Realizing your dreams and living free is about putting yourself out there. It’s about venturing forth into the wind. Hummingbirds are small, but the can cover vast stretches of open water during their annual migration.
Mental as Much as Physical
Riding against the wind is a great metaphor for life. As in life, it’s as much about mental struggle as it is physical exertion. Riding in the wind requires mental tenacity just as much, if not more so than physical toughness.
Such is the way with dreams. You have to be willing to struggle physically and mentally to make them come true. Facing a fierce headwind requires grit and determination. You have to be physically and mental up for the challenge.
Everyone Wants to Go But Few Do
Most people dream about doing things their entire lives only to fade away in some cubicle farm. People die fat and unfulfilled in the cubicle farm. Everyone wants to live their dreams, damn few are willing to pay the price to make them happen. Go.
It’s About the Struggle
Anyone can be good when life is easy. But we never grow during the easy times, only when times are tough. It is there at the crux that our true nature is revealed. It is when we are struggling that we get to see who we really are. Struggling gets us out of our comfort zones of conformity and complacency.
Once in a while, you may find yourself with a sweet tailwind at your back. But most of the time it’s in your face. If you want to be out there, you have to take the good with the bad. It’s just the way it is. Often the best thing to do is to put your head down and pedal on.
There is Magic in Audacity
As the adages go, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Fortune favors the bold. Like jumping into the cold water, the hardest part is often just jumping. Once you’re over the initial shock of the cold, the water isn’t so bad.
Live the Life You Imagined
Go forward in the pursuit of your dreams. Only you can make it happen. Only you can truly benefit from realizing your desires. And if you don’t, in the end, it will be you who regrets it the most.
No Regrets
As Mark once said, At the end of your life, you will regret the things you didn’t do more than the stuff you did. What are you waiting for? Pedal out of cover into the wind. Point your bike to the horizon and go.
When will you feel the wind?
A great reminder, hope you enjoyed NZ.
Peace.
Matt,
Cycling New Zealand was an excellent adventure. Two thumbs way up. Riding the Kiwi islands was what I expected and a lot more. I had a great time and was sad to leave. Even after 70 days on the road, there was still so much more to see. Too bad we didn’t get a chance to link-up. Perhaps down the road, we’ll get another chance. If so, the first pint is on me.
See you out there. Cheers, Johnny