Learning Life Lessons
Learning Life Lessons happens in so many places and in so many ways. And, recently, my big learning curve seems to have been on my bike.
In my last post, I wrote about my mountain biking debut class with Trail Angels and the importance of investing in some real How To before you start something new. And adjusting your focus to the task at hand, so you can prepare and act rather than just react. And that if you are going to do something new, be in the moment with your whole being.
I thought my next life lesson was learning to get back in the saddle after crashing with my whole being – starting out with my forehead, nose, lip in the dirt, and the rest following painfully behind entwined in the bike on the track at Uitsig bike park. With everyone watching. Yes, getting back in the saddle and overcoming the fear is essential for learning and building resilience and putting my big girl pants back on. And I did it precisely because of that. But it has taken a few days to realise the real lesson. In my first post of the year (07/01/22), I wrote about starting out the year as you mean to continue. Finding your goal for the year, and then pausing to set your intention so that all your actions are consciously focused on supporting you in achieving that goal. So, if I was being mindful and had adjusted my way of seeing, and was practising my technique, and my new biking career was in line with my Main Goal, why then did I crash and burn? Because I skipped a step. I didn´t pause when setting my intention. I stayed in my seat, focused on the start of the track rather than establishing where I was and where I was going, and how I was going to get there, and whether I had everything in place to do it. Long story short, I didn´t notice that I had left my e-bike motor on, which I had briefly flicked on to get my jelly legs up to the start, not knowing that it would make me go faster downhill…
So, for me, the lesson is that mindfulness, or being present in the moment, begins before you set off. And pausing is the key. Don´t rush headlong into action. Slow it down, prepare, check and cross-check. Especially when doing adrenaline sports! But the same is true for life. Create a little routine that you habitually do to check that your intention is clear, you are not cruising on autopilot, you have everything you need and it´s all working, and you are moving towards a planned outcome. Winging it keeps you in fight or flight mode, and while it is exciting (for a while), the stress of never feeling you can land safely is debilitating and exhausting. If all you can manage for now is to pause and focus on where you are going and start out with clarity, that will set you up for the journey. Bring your attention to the moment whenever you remember, keep your eyes just ahead of you, and your mind´s eye on the goal.