The Warmth of Getting Inside
Yesterday was the first “wintery” day here in Denver where it actually got cold outside.
As I walked through the gym parking lot to my truck, I felt my legs cover with chills as the cold air rushed over them.
It’s not a long walk but it feels like it is when it’s freezing outside and you’re wearing shorts.
The rain had just stopped, leaving everything wet and colder than before.
But as soon as I got in the truck and turned the ignition, I felt a feeling that was so familiar.
It’s a feeling I’ve felt throughout my entire life and I’m sure you have too.
It was like a deep exhale after holding your breath too long.
Or the moment your head hits the pillow after a hard day.
A sudden end to a discomfort.
It was the warmth of getting inside…
But there’s a catch…
To get inside, you must be outside.
There’s no pleasure in comfort if it wasn’t preceded by some level of discomfort.
There’s no relief to an exhale if it wasn’t first withheld for too long.
In order to enjoy the good, you have to know there’s an alternative that is not so good.
Hitting a golf ball perfectly is an incredible feeling to most people…
Because most people have 100+ bad hits before the perfect one and first know the frustration of repeatedly hitting a bad shot.
If they always hit good shots, the perfect shots wouldn’t feel any different.
Picture this…
You’re stacking firewood outside in below freezing temperatures.
Your nose is turning red and starting to run.
Your finger tips, despite wearing gloves, are entirely numb.
And you still have a splinter from the first log you picked up before you put on gloves.
You’re cold and pretty uncomfortable…
But when the work is finished and you step inside the warm house with a fire burning and dinner cooking, it feels amazing.
And you undeniably get greater enjoyment from the warmth inside than someone who never left the house.
So what does this mean for you and I?
Here’s what I think…
To experience the good in life, you need to experience the bad too.
In order to grow, you need to be challenged.
No… I don’t think you need to put yourself in harms way to be happy.
But always avoiding pain or discomfort results in more pain and feeling less comfortable.
Ironic…
I think “inside” and “outside” can be used as a metaphor for comfort and discomfort, or pleasure and pain, or staying and going.
It can be used as a metaphor for a lot of things…
But staying inside, metaphorically, leads to complacency and passivity.
Instead, when you’re presented with challenges, pain, or discomfort, lean into it.
If you feel you’ve been inside for too long, metaphorically, get outside.
Embrace the lows knowing the highs will be truly high.
“Your greatest enemy is idleness; fight it without let up.”
- St. John Bosco
Thanks for reading.
