Friday, September 3, 2010

Throwing Myself At Life

Riding a motorcycle gives me the feeling that I’m in charge of my destiny. In choosing the roads that are in harmony with the true essence of my Self, I can operate uninfluenced by the opinions, concerns, and desires of others. I choose to put myself in the driver’s seat because I want to be immersed in the entire experience, relish the gratification of finding that sweet spot; harmony of mind, body, and soul on the open road.
Motorcycling is truly a sensuous experience for me. The smooth and safe operation of the bike are primarily based on feeling the synchronization between my body, my bike and my surroundings, all the while processing a constant stream stimuli. The majority of the decisions I make while riding are based on what I sense around and within myself.
Making that connection between the clutch, throttle, and the twists of my wrists is analogous to many of the pertinent Life decisions I make. Both are based on sensing what’s going on around and within me. There’s no mistaking when I’ve made the perfect connection. My entire being feels it. Understanding how and when all the necessary components work together, and at what point they work in perfect harmony, has come with practice and a lot of trial and error. With any amount of dissonance, my momentum is interrupted, my ride becomes unstable, and my power starts to weaken, or flat out dies.
I love riding at the speed I’m comfortable with. Sometimes I’m riding the edge and scaring the shit out of myself, but I know to better my Self, I have to push the envelope once in a while. Sure, there have been surprises, some of them not so fun. When I face the obstructions and uncertainties of life the way I do on a motorcycle ride, I keep moving onward, usually a little slower, but forward nevertheless. Precisely the reason I ride a motorcycle that doesn’t have reverse!
I used to look forward to the straight-a-ways because I loaded my mind with fears about curves. The more I practiced taking on the curves, the better I became at handling the challenges I face in my day to day existence. I started living my life when I loosened the grip on my motorcycle and let go of the possible dangers. Instead, I began focusing on enjoying the unpredictability of the ride and ended up discovering Life around the corner.
Paying attention to my riding style gives me clear picture of my Self. I like the euphoria of the twists, turns and unpredictable moments. I enjoy going full bore, within my comfort zone. I find throwing myself at curves invigorating, and satisfying my desire to explore intriguing and unfamiliar roads pure ecstasy. Confident in the knowledge, skills, and experience I have to keep myself upright and moving forward, I put the brakes on my own fears and those other people may throw at me.
I’m not holding back, settling for less, or “good enough.” I’m riding this life to advance, enhance, and flourish−attracting into my experience anyone or anything that is in tune with me. I have the power to do so right in my own hands, and so do you.
Karen Allen
www.motorcyclemedicine.com
Encouraging motorcyclists to put more power into their ride.

2 comments:

LeslieB said...

Perfect description of the experience, Karen! I just celebrated one year of riding and it gets better every time!

Karen said...

Living life by focusing on the road ahead instead of the rearview mirros!