This week, in our Laddership Circle, we all tried to do something 'small' that possibly ignites discomfort, but that works our edges towards inner transformation. The first day's experience made me reflect and learn a tiny bit a about my father's reflection within me and I thought that I could share that experience here.

My father lives a simple life, his life choices are really very simple, for example his eating habits are super basic. I don't remember us as a family going often in a restaurant, and when we did go, he used to eat really less. I questioned his habits a lot and always thought that he is missing out on fun and life. One of the other thing of his relates me to the discomforting task that I did for this week. 'Using physical energy to reach the work' . Since childhood, I saw my dad riding bicycle to the shop.

My office is 8 kms away and I was thinking to use bicycle to office since a long time. I happened to be gifted with Neerad-bhai's bicycle last Sunday (the one that he used to cycle from Pune to Rajkot). I started going to work on bicycle. The first ride took me to the childhood memories where I used to question my dad when he used to go on a bicycle. I always thought he should use a good bike. To this my dad had said, "I don't want to use a bike to prove things to anyone, bicycle helps me do physical exercise, its good for my health". He had similar ideas about his food habits. I never used to get that, I always thought that he was missing on fun in his life.

When I rode to office first time on Tuesday, I thoroughly enjoyed my ride and I started thinking about my food habits too. since more than a year I'm being mindful of what I eat and that day when I first rode bicycle to the office, I thought about these 2 things and I realized that I'm able to do this so easily because it is being inherited and that act brought me little closer to my dad. I have no more questions for him and I'm proud of what he does.

On the first day, my dad jokingly asked "You went to office on a bicycle? Why did you not use the bike? What will other say?" and had a big hearty laugh, he knew that I had realized something. He sounds really happy when I'm home and say no to unhealthy things, when he heard about cycling he was happier. He has told me to continue these things.

It must be good to turn into your dad some day. :)