Mountain Biking & The Gorilla - The Trails Await

For me, one of the most rewarding things about living life on purpose is that I am so much more aware of what is actually happening 'in the moment' than I used to be. What I have to share with you today is a perfect example of that.

This was just a ‘normal’ day, I had a hair appointment and then My Sweetie and I were going to pick up some groceries at Trader Joe’s. While my hairdresser Koren, was working her magic 😉 we talked about a variety of subjects, but many of them had a common theme, FOCUS. In fact, before I left I pointed that out to her and shared my mountain biking story that I will be sharing with you today.

But I have to tell you one more wild thing before I do!

As we were shopping at Trader Joe’s, I looked up and above one of the coolers, I saw this! ⬇️ So obviously I took that as a sign and just knew I must write the story that I shared with Koren.

Several years ago, I decided to start mountain biking. My good friend George was a tri-athlete and competitive mountain biker so he agreed to give me some lessons and pointers.

It’s been over a dozen years since I last rode, and admittedly, I have forgotten much of what he taught me, but there was one key lesson that always stuck in my mind, partly because I was blown away by how true it was, and partly because I began realizing all the areas in my life where I could apply this lesson.

What I am referring to is FOCUS

Because we were biking in extremely rocky terrain, George explained that inevitably I would be speeding down a mountain and be faced with very large rocks in my path, rocks so large that they would certainly cause me to crash. 😲

When these types of situations arose, I would have to make a split-second decision about what I was going to do and then commit to it.

George taught me to ‘spot my path’ and then stay 100% focused on it!

He said that if I took my eyes off the path, and looked at a rock, I would surely hit it. He stressed that this was one of my most important lessons, so he placed rocks on a flat trail and made me practice my focus -- for an entire afternoon. 🙄
At one point when I was getting a little bored, so he said, “OK if you think you’re ready, go ahead and look at the rock a few times and see if you can stay on your path”.

Being a novice, and a little cocky, I thought that since I know how to spot my path, I should be able to follow it even if I looked at the rocks. Boy, was I ever wrong! Every time I looked at a rock, I would hit the rock! Every single time!

That’s when George got serious and explained just how dangerous mountain biking can be. He said, “With the speed, the switchbacks, and drop-offs, the ability to focus could mean the difference between life and death.”

Practice trail at Mount Charleston in Nevada

Now you may have no desire to go speeding down the side of a mountain, but there is still a valuable lesson here for you like I said, this applies to many areas of life.

When we have a goal, desire, or dream, our ability to achieve it is, in my opinion, equal to our ability to focus on it. When we haven’t practiced our focusing skills, we are likely to run right smack into whatever ‘rocks’ come across our path.

Do you believe that you have the focus necessary to achieve your goal? Watch this two-minute video and test yourself.

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The Monkey Business Illusion by Daniel Simons

How did you do? Were you able to focus? If so, do you now understand how mastering the skill of focus can help you avoid the obstacles that show up in your path?

I completely believe that what I don’t focus on cannot affect me, and what I do focus on I attract. Because of this, My Sweetie and I do a daily practice that allows us to continuously strengthen and sharpen our focusing skills. (No rocks involved 🤭)

The rewards for being able to focus are many, and though I don't have life or death decisions to make on a daily basis, I am confident that if I ever do I will be able to make them without hesitation.

I may not be Mountain Biking anymore, but there will always be Gorillas, and there are many Trails Awaiting, so having confidence in my ability to focus is just another reason why I believe that Life is so easy.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post! If you enjoyed this ‘Enlightenment Shot’ I invite you to follow me on this thought-provoking journey as I share the things that have led me to believe that Life is So Easy!
To learn more, check out My Story