Riding through Anxiety: How Bob Marley and Motorcycles Cure What Ails You

Have you ever noticed how anxiety seems to disappear the moment you throw your leg over your motorcycle? There's something almost magical about the way riding cuts through mental noise, bringing us back to a state of presence that's increasingly rare in our notification-saturated world.

This episode explores the profound connection between motorcycle riding and mental wellness, inspired by the timeless wisdom in Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds." We dive into why riding works as natural anxiety therapy—how the full-body engagement, sensory experience, and mandatory presence required to ride safely creates a unique form of mindfulness unlike anything else. When you're scanning the road, feeling the lean of your bike, and moving with the rhythm of the pavement, anxiety has no choice but to take a back seat.

The motorcycle community offers another dimension of healing. Riders share their stories of finding connection and acceptance when social anxiety would otherwise keep them isolated. There's something about meeting fellow motorcyclists that strips away pretense, allowing for authentic connections based on shared experiences rather than social performance. As one rider put it, "When I'm riding with others, I'm in my own space together with them"—a beautiful paradox that creates safety for even the most socially anxious among us.

Perhaps most importantly, motorcycling teaches us the art of letting go. On the road, we quickly learn that control is an illusion—weather changes, road conditions surprise us, and all we can truly manage is our response. This practical experience of handling uncertainty while maintaining composure builds resilience that extends far beyond our time in the saddle. Just as Bob Marley reminds us, "Don't worry about a thing, 'cause every little thing's gonna be alright," riding helps us embody this truth in a visceral way. If you're struggling with anxiety, maybe the answer isn't more worry—maybe it's more riding. Take a deep breath, hit the road, and discover the peace that awaits when you trade anxiety for adventure.

The video:  https://youtu.be/BXlzxDl32ic?si=1a-b_sDnsZjyfpHd

Support the show

Episode Transcript

Ron (00:00):
I ran across this video on Instagram and it captured my
attention and captured my heart.
It's a little boy, he'sprobably five years old and he's
singing probably one of themost powerful songs ever written
.
It's so simple and yet sopowerful.
And coming from a sweet littleboy, just listen to this.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
I woke up this morning, on my horizon, three
little birds Were on my doorstepSinging sweet songs Melody,
pure and true.
And they said this message isyou.

(00:49):
They said don't worry about athing, cause everything is gonna
be alright, don't worry.

Ron (01:06):
About a thing Cause every little thing Is gonna be alright
.
You got to see the video andI'll share a link in the show
notes to it, but for me it tookseeing this little boy, the

(01:27):
smile on his face as he sang,and it seemed to me that he
understands all of the wordshe's singing.
I was reminded, too, of howpowerful and pure that message
is.
It's a song by Bob Marley.
It was recorded in 1977, Ibelieve.
What reminded me too and warmedmy heart was the video that

(01:53):
just showed this little boy, sopure, so innocent, singing with
all of his heart, with a realsmile, and just knowing that,
with a real smile, and justknowing that for him and it
should be for us too everylittle thing's going to be all

(02:17):
right.
What we need sometimes is relief.
We need to know sometimes thatwe don't have to worry.
Yeah, there's stresses in life,but sitting and worrying about
it and the anxiety associatedwith that really does more harm
than good, probably.
But I think, while I'll agree,that there is hope, mental and
physical health is very, veryimportant, and without these

(02:38):
we're not going to be riding ourmotorcycles.
You really have to have both.
No surprise there.
So today we're writing into atopic that's deeply personal for
many of us overcoming anxietythrough the simple and powerful
act of riding our motorcycles.
As writers, we often talk aboutpresence, finding peace in the

(03:03):
moment while we're in the saddle, and sometimes that peace of
mind comes from music that welisten to on the road or off.
And it was that little songthat's really stuck with me this
past week, especially afterseeing that video Bob Marley's
Three Little Birds.
It's simple and it's powerful,and these lyrics can soothe an

(03:25):
anxious mind and remind you andme to breathe and trust
ourselves when we're out on theroad.
Trust that in that momenteverything is going to be all
right.
Today let's talk about it.
Thank you so much for joiningme today.
Recorded in beautiful Loveland,colorado.

