In the last few years, several independent driving schools have emerged all across the country. Many companies have been doing this for a long time. The purpose is to teach non-experienced drivers how to maneuver the big rigs. After they finish school, they go to work for a company and then they have to ride with a trainer for a while. Many of you either are or have been driver trainers. Life is the same way. We all have experiences to share and things to learn from one another. We can be like life driver trainers to one another out on the road. Instruct one another. Comment here.

Around election time, we regularly hear the slogan “Your vote counts.” Does it really? How can one person stopping at a voting booth make a difference? Well, it does, but I can understand why you would ask such a question. Look at the world around us. Look at the unlimited stars in the sky. Look at the vast number of people in the world today. Look at the number of trucks on the highways (roughly 23 million used for business). After observing these things, it would be easy to ask “Do I really matter?” You do. You matter to someone. If you don’t know who that is, call us today. Comment here.

Whatever you are going through right now, whether it’s marital trouble, financial difficulties, anger problems, or loneliness, you probably wish someone would come along side and offer you some kind words. Your days are filled with enough discouraging words and put downs. You need to hear some encouraging words and it’s always nice to be praised. You know, this doesn’t apply only to you. Other people around you have the same need. Let me encourage you to encourage one another today. Call us for help. Comment here.

We often ask you how you feel about several different topics varying from anger to your self-worth, acceptance, love, marriage, or loneliness. Today, I would like to ask you a different type of question. What emotions or issues do you inspire in others? These same issues apply to how we influence the emotions of our spouses, children, co-workers or others. Are you building others up by the things you say? Or do your words tear them down? Don’t forget, their sense of significance is influenced by what we say and do. Use your influence to build them up today. Just like you, they are important too and want to be accepted regardless of what they do. Comment here.

Have you ever asked yourself, does anybody care? Does what you do make a difference in the world? Have the mistakes you’ve made had an effect on how people view you? These are all valid questions that we ask ourselves at one time or another. If we didn’t get the answers we wanted to those questions, we may feel worthless and then angry. You are not the only one to ask these things and the truth is that someone does care for you. You do matter that much. We’d be happy to help you learn more. Give us a call today. Comment here.

Anger and bitterness often set in when we feel we are not being valued by others. It can seem like our families don’t appreciate us, our company doesn’t understand how hard we work out on the road while they go home at night or our friends are too busy to stay in touch. Our perception is more powerful than other’s intentions. Remember this, most of the time the people in our lives have no intention of undervaluing us. So, adjust your perception and rest assured that someone cares for you. If you need help with that, let us know. We value you too! Comment here.

Drivers really look forward to their time at home. After working hard for days or weeks at a time, going home means it’s finally time to get some rest and pampering from our families, right? The reality is that seldom happens. Our spouses are busy with household chores and managing the kids and cannot meet our every need. The kids have their own agendas for their time which means they have very little time to spend with us. Our expectation of what would happen when we get home gets trashed.

What does this do for your self-worth? If you’re like me, you might feel angry because we don’t feel respected by the ones we work so hard to provide for. Remember that you are still valuable and needed in your family even when they don’t show you any respect. Don’t let anger and bitterness set in either; be quick to forgive. Your family needs your love and care. Let them know you’re looking forward to quality time with them and be patient. I promise, your time at home will be more enjoyable. Comment here.

How do you feel when others affirm or accept you? You feel good, right? So, now tell me how you feel when others ignore or mistreat you? You probably get angry. Anger is a defense mechanism that we use for self-preservation. We are trying to defend ourselves against what others say about our work performance or our character. While your work performance may affect your employment, it is not a measure of your self-worth. You are important to someone all the time. Remember that the next time someone criticizes you. It will help keep your anger in check. Comment here.

Do you base your self-worth in the approval of others? If you answered yes, then you might be an “approval addict.” Approval junkies only feel good about themselves, if other people approve of them. They also struggle with several other issues: attempting to please others at any cost, the fear of rejection, a hyper-sensitivity to criticism and withdrawing from people in order to avoid their disapproval. Obviously, there are several problems with thinking this way. I have news for you; you will disappoint someone. You can’t please everyone. Instead, set good standards for yourself and live by them. If you fail to meet those standards, apologize and learn from those mistakes. Now, the question becomes “How do I set good standards?” We’d be happy to discuss this with you. Contact us. Comment here.

When considering your self-worth, do you get caught in the “shame game”? In other words, do you believe that the problems or weaknesses you have are just a reflection of who you really are? And that there’s no changing it? Maybe you believe that’s just how you were born or that it’s hereditary. You may even say things like, “I am hopeless”. Feelings of shame and inferiority captivate your thoughts. Keep playing the “shame game” and you will eventually become passive, lose all creativity and isolate yourself from others. If you have set bad or low standards for yourself in the past, no need to worry.

You can be regenerated. This means to become new. You don’t have to stay that old way. Set new, higher standards for yourself. Also remember, it’s not healthy to base your value on the sum of your problems or weaknesses. Be sure you base your self-worth on the right stuff. Need help with that? Contact us. We’re here for you. Comment here.

Do you find yourselves blaming someone else when you make a mistake? This is called the “blame game.” Did you know that people often do this because they feel unworthy of acceptance or love especially when they fail? If you struggle with this particular habit, you will actually believe that you deserve punishment for failing. The difficulty with this mentality is that even though you believe you deserve it, you fear punishment. So you withdraw from others or blame them in order to avoid facing any failure. This is not healthy. Remember there is someone out there that loves and accepts you regardless of your mistakes. Comment here.

