This may contain things that some people find offensive...

One of the brilliant things about Australian's is how friendly they are, and laid back. They are really easy to talk to but this had lead to the unleashing of an annoying habit I have of offending people without meaning to, partly because I don't explain myself clearly sometimes and partly because I am an arrogant something or other. (see last post for classic example).

Other examples have included my comments on Australia and why it is different from the UK. I have dropped such stupid comments as "Australian men are misogynistic" to "why are you so afraid of lesbians, exactly?". Not very proud of these moments, caused by my mouth engaging several hours before my brain has had a chance to calculate all possible outcomes and offended people. I have tried changing this only to get comments like "you're very quite today Mark?" and "what's wrong? don't you have an opinion?". So now I just go with the flow and know I risk causing offence. Still at least people can laugh at me.

I know I will offend and for that I am sorry, but I am starting to realise that I have to write, I have to let these ideas and thoughts out so I am going to continue to offend. If that is a problem then please read something else.

On a separate note, loving the fact the Ashes is on terrestrial TV, not loving the fact the English have rediscovered their batting collapse form.

I am beautiful

What is beauty? Do you ever stand around naked thinking, maybe I need a new body? An upgrade, maybe something a slightly different shade and shape?

If you are like me you do, occasionally wondering what is beauty? Who decides that I am not the perfect specimen and that Brad Pitt is? I partly think my resistance to going to the gym and changing my body style is the resistance to this culture prescription of what a guy should look like. That and the strands of laziness that have woven themselves into my being over the past, well, forever.

Denis Dutton has an interesting view on beauty (see video), linking it to evolution and putting beauty at the very core of human nature. I am not sure I completely agree with him but I like the pictures and it has made me think at least.

As a person who's self worth has nothing to do with what he looks like and everything to do with what is inside the strive for perfection bemuses me. I just don't understand the whole urge to make yourself different to who you are, especially superficially. Plastic surgery does not change your age and make-up does not stop you from being a bitch. It may fool a few drunk people for a couple of hours but what about the morning after?

Since moving to the Gold Coast the question of beauty has stirred it's ugly head a few times. You cannot have a society based around the beach without the question of body image rising to the surface. After all it seems most Gold Coastians spend their entire life in as little clothing as possible (not that I am complaining most of the time). Maybe that is why the word I most commonly hear to describe the Gold Coast is "fake". If you try and project an image that isn't true then, when people see through the mask, they loose respect, take back the most valuable of human gifts, trust.

Perhaps that is what true beauty is, the confidence to be who you are meant to be whatever people may think of you. Well, it is the lesson I am taking and one of the core pillars of my new paradigm, the New Mark Strategy (NMS).

“Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it” Confucius.

End. M

The new tomorrow

This is the dawn of the new tomorrow. As part of the New Mark Strategy I am going to write something everyday. Hopefully I am able to link this to facebook and twitter so people can follow my thoughts and adventures. M