Carpe diem.

Yesterday, the sun was still asleep when I woke up.

As I headed out to jog with Earl, the sights and sounds of the morning made me feel alive. It was my 'strongest' run to date--strongest because I never stopped to catch my breath or to take a looooong break or to complain about my legs hurting already--which I used to do in our past runs. I figured my legs are getting the hang of it, finally. Practice and meaningful work do make a difference.

It's amazing the profound conversations that are created in little moments like running along a clear path, with the breeze brushing up your face, the light clouds watching over you. There were the noise of car engines and people chattering around, but they seemed distant and silent than they actually were. We were talking while our feet made its way to wherever, and it felt like the world around us disappeared. That morning, there was only us. It was a shared meditation in itself.

He shared with me a lovely thought as we were absorbed in that peaceful little moment. He said that what motivates him to run and never stop is thinking that the end destination is never near. It's always 'there' but it's always far. The end always remains a place to go to, to reach.

So even if we're nearing a bend or a supposed 'stop', he never thinks that it is the end. He never even thinks about it. He's just focused on what he's doing at the moment--running. The philosophy he shared was simply doing something out of passion, instead of accomplishing something for the mere sake of getting it over with.

It made me say to myself, 'Wow, I never looked at it that way before.' I felt a gush of excitement inside my head, like I always do when encountering thought-provoking situations. Yes, it made me smile. And it reminded me of the profound and sensible man I was with, I am with.

Moreover, it reminded me of how sometimes, I forget to look at things from a different and more meaningful perspective. It was a note on remembering to wallow in things beautiful and arresting and resplendent at the present.

Years from now, my legs will be all weak and rickety for a run. But it doesn't matter TODAY.