Yesterday, we brought our daughter back to James Madison Universityto begin her sophomore year. As we began our 5-hour trek back to NJ, our truck started to ride rough. We pulled over twice to look at the tires but they looked fine. Finally, knowing something was not right, we pulled into a tire shop in West Virginia to have a professional take a look. Sure enough, we had to replace both back tires. Had we continued to drive, it was likely we would have blown out the back left tire and I’m not sure how that would have played out at high speeds on the heavily traveled Interstate 81. 

This narrowly averted disaster got me thinking. Do I need to do my own 12-point inspection, not only with my car but with my life? What would be on my life-inspection list? I would question myself on my overall happiness, stress level, physical health, personal growth, family life, friendships, emotional health, career, my life’s purpose, spiritual life, financials, and how I am positively contributing to this world.

No one wants to have a blowout in our car or our life, especially when we are traveling at high speeds—which we all are. It might be time to kick the tires. Come up with your own 12-point inspection. Brand new brakes are great, but it isn’t going to stop you from having a blowout if your tire is bad. Where, in your life, is the weak tire ready to blow? Is it time to pull over? Don’t keep driving, it’s not safe.

With Gratitude,
Beth