Personal Note: Top 10 Lessons I’ve Learned From My Bicycle Touring Project (Part 2)

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Number 6: Not This Or That, But Both

Most people believe that you can only have one or the other, never both. Many of us learned as youngsters that there are some restrictions in life and that it is impossible to fulfill all of our desires. I'm not so convinced that's still true today.

When I was younger, I used to claim that my ideal career would allow me to simultaneously work, travel, and do the things I love. However, those around me didn't appear to believe that my dream was feasible.

They would say,

"The two ideas are opposed to one another."

"You can choose to tour the world and be impoverished, or you can stay in one town and make a lot of money. However, you cannot do both.

Today, however, I have the freedom to do pretty much anything I want, travel the world, and work from any place (though I'm still working on it).

But how precisely did I succeed in doing this?

I managed to achieve it by letting go of the notion that I could only have one lifestyle or the other and persuading myself that I could lead both. My bicycle tours have enabled me to look for opportunities everywhere I go and now I’m constantly asking myself how I can have not just one or the other, but both.

Number 7: People Only Care About Themselves (But Not Always)

In my economics class, my professor told me,

“People are selfish. When it comes time to make a decision, people will always make that decision based on what is best for themselves and their families. They don’t care about you, the time you’ve put in, or the mouths you need to feed. They only care about themselves!”

It’s a terribly negative thing to say, but it is true much of the time – especially when you’re talking about business.

However, during my travels, I have encountered a lot of people who have assisted me in some way without expecting anything in return. The majority of these folks have given me straightforward directions, a nice word, or engaging discussion; however, some have also provided me a free place to stay the night, a hot meal, and even cash money to be used on my travels.

Sometimes I get a bit depressed thinking about how selfish the world can be, but then I think back to my bicycle touring project and the gracious individuals I’ve met along the way and I am reminded that not everyone in the world is out for themselves. There are good people out there and the more you travel, the more you come to realise this.

Number 8 : Communicating With Other People Is Easy (And Difficult)

It used to be that I was super shy and afraid of everyone, but bicycle touring has changed all that. Nowadays I can go just about anywhere in the world and talk to anyone I meet and get along with them, feel safe, confident, and poised.

Travel has taught me that most people are pretty alike and generally seek the same things in life, but it has also helped to distinguish me from the crowd because of the experiences I've had.

Similar to how actors and actresses frequently get married because they are in the same profession and can relate to one another's struggles... maybe in the same way that combat veterans find it difficult to share their experiences with friends and family back home but feel comfortable doing so with other veterans...?

Bicycle touring is an incredible way of learning, changing, and growing. But if you return home from a long trip by bike and the people around you have done little learning, changing, or growing themselves while you’ve been away, it can be difficult to fit back into the life you once knew.

While this is probably one of the small negative aspects of bicycle touring and world travel, it is a good thing as well, because when you meet another person with similar interests and experiences, you tend to treasure that person all that much more.

Number 9. Never Quit. Just Change Course

This happens sometimes and it’s okay. Many bicycle travelers set out with the intention of cycling a certain distance (perhaps around the globe), but after doing pretty much the same thing every day for days, weeks, or even months on end, cycling no longer seems as exciting as it once did.

The same can be said for any goal you set in life. Sometimes, after you get into it, you realise that the goal you set for yourself is no longer the goal you wish to achieve.

At this point, some people give up and head home, while others simply make a new objective for themselves and carry on.

Bicycle touring has taught me to never quit on a whim, but instead to think long and hard about what my motivations truly are, and that if need be, I should set a new goal for myself and head in a different direction.

Number 10: There Are No Rules

Whether you like it or not, we are living in a society that occasionally tricks us into believing that certain things are true, when in reality they are not. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from my travels by bike is that there really are no rules – not in bicycle touring or in life.

Just because one person (or even the whole world) does something one way, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to follow suit. You can be, have, or do anything you want.

Would you like to travel the world on a unicycle while dressed as a bear? You are capable of doing it. In order to go explore new places every day, you want to quit your work and go abroad. You are capable of doing it. Want to launch a company or non-profit that alters the world? You are capable of doing it.

Bicycle touring has taught me that if you set your mind to something, and starting working at it, inch by inch, pedal stroke by pedal stroke, day by day, sooner or later, you’re bound to reach the finish line.

Dream big, embrace being different, and go after your goals with all the passion you can muster. That’s what bicycle touring has taught me.

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Shahreza Shahrir is a Malaysian professional, entrepreneur, and investor. He is also an author, with two books published, and a video-content creator (entrepreneurship, finance, and travel). A multi-linguist with a deep interest in technology and international affairs, he has years of working history in international business & engineering for multinationals and startups in South-East Asia & Continental Europe.

Full bio and speaking inquiries at?www.shahrezashahrir.com.