Our 4-year-old daughter desperately wanted a bike for Christmas. So much so that she mustered up the courage to go up to the scary-looking man dressed up as Santa at a Christmas party and she asked him for a bike. And it was a pretty big deal because she has been really shy lately. And that poor man! Who could say no to her sweet request? He looked at me with a quick, helpless glance, before he nodded to my sweet little girl. A shiny new “big girl bike” was her heart’s desire!

Fast forward a couple weeks.

We take the stroller out of the back of our van and replace it with a little turquoise-colored, flowery bike with little white training wheels that already squeak from a Christmas holiday filled with bike rides and a little pink helmet. No more stroller walks–she will ride her bike beside me as I walk the trail around the little lake we’ve been visiting almost daily for the past two years.

But 100 feet in, she stops. 100 feet later, she stops again. It was not the refreshing, endorphin-producing walk I was used to. Our first walk may have been our last walk, if it were not for one thing: perspective. As I watched my little girl struggle to get around the path we’ve taken hundreds of times, I was struck with parallels to everyday life. So instead of getting frustrating, I started taking notes. Yes, I’m that cool.

Keep Going–Don’t Stop

Starting and stopping just to start again is so hard! Every time I watched my little girl put her foot back on the pedal and push with her might to get her bike going again, I thought about how many times I have started things–really good things–that I wanted to maintain, only to completely stop doing them. But they mattered to me, so I mustered up the energy and the courage to start them up again.

But each restart seems more demanding, doesn’t it? It is so much easier to focus on tiny, continuous movement. Instead of maintaining a fast, intense speed, we can begin at a manageable pace and keep moving forward. The momentum from our previous efforts will help keep us moving through rough terrain. Even though it is super tempting to stop trying to maintain a new good habit, remember why we’re trying in the first place and push through. It may be difficult, but if it really matters to you, you will be so glad you didn’t stop. It takes much less effort to keep going then it does to start. Keep going!

Stay Out of the Loose Gravel

Part of our walking path was gravel. Those parts were very challenging for a novice big-girl-bike-rider to handle. The loose gravel was practically impossible. But we found that if we adjusted a little to the left or to the right, the gravel was more compacted and smoother. It was not nearly so challenging to get through! It was easier for me to see (maybe because I was walking and maybe because I am a few decades older than she is and I knew how to recognize the difference), so I tried to help point her in the right direction so she could have the smoothest path.

In our own lives, sometimes we encounter obstacles in the path that make it seem impossible for us to keep moving forward. But in those times of struggle, it could help us to swerve a little. I’m not saying to leave the path. I’m not saying to give up. But maybe we need a little course correction to help us push through. And maybe there are people in different situations or with more experience who can help guide you to that smoothest path.

Enjoy the Ride

Riding a bike is fun! But sometimes my little girl would forget the fun because she was so focused on the work involved.

Does that sound familiar?

So many things in our lives could be fun if we allow them to be. Don’t let the work that they require bog you down! For me, cooking is not always fun. It usually feels like a chore. But I am a creative person. I love to create things. SO, when I allow myself to just have fun with cooking and recognize that I am creating something new, it is a lot more fun. Washing the dishes isn’t necessarily a fun thing. But if you put some aromatic dish soap into the water and allow yourself to enjoy the work, it’s not nearly so miserable.

For Every Uphill There is a Downhill

Our path had some tiny inclines. But my little girl liked to pretend like we were biking over Mount Shasta! I found myself coaching her through the inclines by saying things like, “Get ready! Push a little more and then you’ll get to go fast down the hill!”

You’re probably way ahead of me. When we keep pushing through the uphills, we will eventually arrive at the top and, depending on how high we’ve climbed, we will get to enjoy some downhill ease. Keep pushing up the hill: it’s worth it!

Sometimes We Need a Little Push

Sometimes my girl got a little discouraged. And no amount of cheering or begging or walking ahead of her did the trick. It was in those moments, she needed a push. Not a violent push, but a soft, encouraging push that reminded her that she could keep going.

We all need a little push every now and then. A push to help remind us what progress feels like. A push to help us build momentum when we’ve run out of energy. A push to help us see that we really can keep going on the path. Maybe especially when we are just getting started and this path we’re on seems completely impossible. Those pushes can be exactly what we need.

I hope wherever you are on your bike ride through life, these little life lessons help bring more joy to you and your journey.

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