Episode 75: Safety in Motorcycling and Life: Increasing Your Margin

I think I know you.  You may listen to a podcast that’s about peace, love and the joy of riding, Yeah, going out on your bike with a cool, laid back vibe that we talk about here, but you go out on a motorcycle that has a lot more power than you really need.  Yeah, me too.  And why do we do that? What a silly question! We do it because it's so much fun and it makes us smile because it’s gives us a thrill sometimes.  And admit it, sometimes we like to show off.  That’s why we ride a big fast bike.

Let me ask you this;  Do you know your limits when you ride? And for that matter, do you know your limits for your life?  Your workload, like how much responsibility you can carry?  Do you know exactly how much stress you can manage?  Nope, me neither, but I did get some great advice once.  Someone who I barely knew recognized that I needed some help. He took me out for coffee and he referred me to a very insightful book.

Sometimes our motorcycle rides are fast paced. Yes, that’s fun, but a fast paced life?  That’s not so fun.  It can also be destructive.  There are ways of building some cushion, both in motorcycling and in life. Creating some “ Margin" as they call it.  We need to know when to adjust the load, when to slow down, when to make a change, when to rest, before something happens that could impact our ability to ride.  This is important stuff.  Let’s talk about it.  Stay tuned.

OPENING MUSIC

Let's be honest, we say that we know our motorcycle’s limits on cornering, braking, excellation, but we really don't.  We don't know because we don't ride in a perfect world scenario all the time unlike the Moto GP circuit for example.   Moto GP riders are on fresh tires and brakes just about all of the time.  They have whole teams who take care of that stuff.  It’s been constantly monitored throughout the race.  MotoGP Riders don't have to worry about a car on the track that turns left in front of them; they typically don't have to worry about debris in the road that you can't see until you're right upon it. Yes, these are professional riders who race for a living so they know where their limits are to some degree. but every once in a while we know what happens. Every once in a while there's a crash.

Let’s say that you’re coming up on a blind corner or a road that you’ve never ridden before.  How fast can you really take that corner?  Experienced riders will build in a margin for error.  They’ll slow down and approach carefully until it’s very clear how quickly how that turn can be taken.  How fast is too fast.  If you’re one of those riders who love to fly blindly into corners, well, I recommend a low deductible health insurance plan, and probably a high paying life insurance policy.

Can we translate the discussion about limits to our daily lives?  Do you know how much workload that you can manage?  Do you know how much stress you can handle?  Well, if you’re like me, I sometimes don’t.  But I would argue that as critical as knowing your limits and building in some margin for error on a motorcycle may save your skin, it seems that we need the same margin of error in our daily lives.   

I think we can agree that we love the thrill of motorcycling, but we don't like unpleasant surprises while out on the road.  The fact is, on any motorcycle ride, even though you have this giant smile on your face, there may be, yeah, surprises.  

I’m not talking about the vanilla latte that a stranger buys for you at the coffee shop, no other kinds of surprises, like the corner that was a little bit more tight than you expected.  You know that feeling!  It’s the lightning fast prayer “save me”!  

Or maybe it’s the gentle rain started to fall, bringing out the pleasant smells of the forest and the freshly cut hay in the pasture, ahhh… Then, as your speeding along in motorcycling bliss, the road ahead turns into into slippery glass.  Have you heard the expression “A high pucker factor”.  If you haven’t Google it and you’ll see how that relates to coming up on surprises when we are riding motorcycles.  It’s pretty funny actually.  

Assuming you’re like most of us, you probably enjoy the thrill of riding a motorcycle that produces about 10 times the performance of the little bike that you grew up riding.  The new bikes are so much more comfortable these days with on-demand suspension adjustments, awe…. Feels like floating down the road.  Fun isn’t it!  Here in Colorado, we have twisty roads deep in canyons that follow rivers.  Tight corners for hours at a time.  Oh yeah, it’s fun!  Or how about those wide open spaces with open roads ahead visible where you can see 10 miles or more ahead.  Ok, what’s another word for fun?  How about “spectacular”!   

So I mentioned that several years ago a new friend recognized that I was having some struggles in my job.  Trouble with stress frankly.  I was trying to do too much.  Honestly, it was a combination of that and the fact that I was in a job role that had found me carrying much more of a load than I was equipped to manage.  Have you heard of the “Peter Principal”?  

The Peter Principle is a concept in management theory kind created by Dr. Laurence J. Peter. It states that "in a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to their level of incompetence." That’s what happened to me.  In an effort to make grow my career and make more money, I hit my limits and hit them hard.  In other words, employees are often promoted based on their performance in their current roles rather than the skills needed for the new positions. As a result, they continue to be promoted until they reach a job at which they are not competent, and there they remain. 

Anyway, the book that he handed me that day at the coffee shop was Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Dr. Richard A. Swenson.  That book addressed the problem of overload and the lack of "margin" in modern life. The book describes "margin" as the space between our current load and our limits—like intentionally creating extra time, building on our emotional strength, or financial resources even beyond what is necessary.

Dr. Swenson emphasizes that in a world of constant demands, people often find themselves depleted and stressed. He discusses the consequences of living without margin, such as burnout, anxiety, and strained relationships. The book offers practical advice and spiritual encouragement to help readers reclaim balance and well-being. I think most importantly , he emphasizes the importance of prioritizing rest, self-care, and meaningful relationships while as best we can in a fast paced AI world, adopting a simpler and more intentional lifestyle.

I love this quote written about the book from a reviewer, she said “Through a mix of medical insight, personal stories, and spiritual principles, Margin encourages readers to make life-giving changes and live more fully and peacefully”.  Moving through life more peacefully is at the core of this podcast.  You’ve probably noticed that already.

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