Look where you want to go, and lean into the turns.
These fundamental rules for properly riding a motorcycle can also be applied to succeeding in life.
When riding a motorcycle, we learn to look where we want to go. Look as far down the road as we can and look around or beyond hazards in the road to avoid hitting them. Look directly at something in the road and the bike will veer right towards it, and hit it.
In life, we also need to look down the road to see where we want our future to go. Don’t look directly at the problem or obstacle, but dwell on it’s solution. If we constantly concentrate on what holds us back, we cannot possibly move forward.
A moving motorcycle changes direction by leaning. If the bike doesn’t lean into a turn, it will run off the road and crash! To initiate a lean, we learn to push forward on the handlebar grip in the direction we want to go and the bike follows.
When life opens up a new exciting road we want to follow, we must act, and act fast by pushing that handlebar, leaning and heading down that new uncharted path. Without the push, all the wishing and hoping in the universe can’t help us change direction. And sometimes, when we fail to change direction, we crash and burn as well.
Riding a motorcycle involves risk. It is not a secret that riders have a greater risk of injury or death should they be involved in a collision. Riders accept these higher risks in exchange for rewards of freedom, adventure, and the pleasure they experience from riding. The same can be true in our personal or business lives. Greater levels of success, reward and even happiness are often achieved by those who take the bigger risks.
Okay, where am I going with all this?
The Endless Road Tour is a million mile journey I am riding for Multiple Sclerosis awareness, and if I am to reach my goal and make my mission truly successful, the time has come for me to hit the road. Literally.
Every ounce of my body and soul aches to be riding every day while writing, speaking, and reaching out to others along the way. In order for this to be possible, I need to leave the constraints of my day job. It has been the obstacle in the road, blocking the path I can clearly see I need to be on. I can no longer work around it, It is holding me back and I am wasting precious time. It is a tremendous risk of course, as I do not yet have the means in place to financially support a full-time riding career. By leaving the security of my full-time job, I truly will be putting all my trust in the belief that if I ride, financial support will catch up.
Although living with a progressive disease that has no cure may make it easier to accept more risks, I found myself at this crossroad many times before getting my diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. Risks, chances, and long shots; I’ve never shied away. I have been told I wouldn’t make it, couldn’t make it, or that I was putting too much at stake or risk by family and friends more times in my life than I care to admit. And sometimes the loudest advice to just play it safe came from within.
It was during a competition in 2001, thumping along a lonely Wyoming highway at a top speed of 25 MPH on a poor excuse for a motorcycle, that I almost gave up on one of the biggest risks and greatest moments of my life. Chugging along, limping to the next town, the drone of the one working cylinder began to take on a very distinguishable verse:
“GU-HUM, GU-HUM, GO-HUM, GO-HUM, GO-HOM, GO-HOME, GO-HOME!”
Not a soul on earth gave me a shot in hell of even finishing that event, and after a week of breakdown after breakdown, the torturous steel stallion’s song almost convinced me they were right. But from somewhere deep within my soul a sudden surge of energy erupted and as I stood up on the foot pegs, I opened my helmet visor and screamed at the top of my lungs to the entire world,
“I WILL NOT GIVE UP, AND I WILL NOT GO HOME”.
I etched this statement across my windshield with a grease pencil. I then vowed, no matter what, I was going to finish the event. Once declared, I never had a second thought, knew where I needed to go, looked beyond the problem, leaned hard into the wind and eventually dragged myself across the finish line.
I will forever be grateful for taking the risk, the impossible million-to-one odds of finishing that event on such a motorcycle. That ride, that day, that moment, helped shape who I am, and continues to give me strength to believe in myself at the most difficult and trying times.
Besides the obvious passion I have for riding and some of my rather extreme motorcycle endeavors, embracing risk and challenge has proved to be a positive path for me to take in many other ways, such as starting my own business, changing careers and challenging the status quo by winning custody of my children.
By risking it all at times, I believe I propelled myself into these challenges with such force; I left no room or time for defeat. I was able to see beyond all the barriers, exactly where I wanted to go, and firmly pushed forward; at times defying all the odds.
I suppose what all of this means today is, I must now follow the road that is opening up before me at wide open throttle. I must lean as hard as I can in the direction of traveling, writing, and using my voice to help others while leaving all obstacles behind. I cannot wait any longer. I am wasting daylight and my ability clock is ticking. I hereby accept the risks, and look forward to the reward of mission accomplished.
I suppose for some, this would be considered as officially giving my two-week notice.
– Longhaulpaul
Please share, like, and join my email list for updates.
Looking for opportunites to share my seminars and presentations to MS audiences, motorcycle venues, schools and businesses. Will work for fuel!
