6 Days Left.

last word: let go of your EGO.
that's our greatest limitation: our EGO.

that's why often we hear that our greatest limitation is our own self,
and without that, limitations seem meaningless
because we are no longer contained in our weakness,
but rather experience a feeling of freedom- sure bliss.


bliss: perfect happiness. profound joy.

where there's LOVE, life is an eternal bliss.

today's training: 5 km quick run

feeling: bliss

6 more days until marathon!

12 Days Left.

last word: love is for-GIVING because that's where it starts: in forgiveness.


it was not until I started writing this phrase that I realized what my friend actually meant when he said those words.

  Forgiveness is the essence of Love.

but then it really only occurred to me when I tried to live it because just imagine trying to learn how to play basketball by reading all the books, manuals, instructions, rules, etc, but not actually picking up a ball to play. You would never ACTUALLY understand and learn how to play.

So I've been speaking with an OLDER friend of mine for several weeks, who will be the cook at an Italian Fundraising Dinner for this coming weekend. We've had endless conversations because of many problems we've faced in preparation. So one time, my patience with him was slowly disappearing as he called me in the midst of exams and I couldn't help but finish our conversation in an abrupt manner. So the next time I spoke with him, same thing, I was in a hurry to return back to Toronto, and he was there speaking to me without end. He must have sensed my impatience from last time and spoke to me a little differently. However, I tried to place myself in his shoes and tried to understand his point of view. No longer did I think of my own tasks ahead, but tried to be patient for those particular moments. In the end, I told him in an act of humility for forgiveness and immediately a smile came his face. All of a sudden, he lightened up and ended the conversation by saying, "We can do this together.
As hard as it is to lEt GO of our EGO, the easier it can be 2LOVE.

as  love is forgiving because love is for-GIVING.

today's training:  6.5 km

feeling: SNOWY XD

 

18 Days Left.

last word: love costs to who gives, but is free to whom given.
I hold copyrights to that haha,
I think if I were ever to get a tattoo, I would have that written (just kidding!).

it's it true that in our society, love can be so conditional?
conditioned, attached to one's own self, or limited to those who love back.
but I'm here to share that real love isn't just that.
It is without conditions, detached from yourself, and not limited to those who love back...

the real essence of LOVE is in forgiveness, but when someone told me, I had to think about that for a moment...
for-GIVE. It starts when there's nothing to be forgiven, that we can have  love

..."for-Giving" freely, detached 

and without limitations. 

if you wonder why at times it is easier to love someone you barely know
than to love someone close like your family.
for me, hardest is my brother


and the thought of HIM came to my mind [as he's all the way in Italy like me (last year)] because I heard that my friend from Vietnam was arriving home after a 2000 km journey to be with her family because she had received the shocking news of her brother- his passing due to a work accident. When I was able to reach her by phone, I was relieved to hear her calm and peaceful voice.

So in the end, we don't want to live with the regret of not having loved enough.

Today's training: 10 km run

feeling: perseverant 

19 Days Left.

last word: love calls us to be selfLESS.


anyone who has had a child can tell you that love becomes selfLESS, not that I would know fully about that but I've heard from many others. We are born as the most selfish little beings, where the whole world revolves around us. When we are hungry, we cry, when we don't like something, we scream and when we feel tired, we yell. You get the point, but as we grow up we start to realize that the world isn't all about us. We must learn through the examples of others how to think about OTHERS rather than ourselves. So our lives start from being the most selfish to becoming and learning how to be selfLESS.

How to put others before ourself,
                            how to think and care for others,
                                                        how to place the needs of others before that of ourselves.

We start as receiving all the love we want
and need to learn how to share and give this love to others.

it starts with the smallest things,
love can be just a simple smile when we feel down,
love can be giving half of your sandwich to someone,
love can be introducing yourself to someone alone,
love can be listening to someone with a heavy heart,
love can be lending a shoulder to someone hurt,
love can be saying sorry after a disagreement,
love can be thinking of others before yourself...

love costs  to who gives, but is free to whom given.

anyone that knows me knows that I'm extremely cheap, when I went shopping as a kid, I did pack my lunch when everyone ate at the food court. A few days ago, I was debating whether to attend all 3 events for the bachelorette party this weekend because I knew it would come up to a lot of money. I was thinking of just attending one of the events because I wanted to be there of course. But the more I thought about it and thought about it in her shoes, the more I realized I wanted to just attend one because I wasn't going for HER, but rather for myself. Because it would costs less. But then, I realized if I were to really love...

