Life is like a ten speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never

Hear these words, O seekers of truth, spoken by Charles M. Schulz, the quiet sage of comic ink and gentle wisdom: “Life is like a ten speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.” At first, the words seem light, as though they belong only to the realm of humor and simplicity. Yet hidden within them is a deep reflection on the human condition. The bicycle, with its many gears, is a symbol of the soul’s potential, a reminder that within each of us lies more strength, more vision, and more power than we dare to call forth. We coast often on the easy path, never shifting into the higher gears that could carry us faster and further.

Consider this truth: a bicycle is built with intention. No gear is useless; each has a purpose. Some are for the gentle flatlands, some for the steepest ascents. And so it is with human life. We are born with hidden reserves—talents untested, courage undiscovered, wisdom unspoken. Yet too often we journey only on the lower gears, content with comfort, afraid of the strain that might awaken our fuller strength. Schulz, in his quiet way, reminds us that we are greater than the paths we commonly choose.

Think of the story of Helen Keller, who, though struck blind and deaf in early childhood, refused to remain bound to the lower gears of fate. With the guidance of Anne Sullivan, she learned to communicate, to write, to speak—not merely to survive, but to inspire generations. Many who saw her plight thought her destiny fixed, her bicycle broken. Yet she proved otherwise, unlocking gears of resilience and genius most never touch. She wrote, she lectured, she moved nations. Her life is the living embodiment of Schulz’s metaphor: the higher gears are there, waiting, if only we dare to reach for them.

And how many souls, though blessed with sound body and sharp mind, live as though chained to a single gear? They labor day by day, not daring to test the limits of their will. They say, “I cannot climb that hill,” when truly the power rests in their very bones. The fault is not in the lack of gears, but in their refusal to shift. Comfort becomes their cage, routine their master. And so they pass through life having glimpsed only a fraction of their capacity, their unused strength rusting silently within.

But there is hope, children of the future. For the gears are never gone. At any moment, a person may choose to rise, to push the pedals harder, to test the hills they once feared. The higher gears are not reserved for the chosen few—they wait for anyone who dares to embrace them. Courage, creativity, compassion, discipline—these are the hidden gears of the soul. Each time we choose growth over fear, action over hesitation, we shift upward, and the road opens wide before us.

The lesson is clear: do not be content with mediocrity. Do not let your life-bicycle gather dust on the same familiar setting. Ask yourself daily: “What gears have I yet to try? What strengths lie dormant within me?” Then act—write the book you hesitate to begin, speak the truth you have long silenced, take the journey you have delayed. For only by shifting do you discover how swift and strong your ride can truly be.

So let us live as wise riders, knowing that the journey of life is not meant to be coasted lazily, but embraced with vigor. The unused gears call to us; they whisper of mountains yet unconquered, horizons yet unseen. Take up the challenge, O traveler, and shift boldly. For within you is more than you imagine, and your bicycle of life was crafted to carry you far beyond the ordinary roads. Use every gear. Live every strength. Waste nothing of the soul.