Well, I'm just an old guy in Colorado who loves to ride motorcycles, so who am I to have any insights? But I think there's at least two things that everybody needs. Two core things. We need to enjoy life. I really think we should. I think we're supposed to. And we'll check that box every time we ride a motorcycle. And that we can take with us anytime, all the time. Yeah, we can enjoy ourselves. We do because we love to ride motorcycles. The other thing, though, that I think we need in life is a bit more elusive. And I would dare to say that sadly, some people never find it. And that's our purpose. Why are we here? Yeah, that's deep, I know. But I believe that riding a motorcycle, finding that peace of mind that many of us experience out on the road, if we're lucky, our mind may become free enough from the distractions of life to learn what our purpose is. I truly believe that, because I've seen proof of it. So what do you think? You think it's possible? Well, today we're exploring how spending focused, distraction-free time on your motorcycle doesn't just clear your mind, but it opens it up to new ideas. Perhaps an idea that could change you and maybe even the world forever. An idea that could help you to define your purpose. Is that possible? I think so. Let's talk about it. Thank you for joining me today. Recorded in beautiful lovelin' Colorado. Welcome to Peace LoveMoto, the podcast for motorcyclists seeking that peaceful, easy feeling as we cruise through this life together. Are you ready? Let's go. It was wonderful to be there in the evening, hearing from those in attendance and who support and contribute to this amazing nonprofit. This magical, mystical place here in the heart of Colorado, right in the mountains. Oh, it's just amazing. And especially hearing directly from the men who heard the calling, who created the carousel, and who made it available to the world. That was wonderful. I've mentioned the little town of Netherland any number of times on this podcast, as it's along this amazing motorcycle route called the Peak to Peak Highway. It's just north of the town of Estes Park and just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. Yeah, the carousel is mentioned here a lot because, well, it's a wonderful motorcycle destination, but there's so much more to it. I want to share with you a truly beautiful example of an idea that came from a quiet place. It came from solitude. It came from focus. And it found its home in Netherland, Colorado. That idea was a carousel of happiness. And it isn't just a quirky charming attraction. You see, the carousel was created by a man named Scott Harrison, a Vietnam veteran. I've gotten to know Scott over the past years. I I love this guy. You see, when Scott returned home from Vietnam, like many veterans, he struggled with the emotional wounds and physical wounds too of the war. His path to recovery took a unique and powerful turn. He began the slow, deliberate act of carving wooden animals, large enough to ride. Over time, over focused time, Scott found that by creating something for others, that joy he was sharing would be reflected back on him. He would feel the warmth of that joy. In other words, as he creatively sought to heal himself from the pain of war, he did that by healing others. Scott didn't start with a multimillion dollar business plan. He started with a simple, repetitive, meditative act of carving. This focused creative work was a tool for his own emotional recovery, and it was in his distractive free environment, like riding a motorcycle. That's when his mind really opened up and really went to work for him. And as he worked, the vision grew. That focused, quiet time carving just didn't clear him of stress. It opened his mind to a much larger idea, a vision for helping others to bring joy to others. He decided to restore an old broken-down carousel and use his beautiful carvings of animals to complete it, to bring it back to life. And the result today is the carousel of happiness, a place where people of all ages can find a moment of simple, pure joy. Their motto is don't delay joy. I love that. A place that stands as a physical representation of one man's journey from trauma to creative purpose. There's that word again, purpose. It came from a simple, repetitive act focused on creation. And in this case, the carving for hour after hour after hour for 26 years. The result is the carousel of happiness. As you know, how many hours we spend on our motorcycles? Has it done you any good? Oh, for me it has. How many hours do you spend worrying about things that are maybe in your control, but most are not in your control, as opposed to just being out on the bike and just losing yourself out there and finding when you're lucky enough, finding that peace of mind. So let's face it, we live in a constant barrage of noise distractions. From the moment we wake up, our brains are under attack. You've got the news media, 24 by 7 news cycle that keeps you anxious and glued to the screen. We've got social media that's carefully curated, actually. It uh gets us to compare ourselves with others, and it fuels self-doubt and distractions sometimes. No distractions at a lot of times. And advertisements, thousands of messages a day telling us what we don't have and what we really, really need to be happy. Right. You know, this constant bombardment causes stress, and stress is a creativity killer. It locks us into a defensive, narrow-minded state of being. We focus only on the immediate, the pressing current situation, real or imagined. And I would dare to say that most of the things that we worry about aren't real at all. Have you ever heard of the uh acronym for what fear stands for? False evidence appearing real. Get it? F-E-A-R. Yeah, that makes sense. Our minds become so cluttered with trying to process all these external noises that there's no room left for the quiet, subtle whispers of genuine creativity. Creative solutions. Perhaps a solution for a larger purpose. Just last evening, I went out for what was going to be a short ride, and it turned into a 120-miler out on dirt roads way up in the mountains. But I had time to relax and time to think. What idea popped into my head during that 120 miles? Well, a reflection on what my wife and I had experienced earlier in the week. The story of the carousel. It's the topic I'm sharing with you right now. That's what came out of that 120 miles. I went from having no idea what to cover to this. And my hope is that someone listening will be impacted in some positive way by what you're hearing. That's always my hope. So, what does it mean for you? Maybe you're not meant to carve wooden animals, and maybe you're not meant to create a carousel, but maybe, just maybe, the idea you need. The idea that could have some positive influence on yourself, on your family, on your community, and maybe even the whole world could become as clear as a Colorado blue sky. An idea that may just change you. So here's the challenge. The next time you feel stressed and unfocused and creatively blocked, don't turn to the screen. Go out for a ride. Give yourself that essential period of unstructured, distraction-free thinking. Open yourself up to the possibility that your next ride could be a lot more than just a joy ride. It could be a road to something of a revelation. Get out there, clear your mind, and make room for what may be an amazing idea. So until we visit again, I wish you peace and I wish you love.