Balance - Life lessons from learning to ride a bike as an Adult

Life is like a scale. It is about degrees, timing and balance. Here's what learning to ride a bicycle as an adult taught me.


It is funny. I did not fancy riding bikes as a child. My friends would talk about bikes all day long but I was uninterested because I did not want to ride bicycles. I wanted fast cars and private jets. Bicycles just did not cut it.

In my second year of university, I learned how to ride a bike mainly out of boredom. Whenever I visited my friend Kofi, I would play with his neighbor's bicycle.

At first, I kept falling off. I had to think of every single detail. How to sit, move my legs, hold the handle bars, when to turn the handlebars and to what degree... It was overwhelming.

If I leaned too far right or left, I would fall off. If I leaned too far forward, peddling would become difficult. If I bent too far backwards, the front tires would lift up like a horse.

Kofi moved out of the country and I stopped biking.

Recently when I changed apartments, and got a used mountain bike. Then, the similarities between riding a bike and navigating through life struck me.

If I eat too little, I would develop ulcer and probably starve. If however I eat too much, I would become fat. If I talk too much, I would look like a fool, a jester, a busybody.

If instead I talk too little, I would look arrogant. When cooking, if I do not spice the food, it would taste bland - put too much and it will be uneatable.

Social interactions are quite difficult for me. When I am too free-spirited and jolly, people take advantage. They become rude, petty and downright annoying. Therefore, I became a social recluse - a one-man army.

With the lesson from bike riding, I am trying to learn balance for in social life. I will not be too friendly. On the other hand, I will not be a hermit.

It will take a while but by feeling my way through, by trial and error, things are sure to improve.

On last thing

We often wait for the perfect book, mentor, friend, partner... This attitude is no different from when I dismissed the available bicycles for imaginary, futuristic cars and jets. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

You have what it takes to achieve your dreams - notice it.