“This machine is designed to be run at full-throttle.”
Pedro and I went to the smalle engine shop to purchase a new lawnmower. It’s a pretty massive piece of machinery and the mechanic provided us with with fairly simple instructions:
- 12psi in the front tires and 20psi in the rear.
- change the oil every thirty hours and keep a clean air filter.
- Run the right kind of fuel and grease all of the fittings.
- Always run the machine at full throttle.
The mechanic went on to tell us that these engines were designed to run at full throttle with an internal governor that will keep it from reaching beyond it’s intended range of power. He informed us that most people think that they are babying their mower by not operating it at 100% capacity but, in reality, they are starving the machine and causing it to fail prematurely.
I began to think about myself and how I relate to the machine.
I wonder if I am too cautious. I wonder how often I keep the throttle low for fear of exhaustion of fatigue when I am actually designed to run wide-open.
How many times do I play it safe in a low gear in an effort to avoid failure when I am actually suffocating myself and have to work harder to avoid the hard work.
The mechanic went on to tell Pedro and I, “If you do these few things, you will likely never have to see me again. These machines are well-built if you take care of them. They are designed to last and they will run hard.”
I felt like I was talking with a really good doctor.
Peace, Love, and all things Beef related,
Beefcake