Chasing the Bear
During my late teens and early twenties, I found myself working odd jobs for my older brother. I wasn’t much help—more of a half-useless knucklehead than anything else—but I think my brother enjoyed having me around. It was our way of spending time together.
My brother has always been an early riser. Before the birds. Before the worms. Most times before the sun. No matter what the day held, he’d wake me up before 5 a.m., always with the same words:
“Time to get the bear, Mikey.”
Though it’s been years since I last worked with my brother, those five words have stayed with me. They’ve become a mantra, especially when I need to push through a tough project, face a challenging day, or simply get out of a rut.
I keep those words written on a small blue sticky note on my office wall. On days when I struggle to gain traction, I glance at that note and hear my brother’s voice:
“Time to get the bear.”
It wasn’t until later that I realized my brother’s command was his take on the old saying, “Some days you get the bear. Some days the bear gets you.” But for him, there was never a choice. You rise before the bear. You outwork the bear. You get the bear. In his world, the bear doesn’t stand a chance.
I’ll admit, there are days when I don’t get the bear. But I never let the bear get me. When I fall short, I come back the next day more determined. That’s a lesson I owe to my brother’s example.
So, let’s go out today and get that bear.