The clock is a thief. The clock exists to take time. And time is a commodity that seems impossible to create. You can make money, make love, make believe or make a mistake, but you cannot make time. As the saying goes: tomorrow is a promise to no one.

Life is a struggle; it’s supposed to be. All of life is programmed, or hard-wired, to achieve survival. It is human nature to struggle and compete for existence. Unlike our prehistoric ancestors, however, we no longer need to go out and club-to-death dinner for the family. We have the IGA. Evolution, baby!

I need a fight to feel alive, which is why I compete. Cycling’s individual time trial (aka: the race of truth) is a race against the clock. The clock gives no quarter. Racing the clock is one way to completely “spend” quality time. The fight against time teaches me to live in the moment. Competing is a non-verbal way to express a fighting spirit. Indeed, the clock wants to steal and fear is its partner in crime.

Fear can cripple the fighting spirit. Everything I want is on the other side of fear. I am grateful to live in a time and place where basic survival is not a daily, fear- filled existence. As such, I am compelled to seek out challenges that force me to face my fears. Don’t get me wrong, I love to kick back and relax. I’m good at it. Especially when I know I’ve earned it.

Removing doubt

I hate being in doubt. I cannot do epic stuff with a head full of doubt. During an interview on the CBC, an Inuit sculptor was asked how he makes beautiful polar bear carvings out of grotesque, ugly blocks of soapstone. Rephrasing a Michelangelo quote, he quipped: “It’s simple, I just remove everything that is not bear.” I use this theme to identify, and then eliminate, doubt. Right or wrong I can live with. But never in doubt.

A fight worth having

The inner voice whispering in my head is trying to tell me something. Those whispers grow in magnitude and expose either fear or confidence. It’s a war: me against fear. Fear is a liar. Therein lies the fight I’ve been looking for. I am what I believe. And I believe I can be so much more. Just grant me the courage to “remove everything that is not bear”.