Three people in your neighborhood are working on a construction site. Out of curiosity, you ask them what they are doing. One of them, leaning over a pair of saw horses, with a saw in hand, says they are cutting lumber. That’s an important job. If the boards aren’t the right length, they can’t be used as intended.

 Another one is nailing those boards together and says they are building walls. This is another important job because the walls must be solid and well built if they are to be long-lasting.

The third one, while looking at design drawings, says they are building a home for a family. This person has the big picture in mind and can see the finished project, ensuring the final structure is what was planned and expected.

"As important as they all are to the finished project, only one can ensure the house that is built is the one the owner was expecting and therefore is willing to pay for."

All of them are right. They all see what they are doing from the perspective of their job. Yet important as they all are to the finished project, only one can ensure the house that is built is the one the owner was expecting and therefore is willing to pay for.

How about you when you are riding? Which role do you fulfill? Are you riding your motorcycle down the road? Or are you dodging traffic reacting to the things happening around you? Or are you interacting with others using the road as you enjoy your ride through the scenic countryside?

Riding safely as we deal with all the traffic, all the things in and on the road, and all the critters dashing across the road requires we have the whole picture of what’s going on around us. We have to see things that could develop into a problem, the boards being cut. We have to see when we might be getting closed in by traffic around us, the walls going up. We have to see all these things and be able to see the vision of what will be so we can change the picture to our advantage.

The more clearly we can visualize the final project, the home, being built around us, the better we are able to take some early action that will alter the outcome before it affects us. Seeing the big picture as it develops allows us to re-measure what we’re doing, cut things a little differently, and build the ride of our dreams.

Ride Smart! Ride Safe!