Out for a bike ride recently (bicycle, not vroom vroom… that’s next year 🙂 ). It occurred to me how many things that my early morning bike rides have taught me. Here are a few gems of wisdom discovered from the seat of Lucy, my gorgeous and smooth darling of a bike:
1. You don’t always need a destination. In fact, many times, the best rides I’ve had have been unplanned meanderings. Plans can be constricting sometimes, you don’t always need them.
2. Smile in the wind. Sure, bugs may get in your teeth but that’s a slight price to pay for the feeling you get when the wind is in your face and you embrace it.
3. Speaking of embracing… Stop and look and enjoy. True, you can still see the beauty around you as it whizzes by, but its good to every now and then stop and soak it in.
4. Coasting is still moving. You don’t always have to be pedalling so hard and working to get somewhere. If life hands you a downhill and some ease to roll along, be thankful and enjoy it. There will always be another hill to get up so rest when you get the chance
5. Take a path less travelled. Or even unknown. Sometimes those have the best surprises and You would have missed. them if you had stuck to the same old routine.Take risks, it just might result in something awesome.
6. Even if the weather looks great when you start out, you can be going along and just get dumped on all the same – seemingly out of nowhere sometimes. Keep going. You’ll either move through and out of it or you’ll get back to your safe place. Life is the same way. Just keep moving.
7. Sometimes it’s important to leave your hand off the brakes and just fly. When you’re at the top of a hill it can be scary to open up and let go but it’s worth it. Nothing beats the feeling of flying!
8. It’s ok to be proud of your accomplishments. Take the moment (or second even) to bask in making it to the top of the hill that usually kicks your ass… for going further than you ever have before… for getting out and just doing it when all you wanted was more couch time. You earned the right to be proud of yourself, enjoy it and know you deserve it. You rock 🙂
9. Acknowledge those who pass you by. They may not be going the same direction or even travelling the same mode of transportation but they’re moving along the same fundamental journey. Spare a breath and a second and a smile and say “hi” or “‘morning”. I don’t recall the 40 spandex clad cyclists that blaze past me in a pack but I always remember the one lone one who calls out “good morning” or warns me of a huge puddle coming up. Take the time to connect to others on this journey.
10. Don’t get caught up in the “why” and the “shoulds” of why you do it all. Sometimes the only reason you need is because it feels good and puts a smile on your face.
whisky sweet 