After writing the above in last week’s posting, I said to myself: “Do not do that! Why would people be interested in your life’s little lessons?”
But I thought about it and, perhaps there would actually be value in reflecting on life, especially if it relates to what my unusual mentor – my motorcycle – has taught me.
It has coached me in many ways – the most important being that you must prepare for the ride and adhere to certain principles and techniques when riding. If you do not do so, you will not enjoy your motorcycle or the ride and you may fall and sustain injuries. You may even end up in accidents. On the other hand, if you do, you will enjoy that special and unexplainable freedom that the motorcycle has to offer and you will be safe during your journey.
My motorcycle has also made me realise that you can apply the same principles when dealing with life to enjoy the freedom that life has to offer, yet to be safe at the same time while enjoying the ride.
So, this is not about life’s lessons. It is perhaps a little about riding motorcycles and more about riding life!
Understanding the differences between driving a motorcar and riding a motorcycle
It is important to understand that riding and controlling a motorcycle is completely different – and much more complex – than manoeuvring a car. You drive a car. You sit in a seat and you control the vehicle via controls. You ride a motorcycle. This means that you grip and control the bike via your whole body, moving your weight left and right, backward and forward, also using you muscles.
You generally think of the four wheels as one thing, for example when braking or turning in a corner. On a motorcycle you think of the two wheels separately. They fulfil different roles at all times.
I can go on to highlight the differences when looking at the surface of the road ahead of you, the effect of the wind, the impact that the passenger has on the handling of the motorcycle, the different way in which brakes are utilised, even the differences in the use of the accelerator.
Enough, however, to say that riding a motorcycle requires a complete different skillset and alertness than driving a car.
So, how does this relate to life? The whole story of safe motorcycling and, for that matter safely riding life, can be grouped under the following headings:
- Before you ride
- When you ride
Make sure you have the right motorcycle for the trip. There are motorcycles for different purposes. Approach life in the same way. Always be in the right frame of mind in relationships, during challenges and in your career.
If you have to work at a high pace, think sports motorcycle. In doing so you will set yourself up with characteristics relating to being sharp, precise, agile and fast.
Venturing onto new terrain requires a different approach. In this case think off-roader – a motorcycle which is light, manoeuvrable and of the go-anywhere type.
During you holiday, become a cruiser with the characteristics of sitting back, letting things roll by and having time to think and recharge.
Most of the time, however, life is a mixture of everything, even changing all the time. That’s why it is practical to prepare yourself mentally into the role of a dual-purpose motorcycle, also referred to as dual-sport or adventure motorcycles. These motorcycles can go fast as well as being able to go slowly over traitorous and unexplored terrain. They are comfortable on long trips while they take short trips and day-to-day communicating in their stride. They can tackle the fast lane, the urban crawl and the back roads with ease. They can also carry a lot of weight.
When riding life, make sure that you equip yourself with the right riding machine and get into the right frame of mind before you start.
But do not only decide on the best machine for life’s roads, also make sure that you understand, get training and apply the correct riding techniques.
On a motorcycle there is a huge difference between what to do and what not to do when riding on tar and when riding off-road. Furthermore, as with life, you do not need brute force to control the motorcycle. Most of the time sensitive and controlled actions are required.…and a good measure of balance.
So, when riding life, as you would do when riding your motorcycle, be alert and adapt when conditions change. Know when to tuck in behind the fairing and go fast; know when to go slow and stand up to negotiate new terrain. Life changes constantly. Be aware and prepared for that.
Apply self-discipline and skilled control. Get formal training to improve your life skills. Speak to others on how they deal with life. Get a mentor!
Talk to and involve your partner. Make him or her part of your personal growth experience. Be in unison with one another.
But life is not only about the trip, it starts with planning and constantly adjusting the planning for the trip.
Planning a motorcycle trip means having to give more attention to the detail. You have to plan distances, where to refuel, the nature of the roads, planned stops, weather, accommodation and many more. You also have to allow for deviations and unplanned opportunities.
Try not to travel alone, especially when venturing onto back and unknown roads. Take a riding partner along or ride in a group. You do not want to be on your own if you are in trouble.
Make sure that the basics such as insurance and medical aid are in place. It is too late to get these things in place when you actually need them.
Do the same when you plan your journey of life. Take care of the basics first so that you can then focus on your journey, instead of wondering about the daily matters. Take care of your accommodation, transport, insurance, health, exercise, banking matters and all those items that you need on a daily basis. In doing so you will not be distracted by the small things when you need to focus on the long-term and really important things.
Get support structures in place. Make friends and work hard at maintaining and growing the right friendships. Help each other. Do not travel alone.
Allow time for life’s necessary stops. Take breaks. Refresh and revive yourself. Regularly smell the roses.
Do not neglect your spiritual and religious inner being. This can happen so easily in today’s rushed and material life.
And, very important, know when to replenish. Never run on an empty tank or be without reserves.