I'm going to go to the whole thing because it would costs MORE...

Love costs to who gives, but is free to whom given. 

and that's LOVE 4 you. 

20 Days left.

been writing at the end of the day which isn't really great when I wait patiently in bed to fall asleep because my brain is still wired from blogging

yesterday I was left with a bittersweet feeling as my encounter with my Protestant and Muslim friend about the Truth ended in a peaceful discussion, however I realized that words and explanations really don't go far if
words aren't put into action.
if our actions aren't manifestations of our words, then SO WHAT? if we have the most complex understanding and knowledge about this and that...it means nothing.

last word: love isn't just in saying, rather somewhat in doing, but more so in BEING.
this morning I thought to call up a friend and see how she was doing since I knew she had been crazy busy and has had a lot on her plate. I guess we are all BUSY, busy with things, people, etc, but we have to try and go against our THINGS to take the FIRST step. So when I called her, I tried to listen with my whole heart and put aside everything else so I could live that present moment. At times, I catch myself trying to multi-task when I talk to people on the phone, but that's only be selfish.

Love calls us to be selfLESS.

21 Days left

it's really coming down to the wire.
today's training: 8 km run, some hill training, and 20 mins interval cycle
feeling: ______

empty is what is left when we finish the day and have given all that we have.
well empty in a sense of our own self because we have given ourselves to others.

interesting encounter today, met with my Muslim friend
and a new Protestant friend joined us.
we discussed upon truth.
there were various thoughts and ideas-however differences between us should not divide us, but rather enrich the beauty of the world around us-that is universal brotherhood.

it can not but start with our love for our neighbour,
that is why LOVE is not my saying, rather somewhat of my doing, but more so in BEING.

BeFIRST2LOVE. Love OTHERS as yourself.

that is in essence why I'm running...

i want to share this LOVE with others.

"All the religions of the world, while they may differ in other respects, unitedly proclaim that nothing lives in this world but Truth."-Gandhi

22 days left.

today's training: not sure exactly how many km's; ran for a good 2.5 hours

feeling: drenched

the weatherman was finally right this time. 90% showers. it definitely rained hard. By the end, I was pretty satisfied that it was over and done with, although you start the first hour feeling great, the next few seem much more challenging. Especially because I had lost my running group from the start, then the rain started and never stopped. I was drenched, but you know I thoroughly enjoy running...yeah RIGHT.

anyways,

last word: be the first2LOVE.

well I guess it started with the dinner I attended tonight and as always being the first2LOVE means being the last of all, which means at the service of others. So before the dinner had even started, my stomach was growling and dying of hunger. However I was helping with serving the food, so I really had to forget about myself. Finally when I was able to sit down to eat something, I had to get back up to serve the next few plates. As I mentioned, love truly means putting our own needs and desire aside to place OTHERS before ourself.  After the dinner with all the leftover food, I went home twice to grab some extra containers to share all the food with others. So I ended up staying until the very end with all the washing, cleaning and to be at the service of my brothers and sisters. Not to mention, italian exam tomorrow at 9am.

but as Mother Teresa once said, "Intense love does not measure, it just gives."

23 Days left.

with no internet access, I'm only able to write now.

last word was ...love others as yourself.

living this is definitely a challenge at times, and I would say that it is probably hardest with family.

this past weekend, I stayed at my grandma as this is my usual routine.

waking up early. swimming. cleaning bathroom. organizing her room. the same old i guess, but when we love, it's not just being nice and doing kind things, love costs. Love is putting others before yourself.

