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The temperature was nearly 100 degrees when I set out on a recent mountain biking ride. "Stay indoors" was the weatherman's warning --- a message seemingly directed toward the elderly and infirmed, but not for me.
Heat doesn't usually bother me when I ride. Still, it can be brutally hot here in Raleigh, North Carolina where Church Production is based --- a fact that worries my wife, as I like to ride my bike alone.
This led me to thinking: Am I an anomaly, a superhuman athlete who's impervious to the destructive effects of exercising in the heat?
Hardly. I'm a very average, middle-aged man with a passion for an outdoor sport.
So why doesn't the heat bother me when I exert myself in 100-degree heat?
Then it hit me. The heat doesn't seem so bad --- as long as I'm moving. While a mountain biker's speed can be a fraction that of a road biker's --- sometimes barely faster than walking speed, especially when climbing a hill --- it's still enough to create a nice, consistent breeze. The heat only bothers me whenever I stop to take a drink or rest --- then the sweat sets in and the sweltering surroundings feel like a wet blanket.
We feel the heat in our lives in many ways. Similar to a scorching late summer afternoon, on-the-job stress may be a huge source of heat and discomfort in our lives. Yet, we will feel it more acutely when we're standing still --- when we're stagnant, stuck in a rut, when we've grown complacent or comfortable.
Whether it's our work life, our family life, or our spiritual life, we need to be challenged. We need new ideas, goals, and ambitions. This gives us new and refreshing perspectives; personal growth with which to do our jobs better; new ideas with which to interact with our family in new and healthier ways; and new and different ways to live out our faith.
So similar to being outside in the summer heat, standing still --- being complacent, comfortable, potentially bitter about your current work situation --- can be quite uncomfortable. If you're feeling the heat in your current position, learn a new skill, get a new team member, or change your processes. Similar to hopping on a bike, you'll likely create your own summer breeze.
This article was originally published in 2019.
