Riding within your limits isn’t about holding back. It’s about knowing exactly where you stand—and choosing not to lie to yourself about it.

Nor is it a concession. It is an awareness that allows you to harness the power you actually possess.

It's a common refrain when learning to ride a motorcycle: ride within your limits. Don't push the throttle beyond what you can manage. Don’t take tight turns you haven’t learned to handle. Don't weave faster than you know how.

Some mistakes are too costly to make. When we ride outside our limits, we risk crashing. We risk fear and uncertainty, where we can lose control at the very moment we need to make the split-second decision to save our life.

Explore those limits in a safe environment—with the right gear, with someone who can teach you. There is no rush to do more than you can already do.

I often think of this refrain beyond the motorcycle. Knowing my limits—especially emotionally, psychologically, and even spiritually—helps me focus more on the things that I can do.

I know the things that set me off—frustrations, old patterns, sensitive spots. Sometimes I throw myself into them anyway, convincing myself it’s an opportunity for personal growth. But more often, it’s just an unregulated experiment in exposure therapy—and the progress rarely outweighs the crash.

There is no shame in having limits. There is power in knowing them. And there is freedom—not fear—when you ride with that wisdom.