I have one culinary skill.

I make great smoothies.

Great smoothies don’t have lumpies.

Lumpies cause grumpies when they exist in a realm where there exists an expectation of smoothness.

What’s true with food applies to roads.

We expect our roads to be smoothies.

On the highway, should we encounter bumpies, the grumpies caused can be quite profound - especially if the bumpie in question is a pothole, and the accompanying grumpie is a flat tire.

This raises the question of why do people ride on mountain bikes when there are perfectly fine paved roads to drive on?

We go out and ride on stuff that’s so bumpy that it’s almost un-rideable. I guess that’s another way that the life of a leader / artist / creative type is similar to riding bikes. There are other ways to live that are much more predictable, more smooth. Why ride on roads when there are odd, bumpy paths to explore?

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A funny thing about the bumps in both cases. Riding up hill sucks. Whether moutain biking or in life when gravity is against you and there’s nothing but rocks and roots every few feet, the bumps can be enough to knock you off and make you walk for a bit.

There have been times that the path has been so gnarly and messed up that I’ve contemplated lying down on the trail to let the coyotes eat me. That seemed preferable to another step forward. Pushing through the uphill battles does have its rewards though.

Downhill is a blast. Bumps become launch ramps. Some especially janky areas need to be handled with tact. Having gravity working with you typically makes this so much easier. All of your efforts go into navigating the difficult terrain. Propulsion is covered. Going downhill, the bumpies cause fewer gumpies. Everything feels better. Resistance is easier to deal with.

What are some of the lumpies in the smoothie of your life?

What bumpies are giving you the grumpies?

Are you going downhill or up?

For bonus points, go home tonight and make a smoothie. Leave in a few lumpies. Name them / associate each with a current life lumpie.

Drink the smoothie. Chew up the lumpies. Notice how your teeth rip, tear and crush your lumpies?

What would it be like if you could do the same thing in life?

What would that look like?