As I was heading down to the bottom of Bobbin Heads last Saturday, I suddenly pictured myself climbing back up the same road in the opposite direction. It dawned on me that the quick way down bore absolutely no resemblance to the slow climb coming back up.

The bends were all opposite handed. The potholes were one-sided and the gradient required levels of exertion on the two extreme ends of the scale. One direction had riders in a grin and the other produced sweaty grimaces.

It was the same road – but depending on which direction I was taking, it completely changed the effort required – and even the scenery was different!

We all travel on the same road in life, but for some, it always seems like it is going in the wrong direction. Everything seems to take tremendous effort to carry out – and it always has another challenge around the corner. Yet, for some others, it is all coasting along from one good fortune to another. Why is that?

Every now and then in the hills of Bobbin Head, a rider will glide past me (seemingly) effortlessly on the way up. He would swiftly disappear round the corner and I would never see him again. For this rider, the uphill direction is relished as much (if not more) than the downhill. Both are fortunes.

…And this is the secret to effortless living.

It is the one road and it has two directions – but for the masterful, both directions are just as fun. And this makes it appear like life is charmed. Some say that the road in life turns around at 40 – so most of us are on the way back. And I am sure that you will agree with me that the way back bears no resemblance to the first 40 years.

The question is how we are going to handle the change in direction?