Can we find a new reason to grind and thrive in it?

I have had this mantra on my mind lately;
The grass is greener
where you water it ​

The sentence caught my attention, when I was scrolling through some old photos. Normally the sentence goes; The grass is always greener on the other side. The saying comes from looking over to your neighbors, where their lawn appears better and greener, blind to see the green grass growing under your own feet. ​

Right now there is a lot of looking far ahead for better times. Looking for races, looking for open cities, societies, workplaces, schools, looking for company, for family gatherings, events and so much more. Planing and preparing for a strong/good future is a good mindset to have in many ways under normal circumstances, but I think right now it’s important to feel the grass under your feet.
And find a way to water it, in order to let it grow green.

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​Where to find a watering-can for my grass? … What’s my drive now?
​
We talk about ‘the grind’ in sport, meaning the hard-work, the long days, the efforts we put in. I love it. Normally I love it because I see the progress that happens when I do those days, over and over, and how it brings me closer to my goals. I'm actually thriving in it, so to say. But those goals are for now out of reach 

(because the world is fighting something way bigger than a bike race, hard to find, I know, but you know…(just kidding)) and I’m left with the progress side of things. But progress to what? I need to come back to what makes my grass grow, so my lawn is the good side. Does that mean, Training for the shake of training? I mean, bikes for fun? If I don’t taste my breakfast for the second time, between efforts with a World Cup in the back of my mind, am I even alive ;-) ? ​

If I don’t taste my breakfast for the second time, between efforts with a World Cup in the back of my mind, am I even alive ;-) ? ​​

Well maybe, after-all, this doesn’t have to be pure struggle and question marks. I want to find purpose. I’m a strong believer that a purpose makes me a much better rider, when I know why, then my good gets better. In this time my purpose needs to be fixated on something different than racing. And that’s when I came back to the sentence “The grass is greener - where you water it”. I can’t change what’s happening to the world right now, but I can decide what attitude I have towards it. 

If I can wake up everyday with the plan and purpose to do things, in that present moment, that gives me energy, makes me happy, and makes me a better athlete, well then I think training for the shake of training is a brilliant idea. I don’t want my mindset to be around what I can’t do, but rather what I can. That’s what I mean, when I say I need to water my grass. It doesn’t change anything, to look for all the things we can’t have or do, we need to focus on being in the present moment, follow our instincts and train, because it makes us feel good. 

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That's my watering-can. My drive. And I'm gonna learn to thrive in it. ​

​/M


P.s I just want to give a massive thank you for everybody participating in fighting Corona. Mostly to the people in the front line, but also everybody else doing their best. I have the feeling that all this will build up to an insanely happy and strong 2021.