"Do you know you’re special?"

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

Will you take just a second and do something for yourself? Put down what you’re doing—unless you’re driving; just pull over—and think about all the special people in your life. Make a mental list or just randomly run through some faces and think about all the special people in your life.

Now as you think about all of these people, who was the very first person to pop into your mind? In your mind’s eye, see her or his face. Watch a smile emerge on that person’s mouth. Look into those sparkling eyes.

Now begin to thank God for all of the reasons why this person is special to you. Name the reasons one-by-one. Take it easy as you breathe your thank-you’s. No need to be in a hurry.

Now decide on three of those reasons why this person is special to you and share them with him or her by a phone call, email, or letter.

And know that while you’ve been doing this, so have lots of other people around the world and at least one of them thanked God for you.

Discover more great stories like this one!

"Are you a judge?"

Click here to hear Dr. Joey tell his story!

I’ll forever remember the first time I saw someone do something that I thought was weird to their food. I sat down to breakfast with a cousin who proceeded to, at least in my mind, ruin my grandmother’s scrambled eggs by pouring ketchup over them. I had never seen that done before.

I had a similar experience recently while coaching a business woman. We were talking about time management and doing those things that are important to us. I mentioned getting up in the morning to walk our dog and pick blueberries. And she said, “My granddaddy loved to eat blackberries with pinto beans and a piece of hoecake.” I must have looked at her strangely because she started laughing and then I laughed. It was another ketchup-on-scrambled-eggs experience for me!

So often in life, it seems we look down on those things or people which don’t quite fit our idea of normal. Today, as you listen to life, keep an open mind and accept others as they are without judging them. Decreasing your negativity increases your positivity. Blackberries and pintos, anyone?

Discover more great stories like this one!

"Do you have weeds?"

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

Last month, it was unusually hot in the part of the world where I live. So I decided that early morning was the best time to do some outdoor work like pulling weeds and grass out of our flower beds. The temperature was cooler and the humidity lower…and there were no interruptions at 6:00 a.m.

I also discovered that it was a great time to listen to life and pray and meditate. There’s no one around to want anything from me. I’m outdoors which is my favorite place in the world to be. And I’m doing a rather mindless task—pulling weeds and grass out of my rose beds—or at least I thought it was…until I just asked God to show me how I could grow my spirit that day. As I pulled the weeds and grass, I realized that there were some rogue habits and attitudes growing in the spiritual bed of my heart; a place where I was to cultivate good character traits could be overrun with the bad and ugly. So as I cleaned out weeds, I cleaned out my spirit.

Cultivate your spirit by rooting out the bad and ugly and growing the good as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living.

Discover more great stories like this one!

"Someone’s always watching, aren’t they?"

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

It was a beautiful Saturday—cool for August yet the sun was shining. The perfect day for me to get some work done around our horse farm. It’s been a very wet summer in our part of the world so the weeds have really grown quickly, frankly faster than I could keep them cut. So, this was the perfect Saturday for me to get on my tractor and mow the horse pastures. And I did for the whole day. I really enjoyed myself.

Well, a week or so later, I saw some friends. I spoke to the husband first and as we talked, he said, “I saw you on your tractor the other day.” Then I greeted his wife and she said, “I saw you on your tractor the other day.”

And I thought to myself, “Man, I guess someone’s always watching, aren’t they?”

And they are, you know. When you’re at work, your coworkers watch you. When you’re home, your family watches you. When you’re shopping or playing golf or riding your Harley, someone’s watching you.

Since they’re watching anyway, show them how to listen to life today for what God has to say and make a life, not just a living, okay?

Discover more great stories like this one!

"What’s your favorite season of the year? Is it fall?"

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

Fall started last week and may be my favorite season of the year. It’s beautiful in its own way.

As the temperatures fall, the trees put on a show of color that few artists can capture on canvas. The orange and red maples, the golden oaks, and all the rest of the trees become so brilliant that it’s hard for me to drive down the road without swerving. Sometimes I just go ahead and pull over on the shoulder of the highway, just to look at a maple with the most brilliant orange-colored leaves I’ve ever seen.

Interesting, isn’t it, that these leaves put on such a colorful display as they’re dying. Their artistry is a part of their dying process, as they prepare to drop off the tree.

Maybe that’s the way life is. We give others something beautiful as we prepare to leave, something spectacular to remember us by. Show your best colors as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living today.

Discover more great stories like this one!