Calm Riding: Managing Emotions and Distractions Effectively

Edited from a conversation afer a long ride in July 2025

Stop and prepare. Gather your thoughts and focus on your task. Halt the wild horses that scatter your mind and emotions in various directions and concentrate solely on what you are about to undertake.  

Pause and isolate. Collect yourself. The wild horses, as mentioned by Plato, represent the distractions that tear at the mind and spirit: fear, greed, worries, pain, passion, prejudices, mass opinions, hearsay, love, and hate. These feed the ego with jealousy, rage, ambition, violence, and selfishness.  

When we allow distractions to dominate our thoughts, they can significantly impact our mental and emotional well-being making it difficult to focus and maintain inner peace. Definetely DISTRACTIONS are the major actors in case of motorcycle accident: not only moving the eyes aways from the direction but more subtly by moving the mind away from the task. 

By recognizing these distractions and their impact on the ego, we can work towards cultivating mindfulness and self-awareness. This helps us to ride more calmy and to manage our emotions and thoughts more effectively, leading to a more balanced and harmonious life.   

Jealousy: When we compare ourselves to others and feel envious of their achievements or possessions, our ego becomes inflated. On the bike the spirit of competition brings the individual and the group over the limits. 

Rage: Anger and rage are powerful emotions that can consume our thoughts and actions. When our ego is hurt or threatened, we may react with hostility. Movements on the bike became violent, risky, nervous and the ride loses fluidity and control. 

Ambition: While ambition can be a positive driving force, excessive ambition fueled by the ego can lead to selfishness and a disregard for others. It can make us overly competitive and focused on personal gain, rather than collective well-being. The negative side is quite visible in the lack of attention to weaker riders or to riders in difficulties when riding in group. 

Selfishness: An inflated ego often prioritizes personal desires and needs over those of others. This selfishness can lead to a lack of empathy and compassion, making it difficult to build meaningful connections and relationships. The spirit of the ride is gone