A decade

I’ve just realised I’ve been inconsistently writing journals for 10 years now, 1 decade.

In 2006, I picked up some A4 papers, folded them into a little booklet, kept it inside my “secret treasure box” hiding near my bed, and promised myself to write and draw on it every single day. Ofc, the daily mission turned out to be weekly, or even monthly.

In 2016, I picked up a plain, dark blue, leather notebook, and promised to myself that I would write again, and actually keep up (at least once in every 2 weeks). I’ve written many times about my journals before, talking about why I write, what much do they mean to me, and how I use them. People say years get shorter and shorter. They actually do. I can’t believe how much time has passed.

I rmb the first diary of mine was written in 2000, when I was 4, talking about how heartbroken I was when my mother broke my clock accidentally and how I calmed myself down when being embraced in her arms. Now, hearts can be broken due to many deeper reasons.

dude, 10 years. what things can happen within 1 decade..

so, so much.

I went from a primary school student, to a graduate from high school, to a freshman in university, worrying about her essays’ grades. 10 years ago, Digimon and Pokemon were the reasons why I hurried to finish all my homework just to get my mom’s permission to watch cartoons. I daydreamt as superman to beat up monsters and save civilians (yea.. i was a really boyish girl back then). Detective Galileo was ruling the primetime TV, Yahoo was at its peak, Apple had started to get more and more popular.

And now, 6 journals and hundreds of pages later, I’ve filled in 10 years with…life. Nothing is the same, (as it shouldn’t be). Though, I know it was me, at some place and time, writing (much neater back then unfortunately) my experiences and emotions down. And all these have formed and shaped who I am at this moment, typing.

What can I say as someone who has carefully documented my last 10 years of emotions and events? 

1. Motivation and toleration give great potential for you to do amazing things.
2. Friends come and go, but it doesn’t make any of them less valuable for you to be thankful for.
3. The same way you embrace joyful and happy moments…embrace the suffering and difficult moments too.
4. Most of the things that we think are so many “big deals” in our daily lives, probably are not.
5. Our parents are a LOT smarter than we thought.
6. Do not regret what you did not accomplish in the past days. Focus on what you want, and take actions NOW.
7. Years really do get shorter and shorter, the people you love around you may disappear at any moment.
8. ..and contrary to #7… Take your time to figure out yourself and life.
9. .. a supplement to #8…Take your time, but don’t waste your time. There really is a difference.
10. There is pressure, but remember #4.

(11. Heavy metals taught me how to appreciate silence.)

edited: but I still do enjoy listening to some of them, not contradicting 

I look forward to what the next 10 years will teach me.