Getting one’s drivers license is considered a rite of passage which serves as a sign that a young person is one step closer to becoming an adult. I actually got my driver’s license on the very day that I turned 16 and still love driving!

As a mother of three sons who all learned to drive using a manual transmission, I know this is not always the simplest of tasks. It all seems easy enough. When you want to go forward you put the car in gear. On the other hand, if you want to go backward you will put it in reverse. Don’t want to move anywhere… leave it in neutral. Of course, there are some challenges that must be overcome; let out the clutch too soon and you will stall the engine and have to begin the process all over. After a time, you will find yourself driving down the road, pushing in the clutch, letting off the gas, shifting gears and letting off the clutch; all while you are listening to the radio and talking to the passenger… and then you stop halfway up on a steep hill… Help!

Life is a little like learning to drive. On the surface it all seems pretty simple. If I want to move forward, I must get myself in gear and while it is occasionally helpful to look in reverse, I don’t want to spend a lot of time going that way. And, of course, putting my life in neutral means I won’t be going anywhere. It is an unfortunate truth that some of us are currently attempting to move through our TOPS life in reverse or neutral. Some of us attempted to move forward but found the challenges of shifting gears too difficult. You may just need a little more practice. If you make the effort, you too will be able to push in the clutch, let of the gas, shift gears and let off the gas – all while listening to the radio and talking to your fellow passengers. Your engine is idling. It needs to be kicked into gear in order to move on.

How you are driving your life? Do you find yourself seemingly going backwards, like driving a car in reverse? Are you are comfortable with the status quo… sitting in your car with the engine idling and your life in neutral? Truly, moving forward requires overcoming significant challenges, but you will never reach the next rite of passage unless you push in the clutch and put your life in gear. I’ll be cheering as you cross the finish line!

I Care, Barb