Make sure that you are equipped with the right gear to be comfortable and safe. Try to invest in good quality items that will last you longer. Make sure that you have protection against mishaps and life’s elements such as accidents, loneliness, pain and stress, amongst others.
Before firing up your motorcycle, do a quick pre-ride and safety check on the critical items such as fuel, brake fluid, lights, tyres and so on. Do the same when you go on life’s special assignments. Plan properly and consolidate your planning in a checklist. This helps to make sure that you do not forget something and to remain focused. Plan your life, you next assignment, your next step carefully….and do a pre-ride check to make sure that things are in place before starting off.
When you ride your motorcycle….and when you ride life
Maintain traction. On tar, a motorcycle’s wheels should under normal circumstances not skid or loose grip. Loosing grip means loosing traction – which means losing the ability to control the bike.
Keep your eyes on the road. Actively evaluate the surface on an on-going basis. Take into account the effect of rain and storms. Changes are more sudden on gravel. Be aware of sand, loose gravel, mud and stones.
Sometimes the rider may deliberately break traction to do a power slide through a bend. This helps to get you quicker through a corner, but for good reasons should not be attempted by the novice.
Braking is an art. Avoid locking the rear wheel. A locked rear wheel means that you are going to fall over.
A general, interesting and very true rule to maintain traction and balance under challenging conditions is: “When in doubt, go faster”. Or, in more scientific terms and on gravel surfaces: “Stand up, eyes up, power up.”
The same applies to life: Keep your eyes focused on where you are going. Actively evaluate what you see on life’s road. Look out in advance for dangerous situations that may cause you to loose traction. Adjust your speed timeously and steer around the obstacles in your way. When in doubt, stand up, eyes up and power up.
As with a motorcycle, be on the lookout for the bends in life’s road – the things that could slow you down or throw you off track – situations where you cannot see far ahead.
When they appear, slow down until you feel safe. Identify the line through the bend. Approach the bend, identify the apex and then focus on your exit point. Always look at where you’re planning to go to, not at where you are right now! Open the throttle and gain traction and momentum.
Master the art of defensive riding. Take care of your motorcycle, your life and your lifestyle and ride in such a manner that you will be able to ride again tomorrow. Make sure that you are not let down halfway to where you are going to.
Take care of yourself, even pamper yourself. Live a healthy lifestyle, exercise and go for medical check-ups. Be twice as alert while on life’s roads and, as you would do on a motorcycle, look out for and think on behalf of the other road users. Others do not always adhere to the rules of the road and may be the cause of your accidents. Expect them and steer clear from such road users.
Trust your instinct and experience. Now and then deliberately take deep breaths and re-focus when you start to lose focus. Talk to and coach yourself. It is often good to hear your own voice.
Never try to show off…this is when you fall and make a fool of yourself! Be humble and stay humble.
Guard against common mistakes
A motorcycle, as with life, is an unusual vehicle and our survival instincts tend to work against us when we get into trouble. We tend to do the wrong things which may feel safer at the time than the right things that may feel wrong at the time.
Do not snap off power when things go wrong. This could result in loss of control. Opening up the throttle and keeping momentum often is the correct action to take.
When a dangerous situation develops, we tend to fix on the situation and we coil backwards on the motorcycle, arms stiff and straight thereby losing control. Instead, accept the challenge and lean forward into the danger, arms relaxed to be able to steer through the situation with the correct amount of momentum.
When an obstacle appears, we are drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Acknowledge the obstacle and then decide how to avoid it. Once you have done so, look beyond the obstacle to where you want to go to, keeping your eyes focused on that point. This allows the mind to come up with a solution and the internal compass to take us there.
Teach yourself to fight against these erroneous survival instincts every time when they happen, and discipline yourself to do things correctly. Do things correctly especially under calm conditions. By making a habit of doing the right thing when things are easy, you will automatically do the same when the chips are down.
To end
What I’ve shared today, are life’s lessons that I’ve learnt from riding my motorcycle. But this is not the only place where we can find valuable lessons. We also find them in our game of table tennis, in our dog’s behaviour, in the turn of the seasons, in the love of those who care for you and in many more situations.
What is important is to identify and internalise these lessons…and to apply them in life.
Ride life with zest while applying the valuable lessons that we’re learning as we go along. And remember, life is not about applying brute force to be in control. It is about deliberate, sensitive and controlled actions at the right time…and a good measure of balance.
The most valuable thing that I’ve learnt from my motorcycle, is that motorcycling – and for that matter, life – is not about the destination or the arrival, it is actually about the ride and the enjoyment of being on the road.
Enjoy life. Make your furthest destination the place where you will be sleeping tonight. Wake up refreshed so that you can embark on what the new day’s journey has to offer.
Ride life with passion. Ride life well. Practise and apply life’s riding principles and remain humble all the time. Be grateful to our Creator who gave us life together with the intellect, the ability and the opportunity to make our own decisions in life…and who really wants us to enjoy the ride!
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