(03:58):
Welcome to Peace, love Moto thepodcast for motorcyclists
seeking that peaceful, easyfeeling as we cruise through
this life together.
Are you ready?
Let's go.
Bob Marley said he was inspiredby birds that sang to him each

(04:34):
morning.
A simple act of kindness,kindness from our mom, mother
Nature.
Riding can be like that too, Ithink Just you, the wind, the
sky, the road, riding along andwithin whatever Mother Nature
has created for us at thatmoment, great weather or not, a

(04:57):
reminder that, at least in thatmoment, all is right with the
world.
So how can we reach that statewhere, at least for now, every
little thing's going to be allright and we don't need to worry
about a thing?

(05:18):
Well, there's no single answerthat fits everyone's situations,
but there are some things wecan consider.
So let's just face it.
Anxiety is something that nearlyeveryone encounters.
Now, everyone encounters that.
Call it normal.

(05:39):
Life is hard sometimes, andsometimes it's a lot of the time
.
It's hard, certainly harder forsome than others, depending on
their life circumstances, but Ithink we've all seen it the most
famous, the most wealthy or themost happy in appearance people
.
Sometimes it's found out thatthey are miserable, broken or

(06:03):
both.
Some deal with the ups anddowns in life better than others
, or they may make it appearthat they're handling it well.
Anxiety is something that hitsmost of us these days, and it
can come on like a slow drip ofdaily stress or hit like a wave
out of nowhere.
Deadlines, social pressures,past experiences, worries about

(06:29):
the future it all piles on, andyou know it as well as I do.
It's this 24-hour news cyclewhere we're getting updates
hourly, if not more often thanthat on the latest tragedy, and
it's right there in our pocketsand it's right there in our palm
of our hand on our phone.
That really piles up.
It's anxiety and it can bedestructive as well.

(06:54):
But for those of us who ride,there's something about being
out on two wheels, out on theopen road, that seems to cut
through the noise.
Or, let me put it a differentway, I think riding cuts out the
noise, assuming that you're notscrolling while you're on your
bike, not scrolling on yourphone.

(07:16):
If you're looking at your phonewhile you're riding, well, you
need to seek help immediately.
Turn off the podcast and goseek help for that.
That's a problem.
We'll keep going, though.
As for cutting out the noise inour daily lives, I'm not
talking about the sound of thebike, of course, or the wind
sound of the wind.

(07:36):
I'm not talking about earplugsat all.
I'm talking about thatdestructive noise in our head
that also keeps us up at night.
Riding isn't just an escape.
I think it's a medicine too.
And why is that?
Why does it help Focus andbreathe Presence?

(08:14):
When you ride, you can't zoneout, not really.
Yeah, you may find yourselfcompletely relaxed and having a
great time, but if you're anexperienced rider, and a safe
rider, you're scanning the roadall the time.
You're feeling the lean of thebike, the lean angle, making
sure that you're not pushing thelimits too much.

(08:36):
You're gauging traffic, gaugingthe wind, feeling the
temperature, feeling the overallmovement.
That level of focus pulls youout of your head and into the
now.
That's mindfulness, and that'smindfulness in motion.
You gain, from motorcycling,too, a sense of freedom.

(09:00):
We all know that there'ssomething liberating about the
exposure that we experience on amotorcycle.
Again, the wind, the sound ofthe engine and the tires humming
along almost forms I don't knowa connection with your
heartbeat.
Maybe that's a stretch.
That's the way it feelssometimes, though, to me.

