"How do you get out of your comfort zone?"

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey tell his story!

The first several weeks of teaching our younger daughter to drive were spent in one of our vehicles. I wanted her to get comfortable and gain confidence at first and being in the same vehicle helped.

Well, after she became comfortable and confident, I decided it was time to change vehicles. So I took her driving in another one of our cars.

"Daddy, I’m not too sure about this," she said.

I asked her, "Why?"

"I’ve never driven this car," she said, "and I’m not really comfortable in it."

"Well," I said, "let’s give it a try." She did and now talks about what she likes about one car and what she likes about the other.

She moved outside of her comfort zone and decided it was a good thing.

Sometimes God calls you and me to move outside of our comfort zones, to do something differently than we’ve always done it or in some way we’ve never done it before.

When that happens to you—and it will at work or home or somewhere—give it a try. And before long, you’ll be talking about your experience as you make a life, not just a living.

Discover more great stories like this one!

"Do you step outside of yourself?"

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey tell his story!

Parking your car is one of those skills you have that you might not think much about. I mean, you go somewhere, find a parking space, and pull in, right? But somewhere along the way, someone helped you get started parking.

It was our daughter’s turn to get started parking. So she drove into a parking lot, and started to pull in a space. We had talked ahead of time about what to look at, when to turn the wheel, and that kind of thing, but there’s nothing like doing it for the first time. So she pulled in, put the car in park, and said, "So how did I do?"

And I said, "Let’s get out and see." The both of us hopped out of the car and she evaluated her parking job, noting where she could have done better, while celebrating that she was between the lines.

When was the last time you stepped outside of your job or home to evaluate what kind of job you’re doing?
The outside perspective really helps a lot in deciding how you’re doing. You can see your performance better.

So today as you make a life, step outside of yourself, and ask God to help you see what kind of job you’re doing.

Discover more great stories like this one!

"Do you worry about what others think?"

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey tell his story!

Our younger daughter was driving down a pretty busy road. I was riding with her and she was doing a great job of driving. She was just driving a little slower than the other cars, most of which speed down this particular road. Of course that means these other cars were stacking up behind her.

"Daddy, all of these cars are behind me," she said, "and there’s one right behind me on my bumper. What am I gonna do?"

"Well, how fast are you going?" I asked.

She told me and it was only 5 mph under the speed limit. I told her, "Honey, just focus on your driving and not theirs. You can only control how you drive, not how they drive."

"But won’t they get mad at me?" she said.

"Don’t worry about what they think. Focus on what you’re doing. What they think is up to them," I said.

It’s so easy for us to worry about what other people think, sometimes allowing it to shape our actions. Today, don’t worry so much about what other people think. Be the person God created you to be as you drive your life.

Discover more great stories like this one!

"Life gets a little out of control sometimes, doesn’t it?"

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey tell his story!

It was my daughter’s first foray driving on the expressway. She had never driven with a speed limit this high. So naturally she was a little nervous.

I watched as she increased her speed, trying to ease on up to the speed limit. She became a little uncomfortable and start swerving every so slightly in her lane.

"Are you nervous at this speed?" I said.

And she replied, "Yes, I am."

I reminded her, "That sign is the speed limit. That means not to go over that speed. It’s not the speed minimum. The speed minimum is about 15 mph under that so just relax. Drive at the speed you’re comfortable and feel like you can control the car."

"Oh, yea," she said, slowed down a bit and drove much better.

Life sometimes gets a little fast for comfort, doesn’t it? When it does, and you’re feeling uncomfortable and swerving a little, slow down a bit until life gets a little more under control. Then listen to life and make a life, not just a living.

Discover more great stories like this one!

"Where are you looking?"

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey tell his story!

Our younger daughter and I were out practicing her driving skills. She was learning how to back the vehicle which of course sounds to us like an easy thing to do, but if you’ve never done it before, it’s not so easy.

I taught her how to use her mirrors and also to turn around and look where she was backing. And she did what lots of us do, she turned around and looked forward before she stopped the car from rolling back.
So I encouraged her to keep looking back until she stopped the car. Then to look forward only once the car was stopped.

That’s a great life strategy for you and me as well. You look where you’re going. And if you slow down and think about it for a minute, the reality is you go where you’re looking.

Do you want to make a life, not just a living? Then set your sights on making a life and that’s where you’ll go.

Do you want to be happier and more content in life? Then look at happier, more content people, do what they do, and that’s where you’ll go.

Want to listen to life? Then look at God and that’s where you’ll go.

Discover more great stories like this one!