HELLO, you! đ
Would you look at that? It has been exactly five years since my first post on this blog. When I started writing reviews, I never thought it would bring me anything more than an additional hobby among others where I can put into words my thoughts and feelings for things that no one in real life would really care about.
How wrong could I have been? This blog means so much for me now than ever before and I cherish its existence with all my heart. It is my ultimate creative outlet. It is one of my main sources of comfort. It is a heaven filled with amazing people like yourself who, despite all the things you could be doing with your time, spend a couple of minutes to read and interact with me on the things I share. I couldnât have asked for more.
I really want to emphasize here how important you guys are in my journey through blogging. Nothing Iâve achieved here would have been possible without you guys and thatâs not a hyperbole. From getting to know you guys little by little to discovering new things and ways of thinking, you guys are pivotal to my growth. It is ultimately thanks to you guys that Iâve learned to love what I do and how I do it.
To celebrate this day, Iâll be sharing five things that Iâve learned from my blogging experience and end this post with a little something for you guys to thank you guys for sticking around.
I LOVE TO REVIEW.
This might come as no surprise to many but the type of post that I love to write the most is none other than the one that people are usually less likely to click on in the world of blogging: reviews. As Iâve previously mentioned in my âWhy Do You Review?â post, I see reviews as more than just sharing your thoughts on things. To routinely write them has also built my character and infused me with insane discipline that has repercussions on all other spheres of my life.

I LOVE TO READ.
The beginning of this blog also coincides with the day I decided to rekindle my love for literature. Ever since Iâve rediscovered myself, I became a whole other person and I canât see myself being anyone else but this reading enthusiast. Iâm now a slave to science-fiction, fantasy, and comic books. As Iâve also mentioned in my âWhy Do You Read?â post, reading is the key to the Gates of Wisdom, my friend. Who could say no to that?

TIME IS A B*TCH.
What can I say? Itâs true. Every single one of you probably knows it too. There are so many things we want to do (e.g. read all the books that have been picking up dust for years now) but too little time to get it done. And this is how a lesson on time management introduced itself in my life and made me realize that if you want to get sh*t done, you have to work twice as hard. Know your priorities, know your limits, and do better. Or just build a wall around you, forbidding such worries to ruin your peace, and enjoy everything you decide to do, when you do them.

JUST DO YOU.
Iâve received odd criticism from all kinds of people throughout my years of blogging. It made me wonder if I did things wrong or if they simply preferred the content from other people over mine. If anything, I find it reassuring and motivating to hear your appreciation for my posts but the negative stuff always hit me differently over the past years but Iâve learned to deal with them differently, to approach them critically, and to remain confident in what I share and do. No one should put you down for what you enjoy doing. Just do you.

I LOVE YOU GUYS.
This is an understatement. Blogging has given me access to a world of like-minded people who are either as passionate as I am for the things I read and do or as curious as I am. always ready to discover things theyâd never have tried otherwise. This is why I love interacting with you guys. This is why I continue to blog. This is why you guys are the best. I love reading about your experience on everything and anything, and I love hearing you guys on my own experience with everything and anything. Thanks, guys. â€ïž


And to wrap up this post, I want to offer you guysâthose who come visit my posts in my little corner of the blogosphereâthe chance to win a little something.
1st place: Up to 35$ CAD on Book Depository.
2nd place: Up to 25$ CAD on Book Depository.
3rd place: Up to 15$ CAD on Book Depository.
To participate, all you have to do is leave a comment below and you’re in.
If you don’t know what to say, tell me about the one thing that makes you happy. đ


This giveaway is as international as Book Depository allows it. Verify here.
It will run until August 4th, 2020 and end at 11:59:59 P.M. EST.
I will contact the winners (one per prize) by email at the end of the giveaway and announce all the winners in my August 2020 Monthly Wrap-Up.
You have 48 hours to answer me before I pick another winner.
The randomly selected winners will need to give me certain information (name, address, what book(s) you want, etc.) to acquire their prize.
Winners will have to determine the book(s) they want without exceeding the indicated prize amount (you are not entitled to any remaining dollars once the book(s) has/have been identified).
If you make it a hassle to identify the books you want, I will choose another winner! đ
You must be 18 years of older (or with parental consent) to participate.
I am not responsible for lost or damaged books.
Good luck and be happy! đ

