The Bike

I bought the bike to get more exercise. In my mind, I imagined losing a few extra pounds, and feeling healthier. But, my experiences with the bike proved to be far more fascinating and multidimensional tha
I could ever imagine. I went to the bike shop and picked out a sleek looking, black, 10-speed racer; added a few additional accessories; loaded it in my car; and headed home.

Once there, I jumped on the bike and began pedaling down the road beside my house. As I rode through my neighborhood, on a road I had traveled hundreds of times before in my car, a new world suddenly appeared. On my bike, I could smell things. On my bike, I could hear things. On my bike, I traveled slowly enough to really see things. In the past, I sped down these roads in my car; which was an insulating bubble. Windows tightly rolled up. Radio blasting. Going as fast as the speed limit allowed. But now, I could smell freshly mown grass. I could hear animal sounds. I could feel the wind on my face. I could see subtle details of old weathered barns, variations in the color of tree leaves, and many small things that had been invisible before. I had stepped out of the bubble of my car and began to rediscover my neighborhood.

Traveling down roads at slower speeds, I found I could now shout greetings to my neighbors, and could easily pull my bike over to the side of the road and spend a few minutes chatting with them. If I saw something really interesting, I could stop and explore. My physical fitness improved, and I began to ride and explore further. My senses became heightened and sharpened, and I began to see, hear, and feel, more details and textures.

I rode my bike frequently that summer. There were dogs that liked to chase me, cars that passed too closely, and swarms of bugs that suddenly appeared near dusk; but overall the experience was wonderful. I ride my bike less frequently these days, but many times when I'm traveling down a back road in my car, I'll slow down, turn off the radio, roll down the windows, and really enjoy my journey.

That summer, I learned there was a tremendous amount of beauty and diversity I routinely passed by, unnoticed and not experienced. Before, I had been so intent on reaching my destination in "the bubble;" of my comfortable vehicle, that I missed it. The bike also taught me a larger lesson: Today I strive to make sure I don't live my life in a bubble. Frequently, I make myself slow down, roll down my mental windows, turn down my mental radio, and experience the beautiful colors and details of my life jou
eys more intimately. Life is a series of jou
eys. We are all constant travelers, and time spent at destinations is all too brief.

Enjoy your jou
eys.

This story may be freely used and distributed as long as the following information is included, and the story is reprinted in it's entirety:
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This story was authored by Scott Fite, who specializes in Peak Performance Coaching. Stop by his website at http://www.lifedesigncenter.com for more peak performance information and to sign up for a free newsletter.
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