As a man ages, it’s almost like he loses pieces of himself along the way, a little here, a little there. It gets harder to lift, pull, climb and take the jostling from the road. Muscles ache, stiffen and arthritis affects joints. Yet, we’ve got to keep working so we can eat and pay bills.

We can respond in various ways. We can become bitter and try to fight it. We can deny its happening and keep pushing. We can become depressed. However, the healthiest response is to accept and adapt to the changes in life. Determine to remain positive and pleasant. Embrace the grace you need to live with the difficulties. Want some help with that? Give us a call. Comment here.

Some people make the mistake of establishing their self worth based upon their performance. This is called the “performance trap.” The idea is that “you must meet certain standards in order to feel good about yourself.” However, this is not true because you will fall short at times. Some of the problems that go along with this are fear of failure, perfectionism, and manipulation of others to get what you want along with withdrawing from taking healthy risks. Don’t fall into this trap. Don’t get me wrong, you must have standards, but don’t determine your significance upon accomplishing them 100% of the time. Choose realistic and healthy standards. Want some help with that? Comment here.

In the military, SOP stands for “standard operating procedure.” That means there is a procedure for how the military will get things done that has been written up and approved. Instead of creating your own way of getting things done, everyone is expected to follow SOP. In fact, there will be consequences if you don’t follow these standards. I’m sure trucking companies function in a similar fashion. In order to work there, you are expected to abide by the SOP set forth for each and every member of that company (they’re not just for drivers). Maybe you’ve seen the effect of a company not having an SOP? There was probably a great deal of chaos and stress, right? Like the military and trucking companies, setting an SOP or a standard for your life will help you avoid chaos and negative consequences. The trick is to set good standards. These standards will be what you base your significance on. Do you know how to set good standards? Where can you find them? Comment here.

Do you ask yourself, “Is there a place for me?” Look at the people you come in contact with every day of your life. Look at your family members. What would their lives look like if you were not there? There are an awful lot of kids growing up without a dad or mom. There are an awful lot of spouses left alone. You make a difference by just being a part of someone else’s life. Has your involvement helped or hurt those closest to you? Maybe the answer to that question might not be what you want it to be, but there is time to change. You can start making a difference in someone’s life today by knowing and realizing you are important to someone, and have a place waiting for you. Comment here. 

Does what you’re doing really matter? To whom does it matter? Each one of us asks ourselves these questions about our life from time to time. As drivers, it often seems like we’re viewed as just a number. Our company could fill the truck we drive with another driver and life would go on. Almost as if we don’t really matter. Drivers tell me quite often that they wonder why they are out here on the road. They feel like they’re not really accomplishing anything. Truth is you do matter. It takes a team to get the job done. Each of us has different gifts and talents that apply to the team. Each of us plays a particular role in accomplishing the goal. Know your part, and do it well.Comment here.

I recently read a story about two different NASCAR drivers that had been placed on probation and fined twenty-five thousand dollars for aggressive driving. I say that if you are not an aggressive driver, you should not drive a race car to begin with, but let’s focus on the penalties. Do you think the dollar amount that was designated actually hurt them? Are they more interested in finishing first or in the finances? Both of the possibilities seem somewhat misguided to me.  Shouldn’t we focus on helping others more than benefiting ourselves? This would include our own families, or perhaps the neighbor next door who has been laid off and can’t afford to buy groceries, or any number of other possibilities. I believe that if our attention would be on others more than ourselves, we would see significant results. Comment here.

For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.

Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.

Send an e-mail to DWSubscribe@driverswellness.com to subscribe to this blog for free. These messages are brought to you by Drivers Wellness, an initiative of Transport For Christ. If you would like to give a donation to help us reach drivers, click here.

Every driver has their own style. Drivers pick the lane they prefer to travel in, they choose when to gear down or up, and even when to turn their lights on or off. These are all choices a driver makes after considering safety, equipment requirements, and personal preference. Drivers choose their lifestyles as well. Their upbringing, environment, and what they have been taught influence this. What type of lifestyle have you chosen? Choose wisely, as your lifestyle affects not only you, but your family and those with whom you work. If you need help in this area, please give us a call. Comment here.        

For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.

Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.

Send an e-mail to DWSubscribe@driverswellness.com to subscribe to this blog for free. These messages are brought to you by Drivers Wellness, an initiative of Transport For Christ. If you would like to give a donation to help us reach drivers, click here.

Around election time, we regularly hear the slogan “Your vote counts.” Does it really? How can one person stopping at a voting booth make a difference? Well, it does, but I can understand why you would ask such a question. Look at the world around us. Look at the unlimited stars in the sky. Look at the vast number of people in the world today. Look at the number of trucks on the highways (roughly 23 million used for business). After observing these things, it would be easy to ask “Do I really matter?” You do. You matter to someone. If you don’t know who that is, call us today. Comment here.

For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.

Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.

Send an e-mail to join-driverwellness@pr4.netatlantic.com to subscribe to this blog for free. These messages are brought to you by Drivers Wellness, an initiative of Transport For Christ. If you would like to give a donation to help us reach drivers, click here.