Hello everyone!

I thought I would try something new with social media: I am going to go on a mission to figure out what true leadership is. I will do this by going on a bicycle touring trip for about a month and ask people along the way for advice and post it on LinkedIn via videos - we will learn together and together we will get better! I figured if someone wants to be a leader, then they should ask as many people as possible as to what a leader should be - it is important to remember that anyone might have something cool and new to say. Furthermore, it is my belief that any stranger you meet could be an angel in disguise so you must always be polite to all.

I’ve done something like this before and wrote about it in https://twotired.ca. There, I learned the concept of what a mission is and it prepared me for success in my missions that followed it. Worrying about the destination or logistics of a mission should be avoided at all costs and that you must take your mission day by day and all of a sudden you will arrive. Patience and laughter is key as is forgetting that you were on a mission to begin with. Your mind must be blank; God will take care of the rest. This is why I’m not sure where I’m going for my bike ride - you must stay tuned to find out!

For this mission like with most of my missions, I don’t need too much stuff. The material weighs you down: you must be light, agile, and efficient - ready to go the distance in order to dominate: I believe this is the true mark of any professional. Even professional homeless people know this; the ones that carry less are usually more successful in their missions (shopping cart carrying ones always look miserable!).

To start packing for a ride you do need to think of some basics like how many days you want before major pitstops - this is set by the amount of clean underwear you have - then you need to find a laundry place and a day to rest those muscles. All other items just come into place. In the image below (feel free to open it in a new tab for a closer zoom!), you will see what I am bringing for my bike ride:

  • Prayer book and icons! God makes me a super professional.
  • Tobacco and tea to zone out in the rainy and melancholy times
  • Headphones to listen to music and YouTube videos - it helps me try out new dance moves and play with my acting and singing skills! I love to sing!
  • Chocolate, because I heard some war pilots in the past carried some under their seat to survive if they had to parachute. Dark chocolate has a lot of fat.
  • Colourful clothes and swagger (not pictured) to impress and set the stage for conversations, and have fun with anyone you meet
  • A hat to protect from the sun and to look real professional - like an officer! I believe a hat must be earned!
  • First aid kit: just in case. Have a tick key as well - really don’t like ticks as they are creepy, alien looking and acting! They spread disease.
  • Tools for the bike
  • Clean underwear and socks (duh!)
  • Sleeping stuff like sleeping bag, pad and bivy tent
  • Bright Rain coat
  • A whistle - keeps the wild animals, in case they attack, scared!
  • Passsport
  • A head light to shine in on the darkness!
  • Honey - super good and healing!
  • Wool clothing for being warm!
  • Bike jersey from my randonneur club (have to represent and connect with local clubs - it’s all an international thing you must know)
  • Bike lights and batteries - safety first (fun is a close second!)
  • Water bottles for when I am in between cities on a hot sunny day
  • Gas stove, gas and pot for making tea and for making Lipton soup powder mixed with those chicken noodle bag things for my sardine cans I will purchase in stores!
  • Batteries for long haul recharges
  • A smile!
  • Please forgive me if I forgot to mention something

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I will be putting all the stuff into bike bags and attaching to my bike (bike bags are sometimes referred to as panniers). My bicycle is black with leather seat and leather handle bars like a black stallion. Pretending you are riding on horse like some sort of cavalry officer from back in the day makes the miles go by way faster (like teleportation)- super fun!

June 27th update:

Listing the posts that I made on LinkedIn: