For they that spend time on the trails, oh the wisdom it does avail.
As I write this, my oldest son (Ian), my brother (Roger) and I just completed a 13-mile ride in Bear Brook State Park. We have ridden here on numerous occasions; each time being a new / GREAT experience. Today’s ride was mostly single-tracks through dense forest. And, we only saw 3 other carbon units 🙂
Below is a photo that Ian took from a trail that runs along-side a steep ravine that drops well over 100′, with Bear Brook at the bottom. These photos never do things justice. Trust me: you had to be there 🙂 You can zoom in by clicking on the image.
We use the AllTrails app, provided by National Geographic, to record our rides as well as navigate in the wilderness. Occasionally the app will hurl (that is technical for “throw bits”) and crash, as it did today on my brother.
No worries, my iPhone held its breakfast. And, if you click on the image below you can view details of our ride online.
But, why does this happen?
Considering the amount of processing going on (calculating location, speed, distance, duration, elevation, etc.) often when there is weak or no cell signal, along with all the other things going on, on the iPhone, it sometimes results in memory overload. The app simply has to shutdown, regather itself and come back to life.
We have found that if we close out all the other apps on the iPhone, in advance of starting up AllTrails, the chance of it hurling is greatly diminished.
Such is our brain.
Life offers MANY distractions and stimuli (good, bad or indifferent). Some are self-imposed, others arrive from the world around us. These can be requests, ideas, epiphanies, shiny objects, important tasks, screaming kids, an enflamed customer, etc.
The reality: Our brain can only effectively think about, and process, one thing at a time. This is why it is so important to consciously manage our time and NOT let our time be ruled by others. And, as detailed in a prior post, we must consistently EMPTY OUR MIND. Because, like it or not, if we don’t, we will increasingly become ineffective, overwhelmed, stressed out and, eventually hurl.
If you haven’t read the post Empty the Mind, just click here to do so.
And, you are encouraged to identify a fulfilling activity (or activities) that will serve as a frequent reboot enabling you to recharge and refocus! For me, it is spending time in-the-woods.
Have a great day!
Be Brave Not Safe 