Originally posted: July 3, 2024
I had a first big step this week. I finally rode my “new-to-me” motorbike. I bought it almost a month ago and had a few opportunities to make time to ride it. But I didn’t. I’ll be honest, I’m intimidated by this machine. It’s bigger, more powerful, and prettier than my previous motorbike. I’ve been excited to ride it, but I’ve had a lot of anxiety about dropping it. Like, A LOT of anxiety. I’m still a new rider and this motorbike doesn’t have any crash guards (like my other motorbike), so all I can think about is how I’m going to lose balance, dump it, and ruin that beautiful paintjob. Those thoughts took control of my brain, building a story and an outcome before I even woke up (yep, I even dreamt about it).
The voices in our heads are loud, building in storylines that are negative, aren’t true, or simply catastrophize future events. I thought I had made a big mistake and I was going to have to sell it.
But I reminded myself what TL says: “Talk to yourself as you would talk to someone you love,” and that kind encouragement went a long way to helping me take that first step.
I’m pleased to say my first ride was success. I felt confident, in control, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Riding it will be a learning curve for a little while, as I get used to it. But, I didn’t want to live with regret, so I was kind to myself, took the first big step, and now I can get better at it.