Earlier I was sitting on the side of a mountain trail enjoying the fine weather. I sat and pondered what unicycling does for me, aside from the physical benefits. I realized unicycling has opened my eyes to several life changing philosophies.
Through unicycling I have learned the following: You are your own master, Reality is what you make it, and it has helped me realize what things I can do that are life affirming.
What gifts of knowledge has unicycling given you?
I learned to try anything (even outside of unicycling), and that despite how difficult it may look, eventualy you can achieve it. This has also been in conjunction with my schooling as of late, as I have been surrounded by many cooks who seem to be rather squeemish, which makes little sense to me.
i have learned that it hurts a lot less to do big drops with your seat out front,
and that if you try long and hard enough you can do the “impossible”
I’m amazed by the way people actually talk to strangers with unicycles.
In my part of the world, people are quite reserved. They keep themselves to themselves and generally won’t speak to strangers in the street unless they want to ask directions. The streets are just not an acceptable place to approach people, whereas (for instance) a party, or a pub might be.
But as soon as you do something that makes you “different”, it somehow becomes socially acceptable for people to shout greetings to you, to have random conversations and ask questions of you. These same people, if you approached them under any other circumstances would probably be uncomfortable of you, thinking you a little odd for talking to them.
The unicycle is an amazing icebreaker, and almost every time I ride it it seems to make people happy. Not everybody likes it, of course, but it’s been a real eye opener how well people respond to me on my single huge wheel - it’s a completely different experience that you just don’t get if you blend in.
Unicycling has also showed me (once again) the power of thought: if you believe you can do something on a uni, you’re much more likely to succeed. By committing yourself fully and disregarding failure (within reason) it’s possible to achieve things you could never do without that self-belief.
I was fully prepared to climb the Himilayas to sit at the feet of the great unicycling guru, and absorb all his mystical secrets.
Instead, I actually lost altitude, and found Harper and JC at Gasworks Park. From or through them, I have learned all that I am capable of learning about life, unicycling, magura repair, riding a geared unicycle, and the right to keep and bear arms (while riding). I have also learned the hard way that when I’m cranking along on my Coker and Harper tells me that my shoelace is untied, he isn’t to be listened to.
I’ve learnt one important thing which has improved many areas of my life not just my riding. I have learnt, like many people, something that appears impossible at first, can be achieved by positive thinking and self belief. Like my signature says, confidence and a positive attitude means we can almost achieve the highest goals, over come pain and keep on going.
Unicycling has taught me that mental power is just as important if not more so, than physical power and the two combined can make an unstoppable athlete.
Jas
I haven’t really thought about this just while I was reading but one thing is people look at me a lot different. Now all my friends and almost all my school except a few people look at me different now that they know I ride. Use to they would always tell me I should skate and stuff but now they tell me I should stick to unicycling and that I am good at it. It changes the way people look at you alot and that is one thing I find.
But that’s only if they say something first, isn’t it? If you tried to start the conversation yourself it’d be more difficult as they’d think you double weird for talking to strangers and riding a uni, wouldn’t they?
Unicycling has taught me how to ride on one wheel.
Plus, it makes me more patient and just generally changes me as a person(slowly, but surely).
I learned to draw attension to myself, to be seen as wierd, and to be ok with that.
I learned to socialize with people and also to do more scary things
I learned this too, or rather not to be OK with it but that the world isn’t going to fall apart because of it.
I learned that I can do something cool/different/difficult.
I’ve leared the power of practice.
I’ve learned that I can play a team game (unicycle hockey) and enjoy it.
I’ve learned that I belong to a family of unicyclists.
I’ve learned the importance in believing in myself.
I’ve learned to be myself.
I realized that it really IS how old you feel, not how old you are 
Which is why I say I’m 23, feel like I’m 17, and whack people over the head with my walker when they call me “old”
Just because something is in the circus doesn’t mean it is only in the circus.
my dad is huge into trials biking. he always went to these cool parks and I would just watch. but now I can ride with him!
Tonight I stayed home from my weekly indoor ride with the jugglers because I have a heath problem that might be seriously aggrevated by a nasty fall.
I have learned only just tonight, after having to sit through Survivor and Deal or No Deal, that I would rather be confined to a wheelchair and be able to tell people that I put myself there learning how to one foot ww, than to walk up to them and declare I was a couch potato because I was scared to TRY!
People are easily amused by the impossible.
dude, i might put that as the quote in english for tomorrow
really, unicycling has taught me a lot, not only the balance and truly rediculous becoming nothing to me, but also taught me a lot about people in general … the ><>UNI 4 Christ<>< thread has a huge amount of change in it
I have realized that anything (within reason) is possible if you put your mind to it and are determined to practice.
It gives you a feeling of being above others, being able to do something that you know none of those people walking past in the street can.
Everythink else looks easier when you learn how to unicycle, you just have to watch some one else ride it and think “shit, can i really do that?” and your confidence to try new things beings to rise.
is the world really an oyster?
unicycling has kept me sane
I was just thinking about that statement, and how true it is.
Perhaps as a society our perception of impossible sits on the outer fringe of being above average? Anyone who exceeds the norm is said to be doing the "impossible, is it plausible that there is no such thing as impossible, especially in regards to one’s physical capabilities?