(09:22):
And as for physical engagement,writing isn't passive at all.
You know that You're writingwith your whole body involved to
balance, to break, to shift allactive processes, and that
movement it's said to releaseendorphins, those natural mood

(09:45):
boosters that calm the nervoussystems and essentially lift our
spirits.

(10:08):
There's so many things I loveabout motorcycling, and one of
them is community.
It's this community of ridersthat you belong to, and when you
get to know folks, you canconfide in them and they can
confide in you.
I've heard some describe howthey've struggled with anxiety,
but when they ride they canbreathe again.

(10:31):
They share how it's just amatter of time.
When you figure out that you'reoverthinking things, you need
to just take a step back, take abreath and just take a ride.
Riding clears their head, asthey describe it, and it reminds
them too that, as good as arider as you may be, you're not

(10:54):
in control of everything theweather, for example and I think
that that's so important tolearn.
It's important to get tounderstand that you're not fully
in control and that's okay.
And really, what do we havecontrol over in life anyway?
Not a whole heck of a lot,seems like the one key piece of

(11:21):
happiness to peace of mind isaccepting the fact that we're
not in control and that's okay.
So, as for me, sometimes Idon't want to be in total
control.
That's just too much pressureand that's just not practical to
even try to consider.
No, I'm not in control at all,just feel lucky to be here.

(11:44):
I've heard some riders describehow they've had social anxiety,
but when they're out on the bikeand they connect with other
riders, that just kind of meltsaway.
When you're riding with othermotorcycle riders, you're in
your own space together.
It's a brotherhood and asisterhood, because it's their

(12:04):
time too.
It's your time and their time,and together you're just having
a wonderful experience that'sunique, unique to just a few of
us who ride.
So these aren't just anecdotes.
They're real reminders thatrelief from anxiety can happen

(12:25):
in unexpected ways, andsometimes it takes a motorcycle,
in our case, and just a littlebit of faith to go out for a
ride and, yeah, those troublescan melt away.

(12:46):
Maybe circling back again topractical advice ride solo or
ride with trusted friends, tunein to whatever feels right for
you.
Some days, solo rides may feellike personal therapy.
You need that time by yourself,and other times, having
supportive friends on the ridewith you can make all the

(13:08):
difference.
I'm so lucky to have motorcyclebuddies like that Brian Andreas
, martin Doug, just to name afew.
Brian Andreas, martin Doug,just to name a few.
These are local friends who aregood riders and really good
listeners too.
They give good advice Peoplewho I love to ride with and who

(13:32):
I love to talk with as well.
You know, even before you throwyour leg over a bike, just take
a few deep breaths.
That's what I'm trying toremember to do.
Let that oxygen just fill youup, let it remind you that
you're here, you're safe andyou're really really lucky, very

(13:54):
blessed, to have a motorcyclethat you can ride and the
opportunity to write it.
I'll close with this, and it'ssomething that I know that you

(14:17):
already know Writing isn't aboutthe miles, it's about the
moments, the moments when theconfusion and the anxiety that
comes with this world fades awayand all that's left is you,
your bike and the road ahead.
Because it's in those momentsthat I believe something magical

(14:41):
can happen Anxiety takes a backseat and peace takes over the
handlebars.
Because here's what Bob Marleysaid Rise up this morning,
smiled with the rising sun,three little birds on my
doorstep singing sweet songs ofmelodies, true and pure, saying.

(15:07):
This is my message to you Don'tworry about a thing, because
every little thing's going to beall right.
Don't worry, everything's goingto be all right.
So if you find yourself ridingthrough some tough times right

(15:28):
now, know this You're not alone.
The road is here, your bike isthere, your community of
motorcycle riders are here andyour friends at Peace Love Moto
are here too.
Hosting this podcast has beenso rewarding for me because I
get to associate with goodpeople just like you.

(15:49):
Thank you so much for listening, and I wish you peace.

Speaker 2 (15:59):
I wish you love about a thing, cause every little
thing is gonna be alright.

(16:24):
It's gonna be alright.