First of all apologies from me. I have been AWOL. Actually, I have been vacationing in a forest up in Yorkshire, UK. I locked myself away from technology and cleansed my mind. I heartily recommend it. Shut that phone off. And if you are having heart palpitations upon reading those words, you are the very person who needs to do this to reclaim your sense of living and connection to nature. Or you could just read this post on your phone and ignore me haha. It is up to you.
By the way, I just have to stop here and say, damn you are looking good today! New hair style? Different top? Keep it going, the world needs more beautiful people like you around. Anyway!! I digress.....
Whilst I was on holiday exploring the woods, I suddenly came up with an analogy of how you should tackle life to always heal and thrive.
Yes, you guessed it. The analogy is about riding a bicycle.
How can riding a bicycle help you tackle life and heal and thrive? Let me start at the beginning.
When you (or if you still need to) first ride a bicycle you are usually confronted by that thinking monster in your head. It usually says something like: "Biking is dangerous, you can fall over and break a wrist or leg, why ride a bike, just walk"... well okay, maybe not everyone's mind has those thoughts, and obviously (understanding FEEL4) most people are energized to really want to get on that bike and ride it and to heck with those negative thoughts.
What is my point with the latter? My point is, especially when young, if you can remain aware of your thoughts and what they tell you throughout any life situation, then you will find you create an unstoppable inner mental strength to help you keep mental health issues at bay. Phobias for example only exist because of thoughts. Think about that - or rather be aware not to! Haha. The sooner you can build your awareness muscle in life the sooner you will be ready for when life throws some curveballs at you and tries to bring your mental health down.
Don't worry. I haven't finished my analogy yet! Haha... (Not sure why I am doing all these "Hahas" today, maybe I feel guilty for not posting for ages!) So let's recap, when you first walked towards that bicycle you feel excited (not anxious! this is the first step to mental empowerment) and your mind will try and throw you some show stopper thoughts. However, because you have read this post you are now "aware" you can take any negative thought and turn it around. You won't break a wrist because perhaps you are wearing wrist protectors and cycling on soft grass.
Moving quickly on. You are finally on that bicycle. Your parent has given you a hand and pushed you as hard as they can until you can feel the wind tickling your face. You start feeling the exhilaration of the cycling. And herein lies another lesson. Learn that focused effort will move your towards a destination, you can start to realise that this is true of any goal (aka destination) you have in life. Also plotting a direct course will help you stay on track and get to your destination (aka goal) sooner and more safely.
There are so many other aspects of cycling that I could delve into, but I want to keep this short and just get the points across so you can benefit.
Let's recap what you have learnt:
1. Focus on what you want to do, whether that is ride a bike or anything else
2. Ignore the fear and negative thoughts that try and stop you from doing something and instead fill your mind with energizing thoughts of all the reason why you should achieve your goal
3. Set your course, know where you are going to (aka riding) and then put the effort in (cycle like mad) to reach your destination. Most of all enjoy the journey - it's the best part!
4. When you reach and achieve your goal then learn to look back and appreciate the journey and when you are ready, use the experience to see if there are other places (aka goals) you wish to go.
1. Focus on what you want to do, whether that is ride a bike or anything else
2. Ignore the fear and negative thoughts that try and stop you from doing something and instead fill your mind with energizing thoughts of all the reason why you should achieve your goal
3. Set your course, know where you are going to (aka riding) and then put the effort in (cycle like mad) to reach your destination. Most of all enjoy the journey - it's the best part!
4. When you reach and achieve your goal then learn to look back and appreciate the journey and when you are ready, use the experience to see if there are other places (aka goals) you wish to go.
You want another example? Okay, how can these lessons be applied to things like a divorce? Well once you have come to terms with your situation. Just like learning to ride or even returning to ride a bicycle, you will need to be brave and start to date. You will find many thoughts will enter your mind to not find someone else to love, especially if you were hurt badly, but if you can remain aware that your thoughts can be changed by you thinking positively and just getting on that proverbial bike and riding it, you will be able to get out there and date. And once you do, just like a bike ride, you will realise that it is fun and was worth doing it. And when you finally meet someone (aka reach your destination) you will be glad of the "getting back on the bike" wisdom you learnt here today.
The latter example can be applied to any life situation that daunts you. Maybe it is a job interview where you are fearful. Or perhaps you are about to be a parent for the first time. Or you are facing bankruptcy. In all of these situations it is all about your mindset being set to ride that bike to a better destination.
I hope this post has helped you. I hope you realise that if you can harness the lessons learnt from cycling, then you will heal and thrive at every stage of your life.
Take care today.
Author: Christian Jacques Bennett*
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Search Terms: Bike, Balance, Self Help, Self Improvement, Personal Development, Life Hacks, Thrive, Heal, Learn, Joy, Fear, Anxiety, Mental Health, Wellness.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
