The Most Important Bike Ride of My Life!

When I was a kid, I primarily grew up in the west end of downtown Toronto and pretty much did everything  that young energetic rambunctious boys did with the exception of one thing.

I didn't bike ride!

When I think back, it really doesn't make a whole lot of sense.  All my friends had bikes and the residential area I lived in was full of riders but for whatever reason I didn't gravitate towards it.

Or more accurately, I didn't learn to ride.  

Its something I've pondered about for many years and after some pretty deep thought and self reflection I surmised that part of the reason I didn't take up bike riding was because I convinced myself I couldn't do it.

It was as simple as that!

At no point did I try or come close to making an honest attempt to learn or had any concrete data to base my belief off of. I just told myself that it was something beyond me and so it was written.

How's that for the power of self talk??

I conjured this negative belief in my head and accepted the fact I wasn't a bike rider and that in turn became my reality.

I stayed away from the conversation of bikes, I avoided situations where I would have to be around bikes - it was almost as if bicycles didn't exist in my world.  Truth of the matter was the topic was a little embarrassing to openly admit which made easier to avoid talking about and being around all together. 

Throughout the years the idea of riding crossed my mind from time to time but it was more like a fleeting thought.

It was shortly after my 40th birthday when the thought of bike riding started to become more prevalent in my thinking and I slowly started to question my beliefs.

Why don't I ride?

Wouldn't it be fun?

How hard would it be to learn?

Challenging the things we believe or at least thoroughly examining them is an exercise that people should consider doing on a regular basis. Think of it as a form of spring cleaning.  At the very least, its a great way of keeping us honest to ourselves.

Riders Cycle & Board Inc.

After going through my own spring cleaning process and asking myself a few tough questions, I came to the conclusion that there was no reasonable explanation why I didn't bike ride and at this point the only logical thing to do was to learn.

So in late May, I purchased my very first bicycle from my childhood friend's shop and I embarked on a journey that had me wondering why I didn't take it sooner.  I picked it up relatively quickly and in no time I was zipping through the city streets like I had been doing it all along.

 

I developed what I referred to as the #AddictionToTheGlide syndrome and was constantly looking for reasons to ride discovering bike trails and areas of the city I didn't know existed. A friend once told me a story about how much comedian Jerry Seinfeld loved gliding on his bike through the streets of New York and the sense of freedom he had being out in the open air.  I can totally relate.

 

 

My infatuation with riding has lead me to what I call:

The Most Important Bike Ride of My Life!

After exploring several well developed bike paths throughout the city, I've decided to move on to my next challenge and embark on a seven hour bike trip to Niagara-On-The-Lake. NOTL is beautiful this time of the year and is nestled along the shores of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario.  I've heard much about it and the scenic bike trails so I've decided to make the journey and experience it for myself.  

At the same time, this trip holds a great deal of significance for me and is much more then just checking out the scenery.  You see, I firmly believe that the limits on our potential only exist in our thoughts and we have the ability to do whatever we want as long as we believe it. I placed limits on myself for years until I finally realized how much of a mistake that was.  This trip will further reinforce in my mind that the things we believe to be true isn't always the case.

So as I make the 133 km (83 mile) journey, I urge you to think about the the things that you're holding yourself back from.

Ask yourself why or rather ask yourself why not?



See you on the court!

Follow me on Twitter @TheAudman

There's Only One Way To Finish

When the chips are stacked against us and the situation looks bleak, giving up is not an option - we have to see our goals through to the end.

Life is filled with countless challenges and how we choose to respond when things get difficult is entirely up to us.


Dan Green, the author of the motivational book "Finish Strong" joins the next episode of HCL Radio show to talk about the steps individuals can go through to achieve success in their personal and professional lives.

I asked Dan to provide an overview of what the Finish Strong mindset was all about.

Click here to listen to what he said.

Check out the the next episode of HCL Radio to hear more from Dan and the Finish Strong concept.



See you on the court!

The Foul Call

Getting fouled in the game of basketball and life are natural.

Fouls are those "not nice" things that can happen that throw us off our game plan, they usually appear in our lives in the form of adversity.

To best cope, we need to come to the understanding that the fouls will come and we need to learn how to leverage those experiences to make us stronger individuals.

The big difference between basketball and life is that there aren't any refs in life who'll blow the whistle and stop the game so we can get a break.

Stuff just keeps coming!

So, to move forward we have to play through the foul.

These day to day challenges may be tough to overcome but if we want a chance at winning then giving up isn't an option.

Joining me on the next episode of HCL Radio is a woman who understands this concept far too well.



In her latest book, Play Through The Foul - Basketball Lessons for the Game of Life, Vera Jones helps readers to better understand the importance of standing in the face of adversity and the kinds of things we can do to overcome them.

Vera said, "Life's experiences are meaningful despite whatever fouls they encounter."

As a former basketball player, coach and now motivational speaker, Vera`s unique approach gives her some great insight on how we all can deal with the challenges of the life.

Note: Free show reminders are available by visiting the show page and clicking on the "Remind Me" button.

Thanks for reading!

Take What the Defence Gives You

Taking what the defence gives you is a concept reserved for those on offense trying to score.

It's a reactive mindset that encourages players to exercise patience and in the process helps to strengthen decision making skills.


Essentially, an offensive player with the ball takes their cues from their defensive counterpart. The defence wants to control where you go and what you do on the court.

All done in an attempt to make it difficult for you to score.

It's our job on offence to maintain our edge and not succumb to the will of others.

Read the situation and take the best course of action that will get you one step closer to your goal.

Making Your Move

After an OT win against the Utah Jazz, Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat guard said in a post game interview that, "Most of what happens in basketball is about reaction"

He was referring to a play in which his defender, Andrei Kirelenko was playing him particularly tough on his strong right hand.

To get by him, Wade pulled a behind the back cross over dribble from his bag of tricks and finished with a lay-up for the basket.

Kirlenko, an above average defender was left beaten and flat footed.

Wade reacted and made his move once he understood what the defence wanted him to do.

The defender really could be anyone or anything. Life has a way of throwing all sorts of challenges on our pathway.



The onus falls on our shoulders to respond accordingly.

A Few Points To Keep in Mind

Before you jump in reaction to a situation, take a moment to understand what's happening around you.

Make sure that you're aware of the possibilities before you make your move.

Finally, be prepared to have a plan B if the first one doesn't work out.

In Closing...

Keeping these points in mind will put you into better scoring situations and help you get your two points.

Thanks for reading!

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Audley