And that’s all! thank you guys again for everything and here’s hoping that we’ll keep on interacting for the upcoming years! đ
TILL NEXT TIME,

Thanks for sharing! It’s so cool to hear what bloggers have learned over the years! I am just starting out!
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And I hope that our lessons will serve you for your own journey too! Here’s to many more years of blogging for the both of us! đ
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Hello, Lashaan! Happy to have found your site here in blogosphere đ
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Hi, Maria! I’m glad to hear your discovery of my blog! đ Looking forward to our future interactions. đ Take care!
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Woo! Half a decade! đ Congrats! What a lovely post to celebrate an amazing milestone. Looking forward to many, many more amazing posts from you!
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Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. Looking forward to seeing you become a world-known artists too in the next five years. Make it happen. đ
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Oh, wow! Haha That would definitely be amazing! đ
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I’ve just started blogging, so it’s great to read about what you’ve learnt. Good luck for the next 5 years!
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Thank you so much, Claire! I hope you have a blast blogging as well. Here’s to countless more years of happy blogging! đ
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I think it’s the third time I read this post but I finally leave a comment on it đ„° I loved reading it and it makes me so happy to see how much you’ve achieved and how this blogging experience has shaped different parts of you đ„° I remember when I first discovered your blog and then slowly learned more and more things about you đ„° One thing is for sure: it didn’t take me a long time to appreciate you! Actually, I think it’s really hard not to appreciate you! And as for the criticism, my step-mother would say: they’re just jealous! đ we all have different qualities but one of the best is to be able to show them on a daily basis, and you certainly can do that đ Your consideration and gratefulness for the people who take the time to read your posts is always heartwarming and, I’m pretty sure, it’s what led you so far on the blogging game (yeah the quality of your posts has also something to do about it) đ
Keep reading and sharing your thought, dear Lashaan â€ïž
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Thank you so much for this lovely comment, Caroline! †It means so much to me that you see so many good things about this blog and what it brings to me and that you accept it all with so much love. †††I really grew to see it as my ultimate creative outlet and it has allowed me to grow as a person in soooo many different ways!! đ Your step-mother is absolutely right hahahah It sucks that some people only see through such dark shades and can't help but share their negativity with others for no good reason at all. Thank YOU for finding this blog and for now being the most important part of my life too. †You truly are the best, most supportive, and most special person in the world! đ â€
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đ„°đ„°
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I am so, so, so very late to this, but happy 5 years of blogging! This is such a great milestone and I’m thrilled you found so much joy and love in what you’re doing here ††â€
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That is very kind of you to say! Thanks for taking the time to stop by and visit this post, Marie. đ
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COngrats on completing 5 years of blogging. I agree with all the points you mentioned and I hope you never get tired of blogging.
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Thanks, Gayathri! I appreciate it a lot. †Here's to many more years of blogging for the both of us! đ
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Well, I missed this deadline! During this period, I had been slogging through tight deadlines at work and then going out of town to pack and move my parents from one place to another and then recovering from all the previous hard work. It’s been incredible for me as well. I think we started about by the same time of blogging. April 2015 — I started posting every day and spending time on short stories, etc. Similar to your experience with time issues, I found myself cutting back as the novelty of blogging started wearing off and my reason for doing it in the first place got lost in the shuffle of my priorities. Happy Blogging!!
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Aw man. I’d have loved to include you in the giveaway too! Oh snap, that sounds really hectic and heavy on the psyche. I hope you’ve been able to replenish yourself lately and that you’re doing much better now too. Do you plan on going back to your roots, doing it all again for the “right” reasons or will you be taking it slowly for the time being? Stay safe, Karina! đ
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As long as I’m still working full time, it’s difficult for me to know yet where I want to go with my blogging and writing offline.
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Aww…Iâm sorry I missed this. Not for the give away, but to congratulate you. Five years of blogging is one heck of an achievement!đ So well, I guess itâs belated concratulations from me đ Iâm still very glad I ran across your blog all those years ago, and havenât regretted it for a single second! I hope your blogging career will continue for many more years to come and I plan to stick around for however long that will beđ
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Don’t worry about it! It’s already big that you took the time to visit this post, my friend! I too am really glad that we crossed paths and got to connect through our blogs! It’s always nice to have such a cool guy to geek about everything and anything! đ Thanks, man. Here’s to many years of blogging and interacting together! đ
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