The "Again and Again" Entry

If you’re a frequent reader of this newsletter, you know one thing about me.

I love books. I am what you would call a voracious reader.

One of my favourite things to do while reading a book is highlight the points that stand out to me. I even do this with novels. I highlight beautifully written sentences, new words to learn, metaphors I can study, and lots of other things. This makes it easy to go back and skim the books without having to read them again.

Using highlighters and sticky notes gives me joy for some reason. I love buying them in different colours and shapes. For this very reason, I am not a big fan of eBooks—or at least, I wasn’t until last year.

By the time I realized how hard it was to find certain books I really wanted to read, I opted for the e-versions. But with the mind that I would buy the hard copies of my favourite books just to highlight the parts I already highlighted in the eBooks.

Fast forward to today, I was gifted one of my favourite novels, and I immediately cleared my reading list just to highlight this book.

I read it first more than a year ago. Instead of just highlighting and noting down exactly what I did in the eBook, I decided to reread the book.

There were striking moments in my initial reading, but just in the few pages I’ve read so far, I’ve discovered even more. These are words and phrases that did not stand out before but now feel really meaningful.

This reminded me of when my brother and I would watch old cartoons we used to love when we were younger and realize new jokes we hadn’t noticed before.

It’s not that we overlooked those jokes; it’s more like we were too young or didn’t have enough understanding to get them. But now we do. Growth has a way of giving us new eyes to see the same things differently.

I might have seen the same lessons a different way last year, but with the growth I’ve had in a year, the lessons are different now. Even certain words make more sense in certain contexts.

Even something as little as the setting feels new. The book is set in Port Harcourt. The first time I read it, the places were just words. Spending more time moving around Port Harcourt in the past year has helped me understand the routes better. So, It is a completely different experience.

I had a similar experience last month with my journal. While journaling for the month, I went back to my previous entries and realized I had noted a particular lesson from a negative experience. The funny thing is, at the time, I could see that I was about to face a similar situation again.

Seeing the lesson I learned from that experience written down, I knew exactly what steps to take to prevent the situation.

Crisis averted.

Why am I telling you this?

We talk a lot about documentation, but not enough about referencing. Why have something written down if you’re not going to go back to it?

The beauty of documenting your thoughts and experiences lies in their ability to show you how much you’ve grown. When you revisit something you wrote a year ago, you’re reminded not just of where you were but of how far you’ve come. Growth is subtle, but it’s always there, waiting for you to notice it.

Not just that, but you remind yourself of certain lessons you forgot. The shortest pencil is sharper than the smartest mind. We can forget things, but having them written down, makes it easier.

Rereading books, revisiting journals, or even reflecting on past conversations can unlock new lessons because you bring a different version of yourself each time. Your perspective shifts, your understanding deepens, and you find value in things you once overlooked.

So, don’t just write things down—refer back to them. Treat your notes, books, and memories as guides that evolve with you. You might be surprised by what you’ve been missing.

As we get ready for the end of the year and a new year, make sure to go back to the lessons this year taught you and use that to plan for next year.

You do not want to learn the same lesson twice.

BOOK I AM READING THIS WEEK: A Broken People's Playlist by Chimeka Garricks

I wish you an awesome week!

See you next Sunday

Your trusty growth partner,

Dee❤️