From my 2017 Journal: Letters on Encouragement and Positivity + Gratitude Log

To my 23-year old self:

Hi. 'Tis me, a year younger than you.
What this 22-year old gal wants to let you know is this:

Please. Live a little. Go on adventures. You owe it
to yourself to travel. Go and do whatever makes
you happy. And stop living others' expectations
of you. Don't give a damn to whatever others
think. Hell, it's your life, not theirs.

Truth is, you're not getting any younger. (Though you're still young actually) Make your 365 days of being 23 count. Make the most out of it. Carpe diem.

Make mistakes. In life. In love. Especially in love. Take freakin' risks. Have your heart be broken. It's something worth the look-back when you're old. So yeah, love and risk your heart. Of course to that bloke who you think is worth it. It may not be forever but it's worth the try to love even when you get broken.

Stop having unrealistic goals, especially about your "ideal man". Be realistic! Disney storybooks remain just that: stories in books. Fiction. Not real. And you? You live in the REAL world so be realistic! Be real.

Take good care of your body always. Do exercise. Run a marathon. Try yoga. Eat healthy. Sleep and wake up early. Remember the cliche? Health is wealth. ('Tis true.)

BUT

as a part of living a little...

get drunk, party at a bar..

Do something crazy. Make that kid-in-you happy.

Hey, do not be too hard on yourself. When you seem to think that it is you against the world, remember that God is always there beside you. Never lose hope, because when you do, it's tragedy and death. Remain grounded and humble. Tap your back when you know you have done a good job.

Stay kind. Be a lot kinder to people you don't like for whatever reason. Remember that everyone, like literally every person, is fighting battles you have no idea, to begin with. So kindness pretty goes a long way.

Be a blessing to others; start by being kind. And that song? It's actually true: what goes around comes back around, yeah baby.

Travel to places. Make your bucket list. Work
hard. Know when it's time to pause. Breathe. Relax. Learn
the difference between fun and play. Amidst
everything and come what may, know that I will always
be here for you. I got you, remember that always. And I'm
proud of you. Be proud of yourself, too; whether it's little
or big victories alike.

Be you. Always. You bring happiness to the world. So keep it up. Stay optimistic. It'll get you through almost anything.

Say sorry and mean it. Say thank you and mean it. Say please like you always do. Say I love you, and of course, mean it. Always.

For now, this will do. I'll figure out if I'd send you another letter. Be well. You're blessed, and be a blessing.

Lovelots,
Jong

here is my journal; page 1/3

pages 2/3 and 3/3

The probability of we can be
between zero and one, an infinity
of negatives and positives, too
much of what-if's and can-be's, so you
stopped counting. ceased coming.
There was I [left hanging] Tears
dried. time froze. beat's broken.
You promised the infinite of stars.
I got an eternity of stars,
falling. disappearing. out
of sight.

There are lots of things going on inside that mind of yours. Is it worth it? Am I doing well? Will I get through this? When will it end? How am I going to deal with this after all's done? Why does it always have to be me? What am I supposed to do? You have a list of questions, one after the other, after the other. The cycle never ends. Remember: you are not alone. Everyone else, we all have our battles. So do not be too hard on yourself. We all get through that storm at least once; so you'll get over yours, too. There will be better days. And you'll be proud that despite the thunderclouds and the rain, you are still whole, breathing, alive with every piece just right where they are. Do yourself a favour and tap your back--for never giving up, for fighting, and for choosing
to live.
--Jong

My gratitude log for July 2017 || I intentionally practiced being grateful since 2017. I make sure that I always, always acknowledge my blessings and be grateful for them. Gratitude has changed my life! It is one of the factors why I seem to be that glass half-full, there's-always-a-silver lining kind of person.

To the one reading this on the other side of the screen: I hope that this post has encouraged you in some way. Seeing that you are here in Hive and you have a gadget with the internet pretty much says that you are blessed, more than others. I hope that you get to see that and begin to be intentionally grateful for it. I wish you nothing but light, love and a whole lot of gratitude. Enjoy your week! ✨

‘Til the next post, hivers! Remember that you are loved beyond borders and beyond time & space. Okay? Okay. 💛❤️

Ciao for now! 🤗🥰

This original article is written by Jong, the blogger behind writetowander.com. All photos are hers, too.

Jong CL

_{Hive-llo, everyone! Welcome to Jong's little buzz-y corner in Hive. Jong believes that every person she meets can teach her a thing or two (or three, or more) about life. She shares her love for life here-- the captivating beauty of life! To be more specific, but not necessarily in this order, she's interested in: wisdom, love, poetry, single life, books, travel, health&fitness, fashion, gratitude, unspoken hurts, heartbreaks and healing. Lastly, she loves Jesus.}

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