Look after your Goose!

Throughout today I have noticed that many of the riders, and mechanics come to that, give little consideration into looking after their possessions. For example, dirty kit and bikes. This morning in the hotel reception, a group of guys where driving a remote control car around the floor and drove it to destruction, breaking wheels off the car and where no longer able to drive it.

This prompted me to think about a story in the book '7 habits of highly effective people', it's the story of a poor man who buys a goose with his last pennies, as it turns out, the goose lays golden eggs and the poor man becomes rich. In an attempt to become even more rich, the man cuts the gooses head off so that he can pull even more golden eggs out of the gooses body. Of course he kills the goose and is left with nothing.

This story means so much to me now, as I used to kill the goose so many times. I have most fun with my friend Jacky, in Holland, as my bikes used to get very little attention and when we would talk about the bike, Jacky would laugh and say 'have you been killing the goose, again, Ed'

After today, I have realised that I have changed (and continuing to change) because after each day of riding my bike, it is cleaned and I maintain it regularly. This has created something that I wasn't really ready for .... I love my bike, I stroke it affectionately with a real feeling of love for it!

I also think that this is hard for people to consider that, I have changed, as a person, from goose murderer to goose lover!

The story also promoted me to look at the 7 areas in my live (of which I have blogged about before,'balancing the wheel') and thinking about how I can look after the goose in my relationships, at work, with my health and my relationship with my wife.

Looking after the goose has made me feel much happier inside, it has helped me remove conflicts that I have had with myself in the past.

Look after your Goose!