While my wife spent a good amount of time being pampered at the St Julien Spa, I found a mountain bike and a few jaw dropping trails. While out riding, I had a few realizations that I think transcends beyond the trail, on to the broader adventure of life we all find ourselves in. I want to share just a few:

Be prepared for every upcoming inch, but keep your focus a good distance ahead

It had been a while since I’d ridden serious trails, and I kept committing a beginners mistake when i was first starting out. In both the climb and the ascent, I was focusing on every little rock and root directly in front of me. This helped me to navigate cleanly over the immediate obstacle, but my momentum was instantly killed after every obstacle of any significance. I had to keep telling my self to “look up 10 feet ahead, be aware of every twist, turn, and obstacle coming up, but ultimately focus on the bigger picture”. Once I did this, I was still prepared for each obstacle and possible pitfall, but I also gained a momentum and confidence, which in turn created a good sense of flow and adrenaline.

gadgets / tools / and gear will only get you so far, or even worse, they will become a crutch

on my first day of riding, I rented an insanely advanced dual suspension bike, practically the rolls royce / hummer h1 of mountain bikes. i won’t lie, it was a really sweet piece of machinery. the cushioning and handling were light years ahead of anything i have ever ridden. but on my second day of riding, I rode a friends old bike. a standard, specialized hard tail bike from yesteryears. a good bike for it’s time, but nowhere near the level of technology and gadgetness of the first day’s bike. but you know what? I had just as much fun the second day. maybe because i knew i had to push myself that much harder. I had to navigate even more precisely. and I knew the adventure I was having, was all the more on account of my hard work, and not some fancy machine.

if your not giving back some blood, sweat, or tears, your probably not pushing hard enough

Don’t get me wrong, I am in no way a lover of pain, desiring to inflict it upon myself in the name of being tough or macho. I actually hate crashing and avoid it at all cost in my daily bike commuting. But when I got out out on the trail, I didn’t want to play it safe. I didn’t want to come back with out a few scars, or a bit of blood shed. i only went over the handlebars a few times, and only took a few jumps off wobbly, but it was just enough. just enough to let me know i was still alive. Just enough to let me know where the edge is.

I’m going to keep it short, and let you draw your own parallel’s to daily life. Or better yet, go find a bike and a trail, and have a blast.

FUKINSEI (imbalanced)
Asymmetry, odd numbers, irregularity, unevenness, imbalance is used as a denial of perfection as perfection and symmetry does not occur in nature.

KANSO (simple)
Elimination of ornate and things of simplicity by nature expresses their truthfulness. Neat, frank and uncomplicated.

KOKOU (austere)
Basic, weathered bare essentials that are aged and unsensuous. Evokes sternness, forbiddance, maturity and weight.

SHIZEN (natural)
Raw, natural and unforced creativity without pretence. True naturalness is to negate the naive and accidental.

YUGEN (subtle profound)
Suggest and not reveal layers of meaning hidden within. Invisible to the casual eye and avoiding the obvious.

DATSUZOKU (unworldly)
Transcendence of conventional and traditional. Free from the bondage of laws and restrictions. True creativity.

SEIJAKU (calm)
Silence and tranquility, blissful solitude. Absence of disturbance and noise from one’s mind, body and surroundings.

to be worthy, not respectable,
and wealthy, not, rich;

to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with an open heart;
to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently,
await occasion, hurry never;

in a word,
to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common –

this is my symphony.

william henry channing

This has been on my mind (and my desktop) for the last few weeks, especially in the midst of the many changes happening in my life (moving cross country, having a gorgeous baby girl, starting a new gig, and buying a first home).

I don’t want stuff / hurry / crap. And I have to remind my self of this awesome. I want time with my bride. I want to hold and coo with my baby girl. I want to invest, love, and enjoy the relationships God has given me.

Therefore other things must be weeded / kept out. That is the tension.