75 Years Ago, On August 6th, 1945, The USAAF Dropped The First Nuclear Bomb Ever On The City Of Hiroshima.

75 years ago, on August 6th, 1945, the USAAF dropped the first nuclear bomb ever on the city of Hiroshima.

The level of destruction was incomparable: black rain fell from the sky, some drank it, throats dry because of the smoke and the boiling heat in the air- they died soon. Little kids ran down the streets screaming and looking for their homes, many of which weren't even there anymore. People died on the sidewalks, on the river banks, crying, coughing up blood- they died alone. Survivors and their families are still paying the price of the abhorrent crime against humanity that President Truman committed.

I've had the honor of visiting Hiroshima almost two years ago, and I remember I was overjoyed to witness that it's one of the liveliest cities ever, where the people are kind and happy; they decided not to forget, but to move on nonetheless. The buildings that survived the explosion, like the famous 原爆ドーム (Genbaku Dome, the A-bomb Dome.) are kept as a reminder of the cruelties that men can do, but also of where Hiroshima started again. I've talked to some citizens, and even if they were all in their 30s (so, young.) I was told the same thing: to never forget, but to never dwell in the past either, or you won't move onwards and will only do more harm.

I can't wait to go there again with the Erasmus Programme; among all the places I've visited, Hiroshima is certainly one my first three favourites.

May humanity never forget and learn from the past, to have a better future.

(i do not own these pictures)

How to start again ✨

delete apps and social media that lowers your mood 

wear a new scent, throw away things you don’t need, delete contacts of people who make you feel unworthy, unfollow social media that makes you feel bad in any way

make a new playlist that makes you feel confident and happy 

in a journal, write down why you want to change, the traits of the person you truly want to be, the places you want to go and people that make you feel inspired

write down the things that stop you and bad habits you have, and replace those with new mindsets and habits 

before you sleep, make a detailed, achievable routine for the next day, that includes everything you want to do, including activities that genuinely make you happy

try new hobbies, like baking/cooking, playing a musical instrument, making art, learning a new skill, a sport, or a new language. you can easily get free resources online 

think about the ideal version of yourself. you can be like that, if you try your best and work hard. 

do not overwork yourself or set overly lofty daily goals and forget to do things like drink water. make your sleep and health your number one priority.

spend less time on your phone scrolling through social media. have a method of focusing on other things, like Pomodoro method or using the Forest app. 

if you can’t concentrate, commit yourself to doing it for 5 minutes. once you get into the flow it’s much easier to concentrate.

be patient and kind with yourself. it’s hard to change overnight. you’re the only one who can help change you, so be a friend to yourself.

once you start something, promise yourself you will finish it. 

have new weekly routines, like going to a cafe every Wednesday afternoon or indulging in your favourite tv show every Friday night.

do not deny yourself of good things; there needs to be a balance. similarly, do not be too generous and overdo it too much. 

dedicate a day to clean your room and organize your things if you feel stressed out. 

it may feel scary to change, as you may feel like it’s not the real you. but you’re still you, just the best version of yourself.

have a relaxing morning routine to look forward to, like making a nice breakfast, having a skin care routine, stretches, journalling, or thinking about nothing for a few minutes

have a mental image that makes you excited to do something. visualize yourself completing the goal and concentrate on it every morning.

however, learn not to rely on motivation because your brain will often turn off motivation, especially when you first begin something. have a routine, a specific time to do something, and do it. 

notice the places and people that drain your energy, and try to avoid them. find people who make you feel energized and places that calm you.

think about an enjoyable part of something. for example, when studying you can look forward to learning new things and when exercising, listening to calming music or using nice stationery. it’s actually more fun than you think. 

even though it’s hard, don’t compare yourself. you’re on your own path, and it doesn’t matter if people are better than you, because there will always be someone better than everyone. don’t be afraid to suck. so draw badly, write bad poems, run slowly, make embarrassing mistakes and fail everything. you can’t be good at something unless you’re terrible at something first. and doing anything badly is so much better than doing nothing.

don’t tell anyone about your new beginning, just start and let the results speak for themselves.

you can change and be your ideal self. but it will be hard to do that if you don’t believe in yourself. so make sure you challenge negative thoughts telling you can’t do something. tell yourself firmly that you can do it and then prove your negative thoughts wrong.

Vase with Stopper

Jade (nephrite) with gold and silver inlay

India

18th-19th Century

we’re pretty excited about spring and new flowers.

By Cezary Korkosz