Life, like riding a motorcycle, is most enjoyable while moving foward. Spending too much time looking back can be dangerous.
On a motorcycle, the rule is to look where you want to go. You can’t make a right turn safely if you’re looking left. Same goes for life, it’s difficult to steer towards positive relationships if you’re looking at the negative ones.
On a motorcycle, theres no need to stare to the side. You look to see if the guy in the next lane is a potential danger. Maybe you glance to see something that glitters but you can’t stare. On a motorcycle, just as in life, you naturally head in the direction you’re looking.
On a motorcycle, we always say “ride at your own pace”. If you’re trying to lean deeper or ride faster to keep up with the guy ahead of you before you’re ready, you’re gonna get in trouble. Same goes for life. Go at your pace, appreciate your life, and push yourself when YOU are comfortable.
On a motorcycle, the rear view mirrors are tools. You can see the past and be aware of it. They help you see if something behind you is still a danger or becoming a danger. But you cannot safely maneuver away from the danger unless you are looking forward. Same as in life, we need to be aware of our past. Sometimes our past can sneak up on us. Sometimes we even tow the past behind us. If we’re to move forward safely we need to look forward.
On a motorcycle, stop to get gas! Grab a water and a snack. You need to stop and make sure you’re hydrated, fill up your tank and the bike’s. Do a quick check to make sure the bike is ok and that you’re ok. Gas stops are sometimes the best parts of being on a motorcycle. You meet new people, you recap the previous ride with the person you’re riding with or the other riders. Check your progress, the weather, and make sure you’re headed in the right direction still. Sometimes you’ll meet other motorcyclist who ended up at the same spot but took a different way… maybe a way you want to take. In life, do this! Take care of yourself, take a vacation, stretch your body and your mind, check your progress, check you’re heading, maybe you need or want to change your direction.
On a motorcycle, you can glance at the past. You can stop and talk about the past. You can, and should, stop moving and rest sometimes. You will always yearn for the road and the road will always welcome you back. In life, it is the same. You can reflect and evaluate but eventually you need to move forward.
On a motorcycle, we don’t ride to get to a destination, we choose a destination so that we have a reason to ride. Sometimes the destination is a flat piece of earth, sometimes it’s a festival, #motelsix, or a #Hyatt. The destination is an illusion. The destination is nothing more than a place to stop before the ride begins again. In life it is the exact same thing. What’s your destination? Is it #money? A job? A #family? That’s all great. It’s fantastic actually. I too want all of these things. But what was the point if the journey sucked!? You made it to a destination only to continue on a journey to another destination but is the next journey going to suck too? Will you be happy when you reach the destination?
My friends, enjoy the journey. Where ever it is and where ever its going it’s yours. You can only take one journey and it can only be the journey you want it to be so find joy in it.
P.S. if you’re saying “yeah but if it’s a thunderstorm or snowing like it is in my shitty life…” I’ll stop you there. On a motorcycle I’ve ridden in the snow, rain, high winds, and thunderstorms. My journey has changed and it has been unpleasant but one of my biggest smiles came to me when I realized I could replace “singing” with “riding” and i began to sing “I’m riding in the rain, I’m riding in the rain”. #FindJoyInTheJourney
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More Fucked Up Than You 