100 Pedals

Recovery for Parents Dealing with Addiction in their Families

## Avoiding the Hamster’s Life

January 30, 2026 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

“Until you adjust your focus, your perspective and related outcomes will never change.”

When younger, I used to get quite a kick out of the hamster in the cage—not that I had one. One moment the hamster would be simply chilling around in his cage, taking the occasional drink from his water bottle. And the next, he would be on his wheel with all levels of energy. When the hamster would get going on that wheel, there was a lot of action and effort; that wheel would fly and the cage would even sometime buzz with the force. Even though he wasn’t really going anywhere, it certainly looked like he was trying his best to believe he was.

Have you ever had that moment in your life where you simply felt like you were spinning your wheels? Have you ever had that feeling that you were putting in a huge effort only to find yourself in the same spot? Life can feel a little like that of a hamster – stuck in your cage and no way to spin your way out.

The difference between the hamster’s cage and your cage is that the hamster’s cage is real. Your cage is merely a box that you have created for yourself to move around in and feel safe. While you think you are maneuvering outside your box, you are seemingly going nowhere because you haven’t left the box. You simply jump on your treadmill and make believe you are going somewhere. The problem is you haven’t really designed or embraced the notion of where “there” is. As a result you are merely spinning in the cage trying to figure out how to safely get outside of it.

When I look at how far I have come in the last year, I am ecstatic. I have not accomplished everything that I have started working toward; but, the changes I am experiencing have been incredible. The mission started with the 100 Pedals commitment — the related bike rides and lessons, finding a way to be strong for Brandon when he is present and, even stronger for myself when he is not. That focus, the lessons, the experiences, the sharing, and the inspiration I have received from that effort has truly transformed my life. While I continue to move forward toward the life I desire for myself and living in full commitment to my passion, I can confidently and comfortably say I have left the cage. All my frustrations, challenges, pains, disappointments, and issues have not gone away; but, they are manageable by the fact that I have moved my life, my focus, and my energies from outside the limitations of the box that I have lived in for so many years.

The challenge of moving outside the box is the clarifying commitment to focus on and change what I am doing, thinking, experiencing and feeling. Because I had something – 100 Pedals – to zero in on and maintain focus, I was able to treat the same old, everyday challenges from a new, different and committed perspective. Those things that would derail, hurt, or destroy me still do; however, I am able to focus on what was most important – my commitment to ride, celebrate and grow – and respond to those same old issues from the powerful perspective of a new mindset.

Responding to the recurring issues with a new mindset created a different way to experience and deal with them. By removing myself from the cage I was able to remove my problems from the cage. In the freedom and empowerment of new and unique space, my resolve and viewpoint were different. Hence, the outcome was different and much more satisfying.

Life on a treadmill represents a lot of energy and very little progress. The hamster works very hard to go nowhere. Discover your passion and focus on your commitment to live there. Then, get off your treadmill, get outside your cage or comfort zone and embrace the experience and opportunity associated with your newfound focus and energy. You will be amazed at where your mind and your energy can take you.

Filed Under: Focusing On Your Vision, Live With Passion, Living Your Purpose, Maintaining Focus, Make A Commitment

## Where Are You?

January 23, 2026 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

“Sometimes the way forward requires us to go backward in order to re-discover our bearings.”

Remember the last time you got lost? If you stopped to ask directions, you would likely find someone who knew how to direct you where to go from your location at that time.

What if you had to call someone to ask for help – what would they say? They would likely ask you where you are right now. To find your way in that scenario, you would need to know where you are first. Without knowing where you are, it is very difficult to reset and get back on your desired path.

Experienced map navigators will tell you that when you get lost, you need to go back to the “last known spot.” In others words, when you get lost, go back to the most recent spot where you knew exactly where you were. Think about it – when you are lost, getting back on the path you desire requires you to go back before can you start moving forward again.

I am pretty confident this does not mean we need to go ‘back to the future’ in an attempt to reverse, change, correct, or alter experiences. Rather, to find our way, we need to remember and reconnect with where we started on the journey in the first place. We need to go back to that spot where we had the clarity, the purpose, and the commitment to our vision and mission.

When our journey becomes a struggle, when we are not sure how we got here, or confused as to why we are here, remember where you first started out – your “last known spot” – and reconnect from there to find your way. It is in that most recent definable moment in time when we made a decision, made the commitment, and began the effort to start our journey that we find our ability to refocus our efforts and get back on our desired path.

With all that comes at us, it is easy to get lost. The challenges, the obstacles, the doubts, and the fears can often alter or disrupt our mission. When faced with mounting pressures and limited accomplishments, we can sometimes slip into survival mode just to get through it all. And, in the security of survival, we find ourselves comfortable, yet unfulfilled and lost. While there is comfort in a safe haven, it can also become a distraction that can easily, and often does, knock you off your course.

