episode 14: Weekend with Like-Minded People

The past weekend was great. I had the pleasure of hanging out with like-minded people that have also dedicated themselves to their passion.

3 Dudes 2012 finale

Andy, Tom and I went on the last 3 Dudes run for 2012. Afterwards, we hung out at Tom’s building. We took out our handsets to show pictures and videos of the countless miles we had run and reminisced about this crazy journey.

In less than three months, we will be running our first 100km ultra marathon. We each had our personal issues in 2012 – career changes, injuries, schedule conflicts etc, but we stuck together as a team. And I don’t think I would have had the discipline to train if I didn’t have these two equally insane friends.

Dec 22, 2012, Wulai trails. Last 3 Dudes run of 2012. Raising arms in celebration of a good year

Dec 22, 2012, Wulai trails. Tom introduced me to HDR function on my phone.

Decc 22, 2012, One of the many river and creek crossings

Dec 22, 2012, Meng Ling (second left), talented actor and writer. 

Labor of love

During my entrepreneurship days, I received help from many people, from close friends to casual acquaintances. With a small startup capital I tried to save whenever and wherever possible. We had friends acted us photographers, models, web design consultant, copy writers and legal advisor for free. Life as an entrepreneur didn’t work out, but I never forgot how great it felt to have people lend a helping hand in time of need. I vowed to always return the favor to those that are pursuing dreams with limited resources.

A coworker of mine writes and acts in plays, and him and his theater friends often finance their own production. His latest play was this past weekend so of course I had to go for support. I found the experience incredible and was deeply touched for multiple reasons:

1. I always had him as the shy type, but he turned out to be a good actor and had strong stage presence. He stole the show.

2. He has a fulltime job and somehow found the time and energy to participate in a 90 minute play.

3. They don’t make much money off these productions. It’s purely for love and passion.

4. When we met up with him briefly after the performance, he exuded a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.

It’s labor of love. 

Passion, respect and tolerance

A friend of mine, who is a devout Christian, was in town. He and his wife started a clothing brand with a Christian theme. Their passion is to serve God and they see this fashion business not as a business, but a vehicle for people to get curious about and understand God. They had a fashion show during a Christmas church service on Sunday, and I went to catch up.

I know many skeptics of religion. I am not religious, but it’s always an experience to be around people that are so clear with their mission in life, and I can’t help but be inspired, and want to reach harder for my own goals and dreams.

After all, many people think running ultramarathons are stupid and pointless, but somehow, it’s satisfying for me. So who am I to judge another person’s passion?

November 2012, taken with Geof, outside his Amenpapa boutique in HK

You can also follow my running adventures on https://www.facebook.com/pages/3-dudes-on-ultra-mission/271137916280936 or https://twitter.com/williewenli