I'm pretty excited about this post - honestly, it's one of the more positive things that has come my way this past year, and I'm incredibly grateful for it. Earlier this month, I received word that I'd been selected as a Liv Local Ambassador! Cycling has helped me through several different periods of my life, whether fun or not, and this last year, especially, has been such a saving grace with all that's been going on.
So, shout out to my friends at The Great Bicycle Shop here in Tallahassee for carrying such an awesome brand, working with me as an ambassador this year, and getting me set up with my new whip! They're great folks and wonderful to work with.
There's still a lot going on for me personally and professionally, which is honestly why I haven't updated here in a while, but this is definitely the right thing to break that hiatus. Especially as the weather has gotten warmer and nicer, I've been able to get out on my bike, soak in nature, and get away from screens. Between the freelance work I've been working on, trying to get more work, whether freelance or full-time, connecting with folks, doing taxes, and helping my husband in his search and work, I feel like I'm supposed to be attached to a screen so as not to miss out on any opportunity. It's definitely overwhelming.
We as a society often talk about the burden of screens and technology. We are critical of their role in our lives, and yet what I continue to see both personally and professionally is an unwillingness to implement positive change. Talk of work-life balance has been a dominant trend even before the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, post-pandemic, the number of posts I've seen on LinkedIn calling out the overbearing, over-extended interview processes many job-seekers have gone through is innumerable. And I've experienced my own taste of it as well. As one person, there is only so much I can do to change the tide, but I'm trying to "be the change I want to see in the world" in this regard, and giving myself time away from my screens has been incredibly rewarding.
Interestingly enough, I often think about how my cycling relates to my professional skills and job search. I think about getting back in the saddle and feeling that child-like rush of the wind through my hair (and helmet!). and how pushing myself to try new things as a woman in her mid-30s who has no ambitions to compete, to get out and have fun, is actually pretty cool. Maybe even a little inspiring? Yeah - as crazy as it may sound, each time I get on my bike, I'm proud because by the time I started high school, things I loved, like swimming and group cycling, were activities I wasn't willing to pursue due to my insecurities. I've broken those negative systems of belief, and instead, seeing how doing so and getting out each and every time is a strength for myself and other girls and women who may see me out and about.
As I sit here typing this out, my right knee and shoulder, along with my left lower leg are beat up and bruised from a spill I took yesterday during my first off-road trail ride since I was a kid. And I love it. Why? Because I'm putting myself out there, not just trying things I haven't done in forever, but trying new things altogether, and enjoying the learning process of failure. We talk about learning from failure in the workplace, but it's rarely actually celebrated by ourselves, our colleagues, or our leadership, especially in the way failure in non-competitve sport can be.
As I was falling, I was thinking, "Please no snakes or ground wasps! No snakes! No ground wasps!" and as I got up I was more worried about my bike and my kit being destroyed and what had happened that resulted in the wipeout. I can also still see my husband ahead of me hopping off his bike as he came to a stop and running back to me - I had managed to yell out, "I'm going down!" My husband has been with me through some hard times with my health (Endometriosis flares and surgery), and can be very protective. We've had several conversations about that this past year, and as he came rushing up to me I told him I was OK before he could ask and what I believe was the reason. He responded perfectly, "You got your first fall out of the way, and you know what you're gonna do to correct it - that's awesome. You're doing great!"
I've had a lot of failures, misses, and close wins since my lay-off nearly a year ago now, but cycling has helped keep the resilient perspective of growth, learning, and community. And I'm really happy to help bring that to others in all the work that I do, but especially through the Liv Ambassador program.