What I would encourage all of us to do is to remember the passion and commitment of our personal mission. Every one of us started out on a journey embracing the promise and opportunity of something that we were truly passionate about accomplishing or sharing. When things got difficult or frustrating, we allowed something to interrupt our journey; and, in some cases, we have gotten completely lost. Now, it is time to get back on your path.

It is not the promise and opportunity of your journey that is lost – you are. Rediscover your way, embrace your passion, and pursue what inspired you in the first place. Remember, someone is looking for what you have to offer. Until you disconnect from being lost, they cannot find you. The time to reconnect with your passion and your purpose is now. Go back to your last known spot, rediscover your bearings, and get moving. It is what you were meant to do.

Filed Under: Learning From Experience, Live With Passion, Living Your Purpose, Maintaining Focus, Make A Commitment

## Life’s Changes Start with a Simple Reboot

January 16, 2026 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

“You don’t need to have all the answers, you only need enough questions to get you started on your search for peace.”

Sometimes we find ourselves standing at the starting line, not able to move because we are not sure this is the right thing to do. What inspired us to step up to the starting line in the first place – a desire for change, our displeasure with where we are, the need for a new direction – may not be enough to push us forward. For many of us there is that lingering doubt — is this a good idea, is this the answer, will this be the answer – that keeps us frozen in place in the hopes of a clear cut answer before we move forward. When it comes to life and change, there are no clear cut answers, no guarantees, and no easy actions.

Everything we do to transition from the life we know to the life we desire involves risk. The key to embracing that risk is to recognize that we have more questions than answers and the journey we are embarking on will help us discover those answers. It is the quest for knowledge, awareness, affirmation, and peace that will move you from where you are, to where you desire to be. You cannot get there without moving forward with an open mind, receptive heart, and trusting spirit.

Recently I heard a talk about rebooting our lives. The speaker talked about the “three finger salute”, known to pc users as the ultimate reboot – Control/Alt/Delete. This talk resonated with me in so many ways. When dealing with a frozen pc, nothing generates a faster, more decisive response than control/alt/delete. Now it would be great if we could simply reboot our lives like this. We have already discovered the harsh reality that, when it comes to our lives, time, lessons, experiences, and frustration are all part of our journey. Though we cannot simply reboot and start with a fresh screen, we can reboot and move from our frozen spot.

Briefly take a look at the three components of a reboot in our lives:

1. Control: Though we really only control two things in our lives – our attitude and our effort – these two pieces are critically important for starting out on any journey. Standing at the start line of the race, looking forward to the next chapter of our life, our attitude and our effort are going to be essential in defining the outcome. When you begin to move forward, embrace your race with passion, energy and optimism. This is your opportunity to truly transform your life — be excited, confident, and inspired about it. This will define the outcome.
2. Alternatives: You are standing at the starting line because you have looked at the alternatives you had to this point and you made a decision to start here. I encourage you to be open, receptive to alternative thoughts, ideas, and paths; however, you also need to maintain enough focus to get moving, now. You are running a course that is not familiar to you. You cannot have all the answers about it yet. You began this journey in a quest for those answers; trust that this is the best course of action for you. What you don’t know will be revealed to you as you run the course. Be receptive to alternatives, but do not be unnecessarily distracted from moving toward your vision and dream.
3. Delete: Eliminate those things in your life that are not necessary or helpful for your journey. You are standing at the starting line of a new beginning – make sure you bring with you only those things that will enable you to make this journey exciting and empowering and successful. Delete anything that holds you back, slows you down or, causes you pain.

Your journey to change – the transformation of your life – involves a pursuit of the unknown. You started this pursuit when you discovered that what you know is unacceptable. The next step in the process is to begin a quest to find what you are looking for, including things you don’t yet know. It begins as a simple step – a reboot – and then it continues with you moving forward from there. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Inspirational Perspectives, Maintaining Focus, Make A Commitment, Seizing Opportunity

## The Reality of Your Reality

January 9, 2026 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

“Your reality is what you make it to be. You have the choice to change what you know and pursue what you don’t. When you make that shift, you create a new reality.”

One of my bigger struggles is getting out of my own way. Many people struggle with the notion that their situation is what it is, they are limited in what they can and cannot do, and that they would love to change their life if only they could – except there is something that we just don’t understand that makes their situation unique. Truth is they have embraced their perception of reality to the point where the only thing in their way is them.

We often look at things from the perspective of how we feel, how we see ourselves, the beliefs we own about ourselves, and what occurs around us. That single source picture becomes our world view. Our reality is defined by what we make it to be. Since we have defined it, we own it. It does not make it accurate, it just makes it so. In fact it likely stays an incorrect perspective because we do not allow other outside influences to alter or change our reality. As a result, our reality becomes our reality when there is little opportunity to change or alter it. The more we own it, defend it, and protect it, the more real it becomes.