So I thought I really need to go out of myself even more to love.

so when she was telling me about her throbbing leg pain, I started to place myself in her shoes. think what she thinks and feel what she feels. So I knew if we played her favourite card game it would divert her attention away. She was laughing and smiling again. Later on when she got tired, I went out to the grocery store to buy some things she needed. Not to mention that saturday grocery shopping is a ZOO- so many people and very long lines meaning lots of patience. remember LOVE COSTS, but in the end I was left with such contentment and JOY because in the end love is all that matters.  

now it's time to be the FIRST to love.

btw, 

yesterday's training: 60 minutes on cycle ergometer doing intervals.

feeling: limitless

without limitations is the endurance of overcoming obstacles, the ultimate one being our own self. Once we put aside our needs, we can see that of OTHERS. 

24 Days left.

put others before yourself
easier said than done as it wasn't until the end of the night I was able to LIVE it.
my housemate asked me to wake her up early in the morning and as much as a little more sleep would have done some good, I thought of HER before myself and my own need.

yesterday's training: 8 km quick run
feeling: fevorous

new word-fevorous: state of feeling intense and passionate
when I finished running, I was burning inside as I ran fast and nothing stopped, not the hills, not the slopes, but only the burning flame within was fueling my energy. I ran just a few hours before my exam-stress reliever and as I ran, there was not a sense of preoccupation.

FREEDOM. when all things become secondary and what is left is LOVE. selfless LOVE.


today: LOVE OTHERS as yourself; place yourself in the shoes of the "OTHER."
-think what they think, feel what they feel, love what they...

25 Days left.

last night I couldn't seem to fall asleep right away,
it might have been the late night pasta
or just simply because the endorphins were in my system.

yesterday's training: 10 km hill-training/run and 40 mins interval training on cycle ergometer
feeling: satisfied.

satisfaction: fulfillment of one's wishes, expectations or needs,
it's something that everyone tries to find, sometimes it leaves us empty, sometimes it makes us stubble, however deep within it is something that we don't want to give up trying...

I guess that's what's kept me constantly motivated, passionate and united with those around me and the world.

To know that fulfillment of your wishes, expectations or needs in life don't merely come from the outward in the worldly things, but rather within to listen to that little voice that speaks in each PRESENT MOMENT.


That voice that calls each of us to bring about the better of ourselves
and to bring about our best to this world that suffers, that is broken, that is shattered.


but one thing is clear: LOVE. put others before yourself. I'm trying...

26 DAYS left.

so already 3 months of training,
countless hours of running, and persevering motivation

to the 26.2 mile race.

with 26 days left, there's no turning back...
it all started when my friend was telling me about doing a marathon

and I thought he was INSANE, 42 km is impossible.

There's no way I could EVER do that because I know the distance from my house in Aurora to FINCH station is 25. 7 km. But obviously I CAN'T do it...

 if my motive is to think entirely about myself. 

He is running this marathon to fundraise money for OTHERS.

But I thought, the most I have probably run is maybe 10 km? not even...and I have never signed up for even one race, how can I sign up for my first race-a marathon?
but then again, it's not all about ME, it's about OTHERS, it's about running this race for all those who like me,
believe in building a better world where it's not about ME, but about WE.
a world where brotherhood is OUR CHANGE.

and CHANGE starts within ourselves, often times we want to help the world, make it better, change the world, however it doesn't start on the outward, but rather within OURSELVES.
so that's my story, I never thought I could do this, but I know it's worth trying because

 I believe I can.

I want to help first those around me, CANADIANS, who will be going to GENFEST BUDAPEST 2012. An international youth event on Sept 1 & 2 2012 uniting 12, 500 young people of different cultures, religions, backgrounds, generations who believe that universal brotherhood is an ideal worth living for!

then those OTHERS, like me in Brazil, Columbia, Argentina, China, Korea, Vietnam, Netherlands, England, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Congo, Burundi, France, Paraguay, Ecuador, Australia, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Philliphines, Egypt, United States, Peru, Honduras, Israel, Nigeria, Bosnia and counting...

all with one goal: a UNITED WORLD.

but I need your support because this race isn't done alone, 

but with all of YOU!

In Canada, we have raised over $3,000 

and aiming for over $10, 000.

so please SPONSOR ME $amount or $_/km

1) in person

2) email: dling3@hotmail.com

3) mail cheque