Riding uphill and into the wind: Musings from a bicycle rider.

So, I ride my bike to school everyday. Often times when I'm riding I think about the funny things that happen to me and how that applies to life in general. Recently, I was riding my bike home from school and it was windy. Now, the ride home has a slight incline the entire way which naturally makes it a tiny bit more challenging than riding to school in the morning. On this windy day, it was amazing how much more difficult this ride home became with the wind blowing as hard as it could straight into my face. It is in these moments of wind and uphill-ness that I begin to wonder if I am just a wimp...and then I remember that I am being met with more resistance than I normally encounter. And of course it's going to be harder.

Sometimes in my life I don't realize I am riding uphill and into the wind. And I start to wonder, "What is wrong here? Am I doing something wrong? Am I a wimp? Why is this so hard?" I can become more critical of myself and begin to question my strength in these moments. But when I take a step back and realize that I am infact riding uphill and into the wind, it all makes a little more sense.

When I was on my mission in North Carolina, my companion and I often had to ride our bikes up and down the hills of NC. At first I just became frustrated at the challenge. But after a while I'd sing over and over again to myself "Hard is good, I can do anything" or "Hills make me stronger, so I can ride a little longer". These little songs made it possible for me to ride longer and up more hills. Even when I felt like I was too tired, annoyed, or it wasn't possible, etc. It's amazing to me how a little love, encouragement, and understanding can go a long way. And instead of judging myself and assuming that I am the wimp and the weakling, allowing myself to notice what is happening and think about why it might be happening empowers me so much more. Just noticing and then deciding what to do with that without judgement brings peace. And it helps me to be more patient and understanding with my humanity.

And so, I have concluded that riding my bike uphill and into the wind literally and figuratively can make me stronger. Whether I am building more physical muscle or more mental and emotional muscle. Regardless, I am being challenged to think about what is going on with me and what I want to do with that. And I'm glad for that. My goal is to just be able to stay on the bike.