They say that you never learn how to ride a bike, but here's what they don't say. You can remember how, but you can still be terrified to get back on, especially if you've fallen off or crashed and your body feels like it's been through hell and back. Hey there, it's Michael. Welcome to Whole again on Fridays.

I love sharing a shorter episode with you, a bit of a mindset shift to help you navigate today's uncertainty with more grace and resilience. I have literally fallen off my bike more times than I can remember, but I've had two significant crashes. One was back in 2001, we're coming up to the 25th anniversary of it next year.

So I'm planning on doing something big to celebrate. That accident was a doozy that doctors have no clue how I survived. And as you can probably imagine. I was a bit hesitant to get back on the bike. Actually. I was more than hesitant inside. I was freaking out. I didn't wanna get back on the bike. I was scared, but I had a physical therapist and she knew how to press my buttons just in the right way.

She helped me find just enough courage to get back on. I was still scared that day. I had just enough courage to turn the pedals once again, and I was wobbly. It wasn't all that graceful, that first ride, but I did it. Now, before I go any further, I will say this episode isn't some feel good message that we should all just get back on the bike because life is complex.

There's no easy answer to everything. Some accidents, some traumas. Some relationships are so bad, they're so toxic that it's unhealthy or unwise to get back on, quote unquote, the bike. They're too painful, there's too much risk involved, so it's not wise to return, and this is where discernment comes in.

Our ability to decide. If we should get back on the bike. So if you're dealing with something and you don't feel like getting back on the bike or getting back up on the horse as they say, no judgment from me, I get it. Sometimes it's just not wise to do. So again, this is where we need discernment.

Discernment isn't a checklist. There's no magic formula, there's no hack or tip. I can give you. Except this, it requires you to listen to your body, to listen to your heart, to make a decision that aligns with your values or first principles. In that first big accident, I just shared my intuition told me that it was okay to get back on the bike.

My fear, though, was stopping me until my physical therapist helped me through that fear. Now, four months ago I had another significant crash. And if they say life is a game of inches, or maybe they say that about baseball or golf or something, you probably know the phrase well, an inch or two. Either way, and I'm not recording this podcast, so another case where I'm lucky to be here.

I feel like I'm in bonus time times two now, but still. As I went to the hospital in the ambulance for the second crash, one of the EMTs said, maybe you should stop cycling. Maybe the universe is trying to tell you something. And as I laid there in my hospital bed, I did wonder, is that the message the universe is trying to tell me, am I pushing this?

Am I pushing my luck? Maybe, maybe all these people are right. Maybe I should stop riding my bike. I felt like I was deep into the second act of my hero's journey. I went through the belly of the beast and all the tests, and I was returning home, and then this happened. I couldn't believe it. Another test, I didn't need another test.

I was like, what the heck is going on universe? I like, I got the message the first time I made a shift. I made a pivot. I'm living better now. Isn't there someone else that you need to send this message to? I felt like I was in the Empire Strikes back. I told myself I would try and the little Yoda voice in my head said, do or not do.

There's no try. Sorry for that horrible Yoda impression. Well, that little voice in my head, no matter how bad it sounded. Help me remember that one commitment I made to myself, and this goes back to values and first principles, was that I'm not gonna live life being scared to die. I'm gonna be more scared of not living.

So I made the decision that I would, again, get back on the bike. And it didn't erase the fear. The first time on my bike post this latest accident was a little nerve wracking, to be honest. I was, again, a bit wobbly trying to find my balance, trying to regain my strength, getting back on the bike. The second time isn't about adrenaline or pride, but it's really a statement about living life fully.

Knowing that I still have the strength to rise, to keep pedaling and the understanding that getting back on the bike again, whatever your metaphorical bike is, it doesn't have to be the same or be how it used to be. You're allowed to get back on the bike and it can look different. And so this time around for me, it looks a bit different, at least for right now.

I'm giving myself that space to see what it will look like as I go forward, because I'm 25 years older than the first one, so my body is responding differently than it did way back when. So I'm giving myself grace and compassion to see how all this unfolds. So if you're standing next to your own, quote unquote bike.

The first question to ask yourself isn't, are you ready to get back on? But probably more, is it wise to do so? Is it safe to do so? Does it align with my values and who's speaking to me? Is it fear because I'm nervous about getting back on, or is it your intuition saying it's probably wise not to? If you choose to get back on again, go slowly, small, consistent steps over time.

That's how we do change here at Whole. Again, ask for support, cry if you need to. There's no need to apologize. Tears are only emotion coming to the surface. So yes, you may never forget how to ride a bike, but it takes discernment. It takes mindfulness, if you will, to know if you should get back on again, and it takes courage to do so knowing that you might fall again, but choosing to live fully anyway, to put a beautiful ripple out into the world.

So my friend. Choose wisely, but know that you have within you all that it takes to make that decision. And as always, thanks for being here and thank you for being part of our community. If you haven't yet signed up for the free text messages I send out a couple times a week, you can do so by texting.

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and if you wish to further enhance your digital health, I'll invite you to take my smartphone wellness check and you can access it through the link in the show notes. Or you can visit my website, which is Michael O'Brien shift.com, and it's absolutely free. And it'll help you scroll less and live more.

And of course, I hope you'll join us here on whole again every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and discover how to heal, grow, and become more resilient and celebrate our scars as golden symbols of strength and resilience. Until then, remember, you can always come back to your breath. You've got this. And we've got you.