That comes from an Arab saying that goes "Trust in God but tie up your camel."
God will take care of everything. Or things are just the way they are. It is fate.
There's a built in helplessness in that line of thinking. Maybe it's avoidance of one's own ability to achieve or to be an agent of change. Admittedly there are some things we cannot change. At some point we will leave this earth. We have to pay taxes. There are situations that are thrust upon us unexpectedly that we don't want. Loss of a job. Loss of health. Loss of a loved one. This is part of the fabric of life.
And so it behooves us to be prepared.
A long time ago I just hopped on my bike and headed wherever I felt like it. I happened upon a fire trail one bright sunny day, enjoyed the ride and right as I was about to head home my front tire went flat. This was five miles from home and I had no spare tube. And I knew right away there was no bicycle shop nearby and this was before iphones. Further, I had no money to take a cab. What else was there for me to do but to walk the bike home. It was the last time I rode a bike without the necessary spare.
You can hide your money in a mattress. Or make regular contributions into your IRA. You can buy health insurance. Life insurance. Get AAA for road emergencies. Get an iphone. Stockpile water and food in the garage (Yes there are quite a few of those around). Keep yourself healthy. Make sure the fire alarms in your house work. Put on your seat belts. All these things help us just in case something happens in life that would make not having any of these things very difficult. Our bodies and our material presence on this planet is fragile.
Everyone defines security for themselves differently. Some are so anxious they try to live as safely as possble and never take a risk. Others are carefree and ignore the need for security. Somewhere between these extremes we find our niche. The future is always uncertain because we do not know what is going to happen. And it doesn't matter how many precautions we take, something always happens.
That's where having your bike tied up comes in handy. Being prepared does make life a bit easier.
10. You can't do every cool ride in the world.
I'd like to cycle through the Cotswolds in England. And then Tuscany in Italy. Provence in France. New Zealand. Southwestern US. Northwestern US. The Kokopelli Trail. The list can go on and on. There are so many beautiful things to see and do in this world and wouldn't it be nice to be able to enjoy all of them. Some might say no. They are happy with what they have at home. Others like me relish how amazing our planet is. But we are only here temporarily. If we are lucky and have the means we can enjoy what we can enjoy.
But then there are iphones. Flat panel TVs. Blu-ray dvd players. New cars. New clothes. More money. There are so many things that can capture our sense pleasures. The seduction happens everyday. Where does it end? If someone has a million dollars and enjoys the finer things of life while you have a modest income and can only enjoy a few things but you both have the same level of satisfaction and enjoyment with what you have, is anyone happier?
We usually think of happiness as linked with some object that makes us happy. A new car. Nice clothes. A stable relationship. Good health. Enough money. There is a subtle deception in this. If I have "this" (whatever that is for us) then I will be happy. Logically, the absence of "this" will make me unhappy. Indeed that is what happens. Loss of relationship. Loss of health. Loss of income. Our happiness goes on a roller coaster ride depending on what happens to those things "out there" that make us happy.
But here's the rub. Those things don't make us happy. Happiness is a state of mind that already exists within us. Those things out there open the door for us to feel that happiness within. They are like the stimulants that release endorphins in our brains. But anything will do. The brain does not need a thousand things to get the endorphins rushing. If I sit all day and stare at a candle and it makes me happy, I do not need the ten thousand things. It is all a matter of perspective.
True happiness is having a perspective that allows us to feel joy regardless of what our external circumstances are. Could you be happy if you had ill health, loss of income or a loved one? The mind naturally says no right away. But I'll challenge that. Because before we feel joy or happiness, we feel content. Contentment is the basis for joy. If you are not content, you will not have joy. You may fleeting pleasures that give you the illusion of happiness, but it is only a matter of time before lack of contentment sets in and the next urge to find another object of joy becomes compelling.
So what is contentment then? Buddhists say it is when we accept things as they are, regardless if they are easy or hard. If I can emotionally wrap my arms around that one, and it is hard to do, I can be on only one ride and it will be just ok. Being in a constant state of contentment will afford a million joys because it won't take much to appreciate the small things and "happy" will not be far behind. But, like I said, it is hard to do. It is a constant practice. There are so many cool rides in the world. I wish I could ride them all.
