The best 4 days I've had in 3 months have ironically also been the most fear-filled 4 days of this whole trip.
Yesterday, I finished my first solo motorbiking loop in Ha Giang, Vietnam -- 350km, 16 hours listening to Ludovico Einauldi, and an infinite amount of awe-inducing, jaw-dropping, stunning vistas.
Fear was a constant presence riding. Fear that I was going to crash or fall off the bike. Fear that I was going to get hit by another motorbike, car, truck, bus, or the endless number of cows, goats, and water buffalo sharing the narrow roads (full disclosure: I did graze a chicken, but it's still alive!). I consider myself to have a rather high tolerance for potential mental/emotional pain. But when the stakes are higher and physical safety is on the line, both my mind and body have been conditioned (from parents, school, western society, etc) for years to automatically react on ultra high alert for the worst case scenario. Which manifested in my body muscles tensing and my mind constantly focused on what could go wrong.
But then there would be moments riding when the fear would disappear. Maybe only for a few minutes or a few seconds. I'd be completely absorbed in the moment. In the now. Feeling at one with everything - the bike, the road, the mountains, the sky, the wind. Feeling a sense of pure joy, chills down my spine, the fullness of being alive, and that there was no where else I'd rather be. And most importantly, feeling a sense of endless possibility and hope. Not limitations. Those feelings are priceless and what made the journey spectacular and an ultimate life highlight.
With riding and in many other things in life, it's easy to slip into focusing on what could go wrong. Especially when the stakes are physical. But with a simple and sturdy foundation (ex: for motorbiking, training on riding safety basics + practice), a door with a whole new realm of possibility opens. Changing your perspective and choosing to focus your attention on what could go right is where you may just feel a bit of that magic. 🌏💚😊🙏🏻