Cafe Stop - Starting Over - EPS07

Joshua: 00:00:00

Well, here we are again. Last year I had all these grand plans to get my training right for being competitive in the Grand Fondo National Series and to start up a podcast/audio journal thing, documenting the whole thing. And much like other wild ideas that fire off in my brain, things didn't quite go as planned, and my follow through was not quite where it should have been.

Was it laziness, or just the lack of confidence that I had to put myself through the difficult task of making it through the process? Jumping back to one of the reasons I wanted to do this whole process was because I was trying to recapture my why of cycling, and limit the amount of times I let any little thing give me an excuse to not get on the bike, whether that was for indoor training or going out for a ride on a beautiful day.

And here I was, allowing that same mindset to delay and cut short my plans for overcoming that mindset - and of of pushing it all into the backburner. So here we are again with me trying a new start and a new approach. So why try again? Why make another attempt? What's going to guarantee success this time? Nothing. Life is a series of beginnings and endings,

and the ability to start over and try again is essential for growth and success. Whether it's recovering from failure, adapting to new change, or embracing new opportunities. Persistence is what separates those who succeed from those who give up. One of the biggest challenges of starting over is overcoming fear. The fear of failure, judgment, or uncertainty. Many people hesitate to try again because they worry about repeating their past mistakes.

As one of my favorite authors, Mark Twain, said, “Courage is resistance to fear. Mastery of fear not absence of fear.” Starting over requires courage. Not because fear disappears, but because one chooses to move forward despite it. The willingness to take risks and push through uncertainty is what allows people to grow. See, I never really talked to many people about this project, and I think that was more out of fear or embarrassment.

How silly does this sound for some 50 year old to say he's doing YouTube videos or podcasts about training for some bike rides? I mean, sure, there's others around my age pursuing that exact same thing, but they're probably established riders or already at an elevated level of performance. And here I am, just an average guy going through the process without cool riding vlogs or awesome gear reviews.

So why would people want to watch me? Isn't there already a flood of content creators already doing this? I'll save going down that rabbit hole for another video. Regardless of the fears of telling people about my desired project, even if I were successful, I failed the project. I failed to keep up with the training, and I failed to keep up with the production.

Sure, if there's no steps being taken with training, then there is nothing really to record about the process. But isn't that just finding an excuse not to record? I mean, we could spend all day talking about the potential whys of failure of the project, but that doesn't really get us a solution now, does it? I let those failures paralyze me instead of seeing them as challenges to overcome.

We have to remember that failure, rather than being an end, is often the first step towards success. It provides valuable lessons that shape future attempts. Vonnegut captured this when he wrote, “we have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.” Personal growth often comes from taking leaps of faith, even when the outcome is uncertain.

Each failure teaches something new, making the next attempt stronger and more informed. Keeping that in mind, however, that's a whole other endeavor. It's a forest for the trees type of thing, if we get too caught up in the minor setbacks. Adapting to change is another crucial part of starting over. Life does not always go as planned, and sometimes circumstances force people to take unexpected paths.

Yet another of my favorite authors, Kafka, whose own life was filled with struggle and uncertainty, understood this deeply. He wrote, “a path is made by walking” because there's no simple, predetermined road to success. People create their own paths by taking action - walking. Those who are willing to adapt and keep moving forward, even when plans fall apart, are the ones who ultimately succeed.

And so when I hyperfocus on the failed elements, and I let perfection become the enemy of progress in those areas, I didn't adapt to the change. And in this, I'm slightly amused and frustrated at the same time. In just about any other aspect of my life I'm fluid and mold to the situation is needed, and my flexibility in going with the flow is one of my signature traits at work.

‘Adapt and overcome’ is not just a motto, but a way of life, and has been the primary approach to projects I'm involved with. However, in this personal situation, I end up being the exact opposite, rigid and unbending. And I think one of the reasons I do this is because I placed too much pressure on myself for things to be just right.

I can't record some video until everything is set up just perfect and looks better than anybody else. But I'm working on that and this is my new start - my evolving start. The bike rooms rearranged, the background, which you can't really see right now, is messy, and everything you see here is a work in progress. Instead of waiting until I have everything exactly how I want it to be, I'm just going to push forward and get the ball rolling. Right now, I'd rather express what's on my mind more than making sure lighting behind me or in front of me is just 100% perfect, or that everything in the room is where it should be. Remember, I'm just an average JQ Cyclist and this is my small room I have for all my cycling goodness.

It's not well manicured set whose primary purpose is for making videos. It's my bike maintenance space, my indoor training space, my home office area and yes, my recording space. Just your average guy with an average small little room to play in. I want what I have to say to be the bigger focus of my brain than what the set design looks like.

This is starting over and not only embracing my why of cycling, but also my why of making these recordings. Yeah, there have been missteps in the past and there will be more in the future, but I can't let those previous mistakes suppress my next move. So here I am, trying again to embrace the present moment instead of dwelling on the past.

Many people get stuck in regret, unable to move forward because they constantly relive their past mistakes. Twain had a humorous but profound perspective on this, “I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” That quote kind of highlights how much energy people waste on fears that never come true. Instead of being trapped by past failures or feature anxieties, focusing on the present allows for a fresh start.

Self-forgiveness is also essential when starting over. People are often their own worst critics, holding themselves to impossible standards and punishing themselves for past missteps. Vonnegut's advice is simple but powerful, “Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard.” Starting over requires self-compassion, passion. No one's perfect, and failure is a natural part of life. Learning to forgive one selves makes it easier to move forward with a sense of hope and renewal.

Persistence is a key factor in achieving long term success. Many great accomplishments were only possible because of repeated efforts and the refusal to quit. Life is a process, and even in moments of struggle, there's always a way to move forward. Progress often comes not from sudden success, but from steady, continued effort. Sean Tucker's YouTube channel has been a huge inspiration for me during this new approach, and how I want to start sharing my own thoughts and ideas.

His approach to storytelling, photography and philosophy goes beyond just technical skills. He delves into the deeper, more personal aspects of creativity and self-expression. His reflective style and emphasis on finding one's own voice has encouraged me to embrace my own perspective and try to share it with confidence.

Through his calm and thoughtful videos. He reminds me that what we create and express has value, even if it resonates with just one person. Watching his content has given me the courage to articulate my own experiences, thoughts, and creative journey in a way that feels authentic and meaningful. So while there are many other podcasts and YouTube channels to talk about gear reviews and adventure vlogs, I want the bulk of my content to be more reflective and introspective.

Diving deeper into the love and why of cycling, and I'm hoping some of my words will resonate with others. Starting over is not just about external achievements, but also about personal transformation. Each fresh start allows people to redefine themselves, change their perspectives, and and grow in ways they never expected. Back to one of my favorites, Vonnegut. He put it perfectly when he said, “I tell you, we're here on Earth to fart around and don't let anybody tell you different.”

This reminds us that life is not just about success and failure, it's about experience, experimentation, and and enjoying the journey. Ultimately, the ability to start over is a testament to human resilience. No matter how many times life knocks someone down, we always have the power to get back up. What we must remember is that failure is not the end, but rather a stepping stone to something greater.

ill want to talk about how my: 2024

But you know what? That's just going to have to wait until next time. Thank you for joining me. Not not only on this Cafe Stop, but also on this journey of self-discovery again, growth and starting over. Let's do this again real soon.