Dear Diary,
I got up strangely early today. My room was so cold I almost didn’t get out of bed. I’m glad I did though. Something inside me nudged my curiosity and I found myself opening the curtains to my window. The pink in the sky was so beautifully illuminated that I couldn’t help but gasp! I couldn’t stop my heart from smiling. It was so lovely.
After looking at the sky for what I felt like was a decent amount of time, I climbed back into bed. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get a little more sleep. I closed my eyes and thought about all the tasks I had to do once I truly got out of bed. The stress of thinking kept me awake, but I was too tired to move. Reaching for my phone I winced as the light from my phone burned through my eyes in the dark room. December 31, 2024, 6:43 A.M. my screen read. Ah, tomorrow starts a whole new year… I remember thinking to myself.
It’s now 6:03 P.M. and here I am writing in this journal instead of writing what I thought I was opening my computer to write: my game plan for 2025! Which of course, I will definitely get to right after I finish writing what will be my last diary entry for this year. I figure, what better way to start the new year than with a list of goals backed with the heart behind them. The heart being found in this very journal entry, you’re welcome to me. It is kind of an interesting concept if you think about it. The “us” of this moment will no longer exist when tomorrow comes. So, loosely speaking, a person different from the one writing will end up reading, even if it’s oneself.
Let me write a message to future me:
Hello, future me! I want to start by congratulating you on making it this far! You’ve gone through so much to get to where you are today. It may be that no one will know all the efforts you’ve made, but that doesn’t make them any less valuable. I hope you won’t focus only on negative events or mistakes. I hope you will look back with confidence realizing that the you of today came out of growing through all your past moments.
Do you not like who you are today? If you love who you are, I’m so happy for you! Keep growing. If you don’t like who you’ve become, please consider why you don’t like the you of today. Also, what changes would make you feel like you’d like the you of today? After considering those things, please be inspired and encouraged. You can become whoever you want to be if you are willing to make a consistent effort. Don’t give up on yourself. The you of today is more valuable than you realize and more importantly not the sum of who you are. Whether you are proud or disappointed, this truth remains. The fact is, this is just a moment. Be proud, but don’t ever think you know all there is to know. Be upset, but don’t let that discourage you, or stop you from growing. I love you! You must remember to love yourself. Be kind to yourself. You are great at encouraging others, so encourage yourself!
Okay, now back to this new year's goals. The time is really ticking. Just like my assignments with school, I have found myself on Vocal.media trying to enter challenges at the last minute this past year. There have been times when I didn’t meet the countdown and wasn’t able to submit my work. Of course, those entries I had been convinced would have been a knockout. There are a few things that I really want to do. For the longest time, I’ve wanted to create a series. More specifically, I’ve wanted to create a TV series. I have an idea for a series that could be Syfy, but the heart of the work will be focused on hope. The heart would be to help encourage the viewers or readers to value themselves more, as well as share healthy ways to deal with certain struggles. I’ve learned that writing a book first may be better for some individuals who wish to keep copyrights longer, rather than selling a script. That being said, I definitely want to give myself more time to write and share my work. This is something that I want to do, but it is not what I want to make the number one focus of 2025.
Honestly, I’ve always wanted to dance and sing. I want to be in a girl group or a band. I don’t know when this dream started, but I think I gave up on it before even trying. Maybe I was so focused on everything else in life and it just didn’t fit into my schedule in the past. Time keeps ticking. It may be that it is too late for me to join a girl group. Who knows? All I know is, that I want to become a better artist this year. I want to try. I want to take dance lessons and strengthen my vocals.
This year, my goal is to share my music. I want to record my songs, make music videos, and grow as an artist. I will work hard to become the person that I wish to be. People I’ve met and friends of mine have asked me where they could find my music whenever I have performed, but unfortunately, the answer has always been missing until now. This year, I want there to be an answer. I want to put my music on Spotify and my MVs on YouTube. I want to share clips on Insta and maybe even share a music blog on Vocal. I want people to be encouraged by what I have to share. I want to make songs in multiple languages including Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and English.
One second, I have a cramp in my neck. Ouch! Right, for you who are reading this, you didn’t actually need to wait. Did you wait? My guess is that you kept reading without stopping up to this point. I actually did take a moment though. I guess that’s the beauty of reading a previously written work. You get to binge an entire entry, post, or book without being forced to wait in between sentences. Thank you for reading, by the way. I appreciate you. I hope one day my works can inspire you. I actually have been encouraged by myself in the past. Should I say that you have been encouraged by yourself in the past? If you are someone who is not me, who is sneaking a peak at my diary, I hope you are emboldened. You are already pretty bold reading someone else’s diary, but I truly hope you are uplifted. There have been times when I read a story or passage or listened to a song that I wrote and they encouraged me. Be sure to remember to cheer yourself on. I believe in you. I believe in the future me and I believe in the you who is reading this right now.
