AES01 Starting Over

It has been a while since I’ve written anything that I didn’t have to. Every so often my father would ask me to write again, since it used to be a good habit of mine back at school. But when you’ve stopped doing something for a long time, it’s always very difficult to pick it up again because you’re basically re-learning how to do it from the start, with the added pressure in your mind that it needs to be good, perfect even. That is a deadly combination for someone like me, and in the end I just don’t bother attempting it. But this atomic essay concept is interesting to me because it removes a lot of the pressure that’s been pulling me back, you don’t have to write a whole book in one go, just several paragraphs each day. And today I’m going to try it!

Here’s something to think about, if you were to die tomorrow, what would your regrets be? For me, I wish I would have written more, I feel like there’s so much I need to say. Everything will fade away eventually, but a piece of your soul that you’ve poured onto a page will still be there (whether if there will be people willing to read it is a different matter)

For me, there’s something special and seemingly magical about the written word, and I think it’s the crowning achievement of humankind. For someone who’s been dead hundreds of years can still make an impact on us with just a few sentences. Your ideas, feelings, insights and experiences are fragile, and would all be lost if you didn’t take action to preserve them. And that’s what so magical about written words, it transcends time and space, it endures.

For someone whose preoccupation involves a lot of thinking and conceptualizing, the ideal medium to share my thoughts is through writing. So, I’m going to continue my journey, writing just a measly 250 words a day, which is a very doable goal if you think about it. Just a 15 minute commitment to sit down and write every day. But it definitely adds up, and in the end it will be an achievement to be proud of. In writing this I’m reminded of the quote, “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best time is now”. And I hope by reading this, you can join me too!