Be Less Wood: Lessons For Life From Gravel
Finding inspiration in the Algarve
This week, I relocated myself from gloomy London to work remotely in the stunning Algarve, Portugal. The idea was to inspire me with sunshine, take beautiful photos, and spark new ideas for the business. Part of this adventure was joining a Gravel Bike Tour and I found myself with a whole new way to see the work I do at Bright Yellow.
“You are like wood on the bike”: A lesson on relaxation
On day 1, the tour leader remarked that I looked “like wood” on my bike, suggesting I should relax in order to make it all easier. Like any goody two-shoes, I tried my hardest to loosen up, which obviously meant I stayed as tense as before. As you can see from the photo, I was gripping on to those handlebars like I was hanging on for dear life!
The perils of rigidity - For gravel and for life
When riding on gravel or mountain terrain, a rigid rider is a recipe for disaster. The stiffer you are, the less able you become to absorb the bumps in the road. Gripping tightly can actually make it a lot more dangerous, and lead to loss of control when the ground below is uneven.
Embracing flexibility for success
The key to success (and joy!) lies in having a strong core while allowing your body to be flexible to respond to and move with the ground. You can’t prepare for every rock that comes your way, but the ability to stay relaxed and adapt to incoming sensations is crucial.
The Bright Yellow Method: Resilience and Self-Awareness
Once I overcame the shock of being called “like wood”, the metaphor was actually quite helpful for describing the work I do at Bright Yellow. Our Method emphasises the importance of a strong core of self-awareness but with flexibility to the many different ways you could choose to live according to your values.
Our programmes equip you with a framework of tried and tested tools to navigate the ever-changing landscapes of your professional and personal life. These focus on three essential elements: your Mindset, Environment, and Behaviours.
Navigating life's bumps: Choosing your tools
Just like gravel biking requires adaptability and resilience, developing these skills enables you to assess situations as they arise, meaning you are in control to choose the right tools from your toolkit based on the context.
At Bright Yellow, we teach you not to react but to actively manage how you respond to life’s bumps in the road.
What can you learn from trying something new?
So, now you’ve learnt about the perils of a rigid biking bod, I’d love to know what’s something you’ve recently tried that’s taught you a valuable life lesson?