It's all about The Dirt:

It’s a dirt roller coaster and I’m 12 all over again.

The climb: The heart-thumping anticipation of the click, click, click, click as I crank up…
➠ the pedals on my feet
➠ head up, eyes glued
➠ steady and focus on my line
➠ hit the tippy top, and down I gooooo

…one finger on each brake can be my best friend, or my worst enemy.

But when the view is vast, the trail is straight and the line is clear, I let it rip! That feeling of letting go of the brakes and the bike really floats over anything. The tension in my hands ease and euphoria begins to seep into my veins. Open up the brakes and the wheels fly over rocky terrain with reckless abandon. Speed is my friend, and momentum gives me courage.

A good descent on a trail is like a song that’s easy to dance to. Let go and feel…

➠ the rhythm of the rocks,
➠ the flow of corners,
➠ the beat of the roots,
➠ the wind whistling in your ear,
➠ the leaves cheering you on and giving you hi-fives as you whiz by.

Let you and the bike be one as you ride hi on a berm, leave the earth as you leap off of a jump and let the dust fly in your path.

That’s life: To let your brakes go and get into a positive rhythm. Don’t let the doom and gloom be a rock in the trail that takes you down. Brakes do have a purpose just like caution does… but to live life in gridlock (because the world tells you so) has no purpose.

Have the guts to let go of the brake, and you will soar to the dreamy place of living your inner truth.

We can all do our share to redeem the world in spite of all absurdities and all frustrations and all disappointments.
~ Abraham Heshel

There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.
~ A.J. Muste

Imagine all the people
Living life in peace.
You may say I’m a dreamer,
But I’m not the only one.
I hope someday you’ll join us,
And the world will be as one.
~ John Lennon

Last night, my son Devin handed me some acrostic poems he wrote. Although his math skills are challenged, I’m floored and adored by these words. His spirit is light, his heart big and wide, and that’s what matters most. Enjoy these words from a soul with only 11 years of life:

       Small and smart
       Yearning for a meaning
       Made for a marking
       Branded for a definition
       Oiled for history
       Learning its self
                          Wonderingly, Self Explanatory, Symbol
                          One or more lines fit perfectly together,
                          Reading thousands at a time,
                          Doing its job explaining the world

Slithering, moving mass of power,
Not scared of anything,
Always alert,
Kind and gentle,
Earning the trust of millions

Love on your kids, read what they write, look into their eyes, see their spirit…

(Symbol photo)
(Word photo)
(Snake photo)

A wise chunk taken from “Working Within, Working Without” by Jerry Lynch and Chungliang Al Huang:

“In sports, exercise and life, negative thought patterns create mental and physical resistance that greatly hinder performance. Try the following test: Hold your arm out straight, while a friend tries to push it down. Resist the pressure as you say out loud, “I love my sport” over and over. Now change the phrase to “I hate my sport” and compare the strength you experience. Notice how much stronger you are, and how much better your performance is, when you vocalize “I love” – a positive thought pattern. How many of us, consciously or not, have a love-hate relationship with sports or exercise. You love the outcome of working out but hate the process. Hate running hills and you’ll create greater struggle, making it more difficult to get to the top. Better to say “I love running up hills; they get me in better shape on my way to becoming a better competitor.” In this way, you will experience rising up the hill rather than forcing your way there.

Affirmations are very important in the cultivation of inner talent; they are crucial in helping you to awaken to the Tao and living with its influence. Unlike visualization, which controls what you “see,” affirmations are the control over what you say. They are strong, positive statements about something that is already true or has the realistic potential for being so. To affirm means “to make firm” by using conscious, planned, positive words and expressions that help to keep you on track with your potential. Without them, the possibility of desirable outcomes diminishes. Affirmations are direct attempts to change patterns of negativity that, like a broken record, continue to repeat themselves. They are words that truly transform the quality of your life, opening you up to the natural way of sports and exercise, the way it was meant to be.”

A few of my affirmations:
- On climbing, my bond with the outdoors is crucial. I savor the view, soak in the sun’s rays, and breathe. If I fight it, then my breathing gets erratic. External scenery affirming.
- “I am worthwhile and competent, I have much to offer.”
- “I am feeling the flow of energy, and it builds inside of me with each breath.”
- “I can, and I get stronger.”
- “I’m in a position to strike and win on the bike.”

Go get it…

(dice photo credit)
(rock photo credit)