Rush

I had a LEGENDARY (too much How I Met Your Mother!) dragonboat practice on Saturday, and was very proud of my performance (I know, I know, it's a TEAM sport, right?).

Last week I started getting ready for the practice and the race, doing dead lifts with dumbbells Kev got me, drinking lots of water, adding a lot more carbs to my diet, stretching, swimming..... During the practice itself, we did 4 trial races, each race consisted of about 150 strokes. The races were really amazing! Since last year's race, I hadn't felt that adrenaline rush again, with such strong focus, determination and force to hang on till the very last stroke. I didn't even realized how intense a workout it was until my deltoids, triceps, lower back, pectoral muscles (upper), glutes and hamstrings started aching like crazy since last night!

What I really want to say is, it feels GOOD to be focused and determined, giving it 110% without holding back at all. If I could apply this to every aspect of my life, I'd lead a very fulfilled and content life.

PS: And now I have to get my aching bum off the sofa to get some sleep. Ouuuch!

Checklist

I always tell people around me they need to love themselves and take good care of themselves, starting with the little things. Here's a checklist for myself:
1. Replace the battery in my electric toothbrush since I never changed it since I got it more than half a year ago. DONE.
2. Throw out all the food, drinks, liquer in my fridge as I found the fridge door open one day and everything in it was already warm by then. DONE.
3. Eat a fruit a day. DONE.
4. Drink at least 4 glasses of water a day, for a start. PARTIALLY DONE ON DRAGONBOAT PRACTICE DAY.
5. Make myself Earl Grey again, with milk and honey.
6. Drink milk everyday.
7. Buy myself fresh flowers every week. DONE.
8. Paint my nails with clear gloss. DONE.
9. Listen to music.
10. Change/remove some of my playlists which have been haunting me.
11. Make some homemade yoghurt face mask and start paying attention to my (smooth!) skin again.
12. Continue to floss regularly. DONE.
13. Read before bed.
14. Get rid of old magazines.
15. Plan for next trip and find travel companion.
16. Stop crying so easily - and remember to wash the tears off my face after I'm done crying so that my skin doesn't get irritated. WORKING ON IT.
17. Change sofa, which strains my neck each time I sit on it.
18. Get my ass to the post office and arrange for my mail at the old flat to be forwarded to new one.
19. Get a new wireless router. GOT IT! KEV GOT IT AND SET IT UP FOR ME.
20. Exercise, walk, do yoga again.

Freedom

Was just chatting with my friend about love and relationship, how people can do really horrible things to those they supposedly care about. My friend said that perhaps those people let go of relationships because they didn't care. I said perhaps they just cared more about other things, such as their pride, their ego, other love interest, or their freedom.

We agreed that freedom was probably the ultimate reason.

Relationships aren't easy. You give up freedom to do anything or say anything you want, whenever you want. You give up freedom to be selfish.

As free-spirited as I am, I can't see how I will be happier having absolute freedom but live for myself and myself alone. I love myself very much, but I think life is only meaningful when it is more than just me and myself...