2023 is coming to an end, and 2024 is approaching in less than 16 hours as I write to you this morning. I wish for you a great year ahead! May your health improve, your wealth multiply, and your happiness increase tenfold.
Reflecting on what happened to me in 2023 and the lessons I learned from it, for the first time in my life, I recorded every event and feeling in 156 journal entries, totaling approximately 55,000 words. There were good days and not-so-good days, laughter and tears, desperate moments, frustration, and peace. They are real lessons for me and for those interested in learning. As a passionate writer, I don’t just live for today; my intention is to have my words live on long after I am no longer here on earth.
I am thankful for the ability to express my thoughts in writing and spoken words, and I thank my parents for giving me a pure heart and a warm voice to soothe troubled souls in their darkest nights. Grateful for my family and friends who have been there for me in hard times, I vow to give back whenever I can in the future.
2024 welcomes you and me to new possibilities. Leave behind your worries, troubles, headaches, and heartaches. Start focusing on the positive now and moving forward. Count your blessings. If you can read this message, you are richer than hundreds of millions of people on earth. Take a moment and feel your blessings. Smile. Gratitude is a beautiful flower with a great scent in the garden. Cultivate it each and every day; it will bloom and bring you happiness year-round.
My 157 journal entries are filled with gratitude, even on my darkest days. I have learned to find the smallest ray of sunlight after heavy storms. As they say, there is always a silver lining in any bad situation. Learn to see the cup as half full always.
I want to end this last journal entry of 2023 on a high note. May 2024 bring all of us, near and far, a happy and prosperous New Year! 🍾♥️
Crystal H. Vo
New Year’s Eve 2023