running, investing and life

Its been awhile since i wrote because i have been busy the last few months. :) busy with work, friends, my girlfriend, family and my new found love, running. :) running has taught me lot of things in this short love affair of ours. It reminded me that in work and anything in life one should always enjoy the process more and not the outcome... as the saying goes “enjoy the journey.” It has brought me back to my athlete days when discipline was at a premium. I have cut my smoking to about 80% from 4-5 packs per week, i have given myself a limit of only 1 cigarette pack per week so as not to shock my body from the absence of nicotine(im just trying to avoid withdrawals). But eventually i am going to completely stop smoking that will most likely be some time early 2011. :) it has also forced me to eat more healthy meals. :) i have now learned to love eating vegetables and drink milk everyday for healthy bones. :) i am training myself slowly but surely adding more to my mileage a little everytime i can feel that my body gets stronger. It has definitely awakened my competitive spirit in sports and i really want to be good in this sport. I wanna run better times in different distances and maybe sometime end of 2011 run a full marathon. And im also lucky the my girlfriend is really supportive. My run time is also time for myself, its time for me to think and clear my mind. Time to look back at my life the last few years, i now have lessened time using facebook(only to communicate with friends) and i noticed im even happier because of that. :) i do remember a study before that stated that people who spent a lot of time in social networks be it friendster, facebook, multiply or the like was a sign of depression. :) looking back at myself maybe during that time i spent so much time in facebook was really a low point in my life and looking at the people who are so hyperactive in facebook.... i guess maybe some of them have nothing better to do or have nothing going in there life that they need to be in this “fake reality” because it makes them feel cool or they have a lot of friends. :) i read from a book before a saying by a famous author “80% of your friends are not real, 15% look real and the 5% left are your real friends.” :) that saying really hit me hard coz i have been betrayed, used and abused by some of my so-called friends before and in the end we had a “falling-out.” but i dont condemn them because i gained wisdom, strength and now i know who my true friends are. :) i have learned that one should look for people who will have a good influence on you. The only way to be the best is to learn from people better than you. :) and to be able to succeed in life one should have a good partner to walk/run with you along the way. That was what my father repeatedly told me before and it is only now that i have truly understood the wisdom in his advise because after all no man is an island. :) i guess this will be all for now. :) things i have learned the last few years 1. slowly but surely does it 2. dont overdo it. 3. what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger 4. aches and pains will go away 5. learn from the best 6. give it your all in anything you do. As my grandfather always used to say “hurry up slowly” God bless you :)