“In fact, the uproar of radios, traffic noises, the signs and people lulled him. They blotted out his inner worries. And it was pleasurable to be peddled along by another human being, to feel the straining muscles of the cyclist transmitted in the form of regular vibrations; a sort of relaxing machine. Childan reflected. To be pulled instead of having to pull. And—to have, if even for a moment, higher place.”
It is much easier when someone else is doing the work. It is easy to be drawn into a daily routine where you are lulled to sleep by the sights and sounds of life. Being pulled along is comfortable and can make you feel in control.
Pulling others is a different story. It takes courage to put yourself out in front. It also takes physical and mental stamina. No matter what, you have to move forward.
Shifting from being pulled to doing the pulling requires a change of mindset. It’s not unlike a change of state in a material from a solid to a liquid, or a liquid to a gas. An input of energy is required to make the change.
Who’s contributing the energy? The person leading.
