I picked up my bicycle a little while back headed for a ride down to the Durban beachfront. It was early and the weather was obliging with a gentle tail wind and a fresh bite in the air. As I turned onto the beach road I heard another cyclist coming up behind me. My mountain bike, with its off-road tires, often saw road cyclists zipping past with speed. The whiz of the tires and clicking of the chain grew louder. I waited for the cyclist to pass, but instead the cyclist closed in on me and sat on my tail slipstreaming off my effort. As the sun rose I could see 2 shadows riding closely together.
At first I was annoyed! Who was this person simply using me without saying a word? I tried to race away but the cyclist sat on my tail. I tried to ignore it, but I could feel this presence behind me. I was out here to train alone and this was simply getting in my way.
Then something happened. I came to a junction where I knew of a shortcut. I could pull off and lose this person. I didn’t. I kept to the road. When I felt myself starting to slow, I sped up and made sure I maintained a comfortable speed for both of us. My frame of reference had shifted. The fact that there were now two of us was in fact an opportunity. The rider was stretching me to endure longer periods without slacking, maintain good speeds and ultimately get more out of my ride. This was an opportunity. Two riders on the road were always better than one.
In many ways I would say that we are wired for partnerships. There is something beautiful about how we can come together and share our strengths and skills to be more significant. In fact, I have heard it said that your 5 year plan is actually based on the books you read and the people you hang out with!
In my own life I have realised that my moments of ‘independence’ have been stimulated by a few things:
• ego - hung on my point of view
• self esteem - unsure about what others think of me
• doubt - in what I have to offer
Having realised that nothing significant is done in isolation, I continue to ask myself, ‘Who is around me and how am I sharing my life with them?’ if the answer to that questions leaves you realising that you are secluded in the way that you live, I would implore you to seek out effective partnerships on all levels.
The cyclist did eventually pull up on my right. There, on a red cruiser, was a man whose shoulders had bent over with age. His grey hair stuck out from beneath his foam helmet and his thin legs beat down on the peddles with fervor.
“I get a pull whenever I can” he exclaimed, his voice worn out from all his years of talking.
“No Problem” I said “I’m Travis by the way…” with more compassion having seen his age.
“Mike Smith’s the name” he replied.
“How old are you” I asked, slightly rude but I wanted to know!
“76” he said, “I do my 40k every morning!” he proclaimed!
Guess you never know who you will meet and what significance they may have, should you open yourself up to those around you.
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Travis Gale has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com