that I come in peace with the hope to foster some little words. 


As a now 22 year old, prospective graduate, equipped with travels of the past and dreams for the future, I cannot wait for the rest of my life. 

I hope everyone has the courage and bravery to make their dreams reality <3

Sydney!

What a beautiful city! Cannot wait to share it with my amazing partner <3


So far I have; 


Taronga Zoo
Bondi
Paddington
Darling Harbour
Opera House 


Any other Sydney must-do's? 

I really like Twitter. Like, a lot. A lot, a lot. I think it is amazing that I can follow some of the world’s greatest minds, powerful leaders and my favourite sports men and women.  I read somewhere that “Facebook makes you hate people you know and Twitter makes you love people you don’t” and I feel that completely sums up how I feel about both social media sites.

I also think it is completely unnecessary to say how I feel about most other social sites (cough/sneeze/scream/instagram) because that is obviously clear.

Anyway. Back to Twitter. I love it, cannot get enough of it. It makes me feel like I am actually friends with Obama and that I am actually part of the Brisbane Lions squad. I actually fear for when I meet Tom Rockliff and I will know absolutely way too much about his life and how I am going to try and ‘stay cool’ without screaming at him that I follow him on Twitter and I think Footy Fix is the best.

These feelings and the personalisation of relationships between players and fans is clearly why so many sports people are on Twitter. It is a marketers dream to create an emotional connection between their product and consumers and in the case of Twitter, a simple retweet, reply or mention has the ability to forge that emotional connection forever. I am completely guilty of it, I love it when a celeb or sports personality or ANYBODY for that matter talks to me on Twitter or initiates any form of interaction. We are human beings, and we like attention, at least I do anyway.

These emotional connections players are able to connect with their fans is the reason why most sports people are on Twitter, and for some reason I do not believe that the entire Brisbane Lions team approached their media department about joining the Twitter world. I am sure it is a strategic PR move and one that I believe has been growing with some success for the sports world.

With any successes come controversy or failures and these controversies have stirred social media policies across the nation, particularly for the AFL. Gary Ablett, captain of the Gold Coast Suns has become notorious for his off field commentary of both players and umpires. The following Tweet created quite a stir and as I was both watching the game and browsing Twitter, I was involved instantly and had to agree wholeheartedly with his comments.

GaryAblettJnr Gary Ablett Jnr

Crowley is a joke! Play the ball, not the man! That's why lingy was such a great player he ran both ways! #givejuddafreekick

9:20 PM Apr 27th

The controversy here is really if as a professional AFL player, indeed one of the games greats and captain, should be providing commentary or if it is deemed unethical. For a player like Gary Ablett who holds so much credibility and respect between both players, coaches, umpires and fans, his influence on public opinion is extremely great and therefore his comments on Twittercan impact on both the reputation of the game as well as his team. I do not believe in silencing him or anybody else on social networking sites however, players must understand their influence.

And let’s be honest, Crowley was being crap and NOBODY puts Judd in the corner!

It is no doubt that AFL clubs have cottoned on to the success Twitter can bring to connecting with their fan base and it has been a highly strategic move that the clubs have capitalised on. Not only does a retweet or connection foster an emotional connection between players and fans, but their interactions between other AFL players or public figures involves their fans as well.

Quade Cooper is by far the best example of using Twitter to connect with his fans, although at times he is presented with highly inappropriate messages, he deals with them non-provocatively and professionally.

A quick side note to some girls, tweeting Quade Cooper that you had a highly sexualised dream about him probably WON’T end in him falling in love with you or whatever else you intend from sending him that so probably leave those thoughts to your internal monologue and make his life less awkward.

A great example of his use of Twitter to connect with his fans was the recent death of his gold fish – hurt by the death of his fish and wanting to pay homage to its short life, he wore black tape on his arm as a tribute in his game that weekend. The next day talking about the match, somebody asked why Quade was wearing his arm band – not only could I tell the group why he was wearing it but I also told them WHY his fish was called Mofo and its type. I have never met Quade before but by simply following him on Twitter there is an immediate familiarity and the rest of the group of people were left impressed that I would know those intimate details about his life.

Twitter is a great PR tool for professional sportsmen and women, however, I am sure each club across the country has an extensive social media handbook given to players, and if not they are off their prawn. Social media, particularly Twitter, has the ability to create a crisis in less than 120 characters, and for AFL clubs whose reputations have been carefully and meticulously built up for over 100 years this is a great concern. Overall I think that players are doing an excellent job in using Twitter to create an online profile and show their personality to their dedicated fans.

Who do you follow on Twitter and how do they connect with you?

Some of my favourite sports Tweeters are;

-          @QuadeCooper

-         @Stakes14

-          @LauraFirebirds

-          @GaryAblettJnr