John tackles the question: Is lighter always better? Patrick looks at the turns his life has taken as a result of cycling. He says he didn’t see a few of the twists coming.
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As coproducer, I must say that we crafted a heck of a pull there, Robot! (In truth, I forgot that I sent that question. Good memory, or at least note taking on your part!) As a matter of fact, I have produced, written and recorded quite a number of episodes for several podcasts in the business-financial services- entrepreneurship genre. I won’t tire you with links to them.
“The Project” is a key concept. It is, as you said, what happens when you realize that your life needs to be about something (more important than promotion and prosperity). This is the philosopher’s quest for the good life, John Wesley’s process of sanctification, Steven Covey’s private victories before public victories. The project is an internal work and as such is mysterious and progress is hard to discern. It has external manifestation, of course, such as not blowing up at your kids during a peevish breakfast. But one can’t really measure the project’s progress. There isn’t a way to say “I’m 37% of the way there.”
Which is where the bike comes in. Strava tells us miles ridden, power produced, PRs and where we sit on the leaderboard. We can start with a dirty bike, and in 20 minutes of washing it is transformed! Of course, this can be as vacuous as living for the next new car. But for those of us engaged in the project, it can serve as a tangible proxy of what’s going on inside. Just as Christian sacraments are an outward and visible representation of an inward and invisible grace. (Don’t flame me for sacrilege, I’m as orthodox as they come. Just a cyclist who knows how to apply theology to the topic at hand.)
The Project is truly the heart of TCI. Perhaps our next cast could be a series called The Project. Not how cycling fits in our lives, but how we strive to craft our lives, with cycling as a window to the soul.
@John – Sorry for the late reply on this. It’s all spot on. I have written about the Project elsewhere, so I’m going to dig that up and see what I can make of it. The spiritual bit is funny. It takes all sorts of forms. Despite my irreverence, I’m not here to judge how anyone gets where they’re trying to go with the Project. It’s all grasping at the threads in front of us and following them to see if they can take us somewhere better. I think you’re right, too, that this could be a podcast unto itself. I’ll have to find someone to take over some of my other work before I can engage in another weekly recording session, though. Thanks for your help with everything.