What a cold bike ride taught me about quitting my job.

I know it’s hard to remember now that it’s routinely hitting 90 degrees outside, but just 3 weeks ago, our mornings were starting in the 30’s. It was just such a morning that I was scheduled to ride my bicycle into work… I had laid out my cycling kit the night before, inflated the tires, filled my water bottle, and packed my work clothes. I woke up the required half-hour before normal wake time and turned on the news to find the temperature at a not-so-balmy 36 degrees. Fahrenheit. Ahhh, Indiana in May.

My initial response, much like yours might have been, was to turn over, pull the 300 thread-count sheets up over my head, and snooze for another 30 minutes rather than face the cold. But then I remembered a truth I’d recently discovered: I have never ridden my bike to work and then though, “Man, I wish I’d drove this morning!”

So, I endeavored to rise and grind, put on the right clothes, and ride without complaint. After all, I’ve invested several hundred dollars in clothing specifically designed to let me run or ride in the cold. Don’t tell my wife.

Here’s the thing- it turned out to be one of the best rides of the year. The fog was rising over the frosty grass, the birds were particularly chatty, and with the right gear on, I never once got cold.

And the ride reminded me… life is like that, too. We can choose to get down about the circumstances we find ourselves in- our job, our family issues, our economic situation- or we can “dress” ourselves in the right attitude to deal with it. The weather doesn’t bother you so much if you have on the right clothes, and your circumstances won’t bother you if you put on the right attitude.

Many of you know I’m in the middle of a job transition. In April, I announced I was quitting my job with my employer of 21 years to do “something else.” The only thing was, I didn’t know what “something else” would be. Fact is, I’m still not sure. But, I suspect it will pay less, so I’ve recently sold my house. Faster than I expected. Oh, yeah… now I have to find a place to live. About 5 years ago, this would have put me into the St. Vincent stress center, but throughout these transitions, I have found myself to be remarkably calm. And here’s why: I believe God is in the middle of all of it. I’ve seen him work so faithfully in the job transition, in preparing my heart and my family for a new adventure, and even in selling our house (at that price? In this economy?)

Charles Swindoll once wrote, “I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

So, as you get dressed each morning, remember: you get to pick your attitude each and every day. I hope you pick a good one.