Choice vs Chance: My Near-Death Life Lesson in Newfoundland

Some we make with intention. Others, we stumble into by accident. But the worst thing we can do—the one decision that guarantees nothing ever changes—is to do nothing at all.

I learned this the hard way—a lesson on choice vs chance—on a lonely Newfoundland highway, where I faced the kind of cold that doesn’t just bite… it ends lives.

I was days into the final leg of my cross-Canada cycling journey, exhausted, starving, and utterly alone. Newfoundland, with its endless forests and wandering moose, had swallowed me whole. Towns were rare, roads stretched forever, and as winter tightened its grip, every pedal stroke felt like a slow-motion battle against the inevitable.

Then the temperature dropped.

Not the crisp, refreshing kind of cold that wakes you up—but the deep, cutting kind that seeps into your bones and steals the feeling from your fingers.

The kind that kills.

My Slow Descent into Near-Death Hypothermia

I hadn’t eaten a real meal in days. My water bottles? Frozen solid. My energy? Empty.

Somewhere near a place called Come By Chance—yes, that’s a real town name—I realized how bad things had gotten. My body was shutting down. Hypothermia had set in. My lips were blue, my hands barely functioned, and I was shaking so violently that even gripping my handlebars became a struggle.

Then, up ahead—I saw it.

A patch of sunlight on a small hill, like some cosmic invitation to stop, to rest, to surrender.

I dragged my bike off the road, stumbled up the hill, and collapsed into the warmth. My muscles gave in. My body begged for sleep.

“Just for a moment,” I told myself.

Ahghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

I gasped for breath, my whole body convulsing as my core temperature plummeted even further.

How long had I been out? Minutes? Maybe longer.

I had come here by chance—but if I didn’t make the choice to keep moving, this is where it would end.

That was it. The defining decision.

Either stay still and let the cold win—or get back on the bike and fight for another mile.

With everything I had left, I forced myself upright, threw a leg over the frame, and started pedaling. Every turn of the crank felt like lifting a mountain, but I kept moving.

Another mile.

Then another.

Until finally—a gas station pitstop.

I don’t remember much beyond bursting through the door, collapsing into a booth, and ordering seven coffees and enough food to feed a small village.

Choice vs Chance

We don’t control the chances life gives us.

Some of us are born into privilege. Some into struggle. Some get lucky breaks, while others fight for every inch. But what we do control—what determines everything—is what we choose to do with those chances.

If I had stayed on that hill, I wouldn’t be here telling this story.

If I had stayed on the safe, predictable path life had laid out for me, I never would have set out on this journey in the first place.

This moment in Newfoundland wasn’t just about survival. It was the day that redefined my perspective of everything.

It’s taught me that we’re always at a crossroads, whether we see it or not. Every decision—big or small—sets the course for what happens next.

• Stay still or push forward.
• Play it safe or take the leap.
• Hope for things to change or make them change.

Most people wait—for the right timing, the right confidence, the right permission.

But the hard truth? Waiting is a choice too. A choice to do nothing. A choice to let life happen to you instead of creating it.

So if you’re sitting there, reading this, waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect opportunity, the perfect excuse to start something bigger—ask yourself this:

Are you making a choice? Or are you just hoping for a chance?

Because the less you do, the fewer chances you create.

Chances to grow.
Chances to learn.
Chances to earn.
Chances to achieve something more.

What’s Holding You Back?

Every choice you avoid is a chance that never comes.

So make the choice. Take the chance.

And for the love of all things warm—don’t fall asleep in the snow.

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P.S.

I shared this story on Sabrina Del Duca’s Podcast: Get Into Flow where we talked about mastering your creative mindset.

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P.P.S.

If you’re staring down a big decision—whether in freelancing, business, or life—and need a push in the right direction, let’s talk. Sometimes, all it takes is a little clarity to see the next step. Book a 1:1 video consult here.

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🔥 Hey! What’s the biggest choice you’ve ever made that changed everything? Drop a comment below—I want to hear your story.