There's a verse I think about often.

"Because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:16)

Harsh. But true in more ways than one.

Hot is committed. All-in. Burning with purpose.

Cold is out. Done. Moved on to something else.

Lukewarm is the middle. Half-in. "Kind of" committed. Going through the motions.

And lukewarm is the most dangerous place to be.

Here's why:

Hot gets results. Full commitment creates momentum. You learn faster because you're fully engaged. You push through obstacles because quitting isn't an option. You attract opportunities because people can feel your conviction.

Cold gives you freedom. When you're fully out, you can redirect your energy elsewhere. You're not leaking commitment into something that's going nowhere. You can find something worth being hot about.

Lukewarm gives you nothing. You're not committed enough to succeed. You're not out enough to move on. You just... exist. In the middle. Wasting time. Wasting potential. Getting neither the results of commitment nor the freedom of letting go.

The middle feels safe. It's not.

The middle is where years disappear. Where potential goes to die slowly. Where you look up one day and realize you've been "working on it" forever with nothing to show.

I lived lukewarm for five years. It cost me nearly everything.

The answer isn't to find a comfortable temperature. The answer is to pick a side.

Hot or cold. In or out. Committed or done.

Lukewarm isn't an option anymore.

Done negotiating.

-Joel