One Apple A Day #1084
I love motorcycle races. There is something incredibly romantic and epic in a race when riders constantly seek the maximum speed possible without crashing. They live on the thin edge between glory and despair.
This morning I sit down for my writing practice with two words in my head: fear and love.
And while I was musing about these two words, a few interviews of motorcycle racers that I read lately came up.
They are often asked about fear. Riding a motorbike on track is a dangerous thing. Even if security has been improved massively, riders still risk their life by going insanely fast on two wheels.
You would expect them to be free from fear, but it's not true. Fear is part of the experience. More than that. It is essential. Fear helps them find the limit without crossing it. The champions are the ones who know how to reach that limit without crossing it. Without fear, they would easily overdo compromising their performance and their health. However, if fear takes over, it would keep them too far from that limit, limiting their speed.
And that's when the other word comes up; love.
It is the profound love for what they do - that manifests itself in the form of an enthralling passion - that help them to balance fear and reach that limit. Too much love, however, can make them overlook their own safety to go faster.
Love and fear, dancing together to help us stay on that edge where the magic happens.