5 Real Life Lessons Bicycling Teaches You

Did you know that a simple activity like a bicycle ride can teach you important lessons in life? Ever wondered about the simple life hacks you can learn by cycling? Sounds intriguing. Here's a list of the top 5 of those.

1) Take it one pedal at a time

When you cycle, you are bound to come across obstacles. Your route will be riddled with potholes and debris. You will not have smooth and well-paved roads all the time. Neither is it always flat or without the presence of other travelers who may slow you down or be in conflict with you. But you cycle on, one pedal at a time. When faced with a tough road you get your butt off your seat and use every bit of energy that you never knew you had, and push yourself to the next pedal. And the next and the next until you have passed the difficult stretch. Focusing on an obstacle is no point. In fact, it may cause a crash. Same with life, you should be overcoming obstacles and not concentrating on them. When you pass through tough situations, you continue with small steps at a time. Don't overwhelm yourself by looking too far ahead.

Remember the fun that you will experience whizzing downhill or on smooth flat terrain, can only be enjoyable when you experience the inclines and the tough obstacle-filled roads. Same with life, you will see a bit of both, and you will only enjoy the good times when you have also experienced the not-so-good times. Sometimes you may need to pedal harder, and some days you can take it easy. But you always keep pedaling. Same with life, some days you may have problems, other days will be smooth sailing. The landscape keeps changing. All you gotta do is go on and enjoy the changing scenery.

2) Falls are little blips and not the end

When you cycle, you may fall and crash, or you could lose your balance a bit. You may get a bit wobbly at times, but you still manage to move ahead. But whatever the iteration that may come your way in your cycling journey, you get up, dust yourself and get back on the saddle.

In life, you will fail a few times or a hundred times or even more. You may experience failure even when you are in the best spot of your life. But giving up will take you nowhere. And like cycling, you need to get up, survey yourself, take stock of things, spend a bit of time thinking it through before you can soldier on.

3) Experience More

When you cycle, you become part of the landscape. You travel at a pace that you can feel your surroundings and be a part of them. It is because you are slower and vulnerable to the environment. Same with life, do not rush past everything that passes you by. While the destination is important, life is really about the journey. It's the small things along our journey that add value and meaning to life. Enjoy the journey called life.

4) Don't be averse to assistance, and TLC Tender Loving Care

Your bike needs regular maintenance. Even with that, you may still run into trouble and may need to take a break and sort out the issue. In life, it's okay just to take some time off and recharge yourself. You may need some tender loving care and ask for help when you require it. Similar to a cyclist who keeps a spare and repair kit handy, you must have a friend to fall back and rely on. Every cyclist knows that a tool kit and spare tire are must-haves. Even if you are going on a short ride, you never know what to expect. Better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. In life, it is always good to be prepared for any situation and to accept that there will be times when you just have to get your hands dirty. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

5) Keep Moving...Forward

'Keep moving' is a well-repeated mantra. But it should always be forward. Like you would ride a bicycle, you would have to keep your eye up ahead on the road. And looking back while riding ahead is simply not the way. And to ensure that you maintain balance, you need to keep moving. As the saying goes Life is like riding a bicycle; you don't fall off until you stop pedaling. In life, too, whatever the situation, you need to keep moving ahead. You may choose to take things slowly but always move forward. Make progress every day, even if it's something small. Make progress a habit, not an occasion.

Do you have a personal analogy of bike riding and life? We would love to hear your thoughts and perspective. Please do share by adding to the comments box below.