Do you remember the first time you rode a two-wheeled bicycle? It’s easy to say, “That was so long ago, I don’t remember that!”
But seriously, try it. This might take some extra effort and mental work, but you can do it! Go back to some of your first memories with a bike:
Who was there with you?
Where were you?
What was your biggest fear?
Do you remember falling down and scraping anything?
I remember using training wheels at first. Then thinking, “How will I stay up without these on? What if I need to stop? How will I not get hurt??” Once the training wheels were off and with some assistance from my dad, I was riding around on the lawn to lessen the chances of serious injury by falling on the concrete.
Training wheels are still a thing, but they are not the most effective form of learning to ride a bicycle. The best way is to have a kid ride a little bike without pedals. They start to learn the principle of BALANCE right from the start. Then, once they jump on a bike with pedals, it comes naturally to them. The concepts of maintaining speed, how to lean/steer, and when to put your feet down to stop are all picked up. These all become easier with practice and repetition on the “balance bike.”
This is the way our first son learned to ride his first pedal bike. I was blown away by how quickly he picked up riding after spending time on his balance bike.
$Money Tip$: don’t pay for a brand new balance bike. Find one second hand from a neighbor, family member, or on-line. These bikes aren’t used for very long, so most of them are in good condition.
The principle of balance on a bicycle never leaves our minds. That’s why there is that saying, “It’s just like riding a bicycle.” Even if it has been a decade since you last rode a bike, you could jump back on and in a few minutes be riding laps around the block.
Why do we struggle so much in maintaining balance in every other area of our lives?
Life happens. We get stuck mentally and physically on things. We try to do too much in one area that throws everything else off. It’s ok. We all experience moments of imbalance or instability in our lives. Recognize it, acknowledge it, and move forward.
We have all heard the famous Albert Einstein quote,
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving forward.”
Here are a few tips to move forward to keep your balance:
1- Sleep. Get adequate rest so that your emotions are in check. When our sleep schedule is off, so is everything else. Find ways to improve your sleep routine.
2- Exercise. Take 15-30 minutes a day to do some kind of physical exercise. Try to break a little sweat if you are able.
3- Learn. Take 15-30 minutes a day to learn something that will benefit your mind and body.
4- Hobbies. Participate in a fun hobby for 15-30 minutes a day.
Taking a few minutes to do these things daily brings balance to all areas of our life. Once we get some simple routines set, it’s amazing how the balance just comes naturally. Just like riding a bicycle.
-Ride This Out-
