Video project looks back at youth

Busy, contented

Wei loves Don Quixote, the tragic knight of Spanish literature, and is a hardcore fan of San Mao, a Chinese author who was internationally recognized for her tragic romantic life and descriptions of life in Western Sahara in the 1970s. He studied Spanish at college and lived in the country for more than six years after graduation.

"I really wanted to stay. It's my favorite country," he said. However, he is now a lawyer in Beijing.

Wei recalled a busy night recently. Not long after finishing a long project at midnight, he received a call only a few minutes later with a new task from his boss that he was required to finish by the following morning.

"I closed my laptop, lit a cigarette, shed some tears quietly and went back to work after a short break," Wei said, adding that he wasn't able to go to bed till 4 am, but he still had to join a meeting at 9 am.

Although things can be tough sometimes, Wei doesn't regret working and living in Beijing. He believes that whatever difficulties we face, they are the result of our own decisions and it's meaningful to overcome them and move toward the next goal.

"Nothing is easy. Every choice I have made must have been the best. If you ask me to score my experiences, I give 100 to each," he said, sharing the most important lesson life has taught him in the past decade.

However, he is surprised to find out that he has now added "time" to the list of the most precious things in life, and it is at the top of the list.

"Ten years ago, time was our advantage. We had nothing but time. Now it's reversed. A lack of time has become our disadvantage at this age," he said.

In the 2012 video, Wei looked into the camera and told his future self: "For the coming 10 years, I hope you become more calm and peaceful. Whatever happens, embrace it bravely."