My hope in writing Vantage Point: Five Perspectives to Live a Better Story, was to encourage and inspire readers to reflect, and apply these perspectives, take action and pursue a life of meaning and purpose.
These perspectives can apply to a variety of situations, from significant life decisions like career and relationships to how we spend our time and resources.
Let me share with you how I applied these in my own life.
Back Story
A few years ago (2020) I bumped into a friend in town and so we just began chatting and catching up. He mentioned that he was selling his motorcycle because he had a new one. I asked him about the bike, a 2001 Honda Shadow 750 ACE. I mentioned to him that while I’d never ridden a bike, I had always thought the Shadow 750 was a classic looking motorcycle and that if I ever rode, that would be the one.
That was that.
Until a week later when my friend reached out and asked me if I was interested in the bike.
Now, what I thought was a casual conversation was becoming something I hadn’t planned for. Now what?
Here’s how I applied the five perspectives of Vantage Point to this situation.
Look Back
Over the years I had mentioned to Kathy on a few different occasions that I thought it would be cool to ride a motorcycle. We even dreamed of riding across Canada through the Rockies. But it never went beyond the dream phase.
Look Around
I took into consideration my current circumstances. We were empty nesters, (one reason I never rode before was because of the children being at home, and taking the risk into account, not wanting to put Kathy in a difficult situation, should something go wrong, aka, I die on the bike)
Now I am being presented with an opportunity to get my first motorcycle, and the very model I always wanted.
I had a friend who would help me not only get the bike, but help me learn to ride. Did I mention, I’d never ridden a street bike before?
I watched hours of videos on how to ride a motorcycle, before I made a decision.
Look Inside
I took a few days to think about this opportunity and consider whether or not I really wanted it.
Q. Was this just a crazy idea?
Q. Was this something I could see myself committing to?
Q. What if I didn’t enjoy riding a motorcycle? I mean I didn’t even know if I would…how could I?
Q. Was the timing right for me and for Kathy?
Q. Would Kathy give me her blessing? I wouldn’t even consider it, if Kathy was against the idea. Spoiler alert…she encouraged me to do it. She may have been more excited than I was.
Look Above
As a Christian, it was natural for me to pray about things, even the idea of a motorcycle, which I did.
Q. Did the idea of a motorcycle interfere with the trajectory my life was on?
Q. Was there a legitimate reason why I shouldn’t move ahead?
Q. Could the bike get in the way of more important elements of my life?
Q. If I said “yes” to the bike, what would I be saying “no” to?
After praying over a number of days, I had peace about moving ahead.
Look Ahead
How did a new hobby of motorcycle riding fit into who I wanted to be, what I wanted my life to look like and how I would want to be remembered at the end of my life?
One word that has described our family is “adventure”. It reflects the many twists and turns our life has taken, and our kids still use it as a reference point today. We always wanted to model for our kids that it’s okay to take risks, (calculated risks) and take on new challenges even when you are scared or uncertain. And I want to be remembered that way too.
So taking all five of those perspectives into account, with the blessing of my wife Kathy, I went ahead and got the bike.
And you want to know something? It has been a wonderful part of our life ever since. We average about 13,000km a year (which apparently is a lot, considering I work from home) and I say “we” because Kathy loves the bike as much as I do and 90% of the miles put on, we put on together. We love to ride together, we make wonderful memories together and the truth is, it’s a fairly cheap hobby.
So there you go…one example of how the five perspectives of Vantage Point helped us live a better story. The motorcycle has become a pastime where we spend valuable time together, time with friends who ride and add to the adventure of our life together.
Sure there are risks involved; (I share a story when I first started to ride, and came close to meeting my Creator). But life has risks.
These five perspectives continue to help me create a meaningful life and they can help you too.
Feeling stuck? Not sure what to do next? Your life not where you want it to be? Life coaching can help. Contact me for a free 45-minute discovery call. Let’s talk.
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