Changing your reality requires a significant step – get out of your own way. Getting out of your own way involves allowing, encouraging, and embracing the introduction of a new set of viewpoints and perspectives. Discovering a new reality means letting go of and believing in the potential for a different outcome and passionately pursuing that course of action. Accomplishing this requires accepting, receiving, and embracing the perspectives, insights, and vision of others while releasing your hold on what you believe to be true and valid in your current reality.

The process of committing to defining a new reality – completely letting go of the old one – puts you in a position to creating a new one. That shift alone from stuck in the old reality with a determination to embrace a new one, creates the shift that moves you out of your current reality. What causes most people to go back is the fact that they do not believe that anything is really changing and as a result see the lack of progress as an indication that their old reality was, in fact, valid. Were they to embrace a commitment that their old reality is invalid they would be able to successfully move forward into a new and vibrant change.

What inspired me to focus on this was the fact that I recently found myself stuck. I was determined to relax and enjoy some of my accomplishments during the end of the year. After a few weeks, I started having difficulty getting fired up again. I started to head down that road of feeling and believing that nothing had really changed and I was back in the same spot.

Then, I started focusing on what I had learned and discovered in the past year. I gave myself credit for what I had accomplished and reminded myself of the actions I had taken that enabled me to move forward and be successful. Once I grabbed hold of those banners, I found myself moving forward again. Rather than embracing the falseness of my old reality, I re-engaged in moving forward toward all the exciting changes and opportunities associated with my new reality.

There is very little we do not have control over when it comes to change. The choice has been, and always will be, ours. We can choose to believe in the reality of our situation or embrace the shift and change to a new one. The only thing getting in our way is us.

Filed Under: Live With Passion, Living Your Purpose, Maintaining Focus

## Skip the Resolutions and Focus on Your Vision

January 2, 2026 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

“From a new beginning one finds opportunity, change, hope and a fresh start!”

I have never been one to get caught up in all the New Year’s resolution hoopla. I have always embraced the desire to change, improve, amend or adjust my life at the time I am aware of it not simply because it is a new year. As such, I have generally avoided the discussion of any type of resolutions.

This past year has provided me with monumental lessons, a great deal of success and accomplishment, and with a newfound reality for all that every one of us, in our own unique way, is capable of. And, I accomplished it all without embracing the burden of some type of task based resolution.

What I would like to bring to light are what goes through my head as I start to envision or create outcomes that will bring around change or improvement in my life. Rather than getting caught up in a list of tasks, chores, or obligations as it relates to a goal of mine – I prefer to focus on the defined outcome and the vision of my success in the coming year. These outcomes can be measurable outcomes; however, I have attached to the measurable outcome a visual image of my success in the upcoming year.

For example, my vision for next year involves engaging large audiences of five hundred people and sharing my energy for the 100Pedals journey. I can see myself at the front of the room, energized, engaged, healthy, fit, and having fun with the audience. And, I also envision my year ending with an extended trip to Tortola, BVI where I have the opportunity to escape, ride my bike, work on my writing, and recharging my batteries.

Both of these visions can be classified as “goals.” However, I am not going to get bogged down into the details of how to accomplish these goals. Rather, I am going to focus on the personal challenge that I keep my vision of these accomplishments in mind and consciously make certain that I am working toward these goals every day.

If I made a “To Do list”, the list would overwhelm me. For every day, I would have to check the list and focus on whether I did or did not do what was on the list. If I did, I could scratch it off. If I did not, I would have to carry it over (sounds like work or effort) to the next day. Eventually, the list would wear me down – all that moving, crossing out, and carryover would be exhausting. There are far too many tasks associated with defining a goal by all the work that needs to be done.

I choose to be inspired by the opportunity of my vision. I can freely and clearly focus my energies toward those aspects of my vision that inspire, guide and drive me. I know exactly what I need to do. I know exactly what is involved in getting there. However, I will let the inspiration of the vision motivate, guide, and direct my efforts. And, I will make a conscious commitment to do something every single day to move me closer to accomplishment.

From there I am able to celebrate every single day with accomplishment. I empowered myself to live for this vision every day. And, I complete every day in the peaceful solitude knowing I am getting closer and closer to my vision.

Next time you want to work on a New Year’s resolution, focus on the vision of the outcome. From there, empower yourself and make a commitment to yourself to never lose focus and do something to bring it to reality.

Happy New Year!!

Filed Under: Celebrating Accomplishment, Inspirational Perspectives, Maintaining Focus, Make A Commitment