When the Destination Changes, Love the Journey

You might have seen my post about the last-minute cancellation of the infamous Markleeville Death Ride due to the Tamarack fire. You might also recall that Matt and I had trained for months for this grueling ride and to raise money for Trips for Kids Marin. We were disappointed by the cancellation, of course, but the whole experience left us feeling grateful for so many things — starting with the safe evacuation of all 2,500 riders, volunteers, and the entire town of Markleeville.

At that time, we were thrilled to have raised $11K for Trips for Kids, which equates to getting over 500 kids out to experience the freedom and confidence that comes with learning to ride a bike. So imagine how we felt when we learned, a few days later, that $10K of our donation had been matched. Thanks to a grant from the Outride Fund, we doubled our contribution to over $22K! (Picture Matt and me dancing and cheering wildly. Wahoo!)

Truth is, while Matt and I had been looking forward to the big ride, we both felt like we’d “won” before ever getting to the starting line. It’s hard to quantify the many rewards we received during the five months and over 1,700 miles of training. We got to see and climb some of the steepest and most scenic roads in Northern California. We shared many of those training adventures with friends from near and far. And just like the kids involved with Trips for Kids, we enjoyed the incredible sense of freedom that comes from exploring the world by bike.

We may not have reached the intended destination, but we sure enjoyed the journey.

Thanks to everyone who cheered us on!

P.S. After we got back to town, Matt and I joined about a dozen Trips for Kids riders on one of their regular Saturday rides. Watching these kids power up dirt hills and race along the rocky trails, with huge smiles and sparkling eyes — and one unicorn helmet! — we knew that all our hot, sweaty training rides had been worth it.

I love helping leaders and teams build strong company culture by focusing on the journey, not the destination. Email me to find out more! Plus, sign up to get our newest posts about bright culture, leadership, and more.

Candra Canning is the founder of Live Bright Now. She’s been coaching corporate leaders + teams to brighten their performance for 20 years. Candra believes a bright company culture creates bright individuals + bright communities — even a brighter world.