Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Eight lessons from Cycling!

  1. No rise is permanent -  Life is like a game of snakes and ladders. For every ladder that we climb, there is a snake that is waiting to pull us down. Whilst cycling, ironically, one enjoys the fall! Some sections of the road may be well laid while some sections may be narrow and hardly ride worthy, but they have to be crossed if the journey is to be experienced. 
  2. Riding the rise is hard but is worth it -  In life, to climb up the ladder calls for hard work, persistence and focused effort. But at the end of  it all, it is totally worth it. Some of the most breathtaking views of nature have been after riding steep inclines...
  3.  Never give up - Sometimes, we give up too soon, sometimes we give up just before we reach the summit. The key is to keep going. A few cyclists quit just as they start cycling while many do all the hard work but give up just before reaching the destination
  4.  We define our limitations - This is similar to the point above. It is our willpower that determines whether we can accomplish something or not. So many people assume that they can never cycle 80 or 100 kilometers on the trot but did they try in the fist place?
  5. Choose the right role models - If we set our eyes on achieving something worthwhile, we should carefully choose our role models. If we set our eyes on completing a particular ride, we should emulate the rider who leads the pack and follow him.
  6. There are no permanent companions in our journey - We may enjoy the company of the people surrounding us but we when it is time to move on, we must. When I cycle, I never cling to my companion and if I feel like I am clinging to someone, I either let him move on or I move on myself
  7.  All of us are alone in our journeys - This is related to the point above. Darkness, rain, clouds, sunshine, steep inclines, easy plains, smooth roads, potholed lanes, we cycle alone. If we derive happiness - no matter what the terrain is and no matter what the weather is - from the act of riding, we can be contented without needing someone to depend on for our happiness
  8. Slow and steady is the way to go - We should not exhaust ourselves by racing with others or cycle so slow that we can't make it to the destination. What is the point of a long ride if one does not do it with a certain sense of measured leisure? To pause and savor a moment of beauty and to rush through a patch of rough terrain in the heat, it is important to strike a right balance
 Readers are welcome to add more in their comments.