I have made a schedule with my goals for this year on it and I will do my best to follow it! Don’t give up on yourself or your dreams even when you feel it’s too late. Remember that sometimes, it’s the effort that makes the difference. Do things when you don’t feel like it. Become accustomed to feeling uncomfortable again. You did well this past year. Before the year ends, here is some final encouragement in the languages you want to make music in:
You can do it!
頑張ってください！
加油!
화이팅!
With Love,
Me
About the Creator
Autumn Rain
The tongue has the power of life and death and those who love it eat its fruit.
Be kind 💕
Coming soon!!
Music reinvented.
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“The Words That Could Save a Life: A Story About Advice, Ego, and the Hearts We Forget”
There is an old saying: “A wise person learns from advice. A proud person learns from regret.” This is a story about both. There once was a boy who grew up hearing advice from everyone around him. His parents, teachers, elders, and friends — all of them tried to guide him. They warned him about choosing the wrong friends. They reminded him to respect time. They told him not to let anger, ego, and selfishness poison his heart. But like many of us, he believed he already knew everything. Whenever someone advised him, he smiled politely on the outside — but inside he thought: “I’m different. I’ll be fine. Nothing bad will happen to me.” So he ignored the small warnings of life. He cut off people over small arguments. He shouted instead of listening. He lied to escape responsibility. He chose friends who laughed at rules and mocked wisdom. He stopped spending time with family because he thought they didn’t “understand” him. He thought freedom meant doing whatever he wanted — without consequences. But life is patient. And life always teaches — one way or another. Slowly, he began losing the people who once stood closest to him. His best friend moved away after a fight that was never healed. His parents stopped advising him — not because they didn’t care, but because their hearts were tired. His teachers gave up correcting him because he rejected every word. From the outside, his life looked normal. But inside, something was missing — peace. One night, he finally sat alone in silence… and silence can be loud. Thoughts began replaying in his mind like a film. He remembered every moment someone tried to guide him. Every warning. Every soft reminder. Every gentle voice that said, “This path will hurt you.” And for the first time, he asked himself: “Why didn’t I listen?” It wasn’t lack of knowledge. It wasn’t lack of love. It was ego. Ego had whispered inside him: “You don’t need advice. You’re always right. You’re smarter than them.” But ego is a beautiful liar. It makes you feel strong while quietly destroying your relationships, your discipline, and your peace. That night, he realized something powerful: Wisdom doesn’t come from age. Wisdom comes from humility — the ability to listen. The next day, he did something difficult — something most people never do. He apologized. He apologized to his parents, not because they demanded it, but because his heart finally understood their worry. He apologized to friends he had hurt. He apologized to himself — for not valuing his own future. And slowly… life softened again. His parents’ voices became warm again. His friendships began to heal. His mind felt lighter. He started listening before reacting. He didn’t change overnight — but he had finally begun the journey. He changed not because the world forced him — but because advice finally reached his heart. That day, he promised himself: 🕊️ “Whenever someone gives me sincere advice, I will not fight it. I will think about it. I will learn from it.” Because the truth is simple: The people who advise you are not trying to control you. They are trying to protect the version of you that you have not yet become. And one more truth: Advice always arrives before regret. Regret arrives when advice is ignored. Moral / Life Lesson • Advice is not a restriction — it is protection. • Ego is the biggest enemy of growth. • Listening is not weakness — it is wisdom. • The people who correct you are the people who care. One day, you will look back and realize: The words you once ignored… were the very words that could have saved you. So when life sends you guidance — through parents, teachers, faith, friends, or even strangers — don’t shut your heart. Because the doors of wisdom only open… for those willing to listen.
By Shahab Khan7 days ago in Motivation
Comments (2)
Do the things you want to do, before life passes you by. A truly inspiring article. Nicely Done!!!
This is a truly inspiring way to close out the year and welcome the new one! I love your focus on self-compassion and encouragement, both for yourself and the reader. Your message of perseverance and believing in oneself is truly powerful. The way you weave in your goals for music and artistry is both personal and relatable. I can't wait to see (and hear!) what you create in 2025!