I’m laughing as I write this, thinking about how I used to drive when I lived in different cities with no car seat in the back and no precious cargo sitting in that car seat. I drive a smidge different when I have my daughter in the car. Think about the times you are driving with something that needs to be protected. You ease on the brakes. You make smooth turns. You are driving with a purpose and you aren’t going to let other cars around you mess up your purpose.

I started to drive differently because my daughter gave me more incentive to drive safer and to drive with purpose. She gave me a reason to not drive reckless because I valued you my baby girl. Think about your life, are you driving with purpose or are you driving recklessly? If you are driving recklessly, stop for a moment and reflect on why you are driving that way.

Looking back at when I drove recklessly, realize I didn’t value myself, those around me, and I did not value my purpose. When you value yourself and purpose, you won’t trade what you want most for what you want in the moment. In college, I would smoke weed knowing I had the chance of getting tested and losing my scholarship. Thank God that never happen to me, and I have learned from my mistakes when I was younger.

The thing is, people or things can be huge incentives for us. They can motivate us to want and do better for ourselves and especially for them. However, that is just the start, but it is a great start! One of my biggest motivators for me personally, was when I found out my mom had cancer. That caused a seismic shift in the way I thought and how hard I worked. What do you do when that motivation passes away or your daughter grows up and leaves the house or that one thing just isn’t enough anymore? That happened to me...my mom passed away and I was devastated on the inside. The purpose that I had, the thing that “drove” my car faded away, and my life didn’t have the same magic anymore.

Recently, I have realized it is definitely important that I drive my car with purpose when my daughter is in the car, but I also know it is just as important to drive my car with purpose all the time! The first step is to want to do better. Having someone else motivate you can help you not “drive” recklessly, but ultimately help you want to “drive” with a purpose. Remember, you are valuable and “driving” with a purpose is best for your life.

What is your why?