As the great artist, rapper, and philosopher Ice Cube has stated, “Today was a Good Day.” I have been looking forward to this day for a while. I’m 3 months into my rehab after my ACL reconstruction surgery. My physical therapist has given me the clear to start cycling with my knee brace and being cautious. The roads were dry, the temperature was just over 30, and there was a sliver of blue in the sky. LET’S RIDE!!!
I couldn’t stop smiling. I rode for about 35 minutes. I even saw 5 other riders. We all waved enthusiastically at each other. The happiest person I saw was one of my mentally handicapped neighbors. He was strolling along the side walk and saw me from a distance. As if I had just one a major race, he raised both hands in the air pointing to me smiling and yelling at me. Pure joy! I literally laughed out loud as I waved back to him. It felt so good to be back on two wheels and connecting to my community.
Now do you have to go on a bike ride everyday to have a good day? Absolutely not, but it can definitely help. If we don’t get to do something we want, our expectations are let down and we can become grumpy, irritable, and depressed. It’s ok to be let down and have negative feelings. This is part of life. From an early age we learn to handle being disappointed and managing our reactions. A lesson that we continue to learn into adulthood. Try not to be a downer about everything, but expect to be disappointed from time to time. It’s reality.
While going through disappointing times, maintain a Ride This Out mindset by being patient and having perspective. Have something to look forward to, even if it is little. Those 35 short minutes of riding is something that I have been looking forward to for months. It’s motivation for me to continue to my treatment and have more moments of success and joy.
–RIDE THIS OUT–