So I have spent a couple of days trying to try to increase the amount of riding I get to do. I followed this: How to Become an Early Riser (well sort of. Well more honestly not a lot - cos I think it is simplisitic and inapplicable to my work/role).
Anyway yesterday morning I went for a lovely ride at 7:30 for an hour before a prayer meeting. Despite the drizzle rain it felt good. So I went for the repeat today.
Not so good.
Today was icy and going around a parked van in Hargrave I came off. Well more accurately, my bike went down fast and lacking levitation skills I went with it. No real harm done except to ego, but I did come home a much shorter way than planned.
I have spent quite a bit of the last few days/weeks visiting in hospital, maybe I should have fallen a bit harder and then it would just be a walk down the corridor to do all the visiting, much more efficient don't you think.
Sadly I have setup my trike for Jane to ride at the moment, otherwise I would have been on that enjoying sliding on the ice. I bought my first recumbent trike soon after coming off on the ice (amusingly I was on the way to the chiropractic at the time - he ended up with more work than expected). It is one of the times that a trike really scores over a 2 wheeler.
Anyway I did go and read a few pages over at this StevePavlina.com site (the one that tells me how to get up in the morning. It also tells me how to make a fortune from my blog. If I look long enough on there I am sure I can find a piece of simplistic advice for every situation that could me money for Mr Pavlina. One question you rarely hear from self help people is "why?". So when I read
If your blog provides genuine value, you fully deserve to earn income from it.
I like to ask "why?" and "what does this tell me about the author and their value system?" Then I can see how relevant the advice is. As I do not live in a world where value can only and is only defined in monetary terms, hence the advice is not relevant.
In the words of the old story.
A Zen Teacher saw five of his students return from the market, riding their bicycles. When they had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, "Why are you riding your bicycles?"
The first student replied, "The bicycle is carrying this sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back!" The teacher praised the student, saying, "You are a smart boy. When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over, as I do."
The second student replied, "I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path." The teacher commended the student, "Your eyes are open and you see the world."
The third student replied, "When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant, nam myoho renge kyo." The teacher gave praise to the third student, "Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel."
The fourth student answered, "Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all beings." The teacher was pleased and said, "You are riding on the golden path of non-harming."
The fifth student replied, "I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle." The teacher went and sat at the feet of the fifth student, and said, "I am your disciple."
Well I write on my blog to write on my blog (at least on the good days when I don't write to remove the sack of potatoes from my back.
Oh and when I have a ride like yesterday I ride my bike to ride my bike. Today I rode my bike to get my body back home. :-) Yesterday was so beautiful as I rode towards the sunrise with my fixie running along absolutely silently - lovely.
Oh and the bad advice I was trying to follow can be summed up as
"Don't think for yourself about your own situation, just follow these simple rules and all will be well"
Which means
- when you are out til late most nights for work it might not a good idea to set yourself the goal of getting up early every day.
- when there has been freezing fog at night it may not be the best time to go out for an early bike ride
- reflection is good. I should do it more.
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