Time for a Tune Up
A few months ago, I was in my car when suddenly I noticed the dreaded check engine light came on. Immediately I started to think of all the things that this could be, hoping it would be an easy fix. A few days later I was able to stop in at an auto parts store and do a diagnostic test to see if I could get an idea of what was going on. The result showed I had a bad purge valve. When the purge valve fails, it sticks open and will create a vacuum leak that can affect the engine idle speed and quality. In short, a faulty purge valve will cause poor fuel economy and engine power loss.
Gratefully I have a friend that was willing to help me make this repair. I called the auto parts store and asked if they had the part I needed. They said they did, but it was the last one. They were willing to put it on hold for me so I could go pick it up the next day. My wise and experienced friend had suggested he come and take off the bad purge valve and take it in with him to ensure we got the right part. As it turns out, the bad purge valve was not the same part the auto parts store had in stock. Again, grateful to the wise friend who had experienced this and knew that taking the old part with him to compare and get the right part would save on time and make his efforts more effective. He then went to a few other places and was able to locate the correct part and replace it quite easily. In the process I noted that it was time for an oil change and to check the other fluids in my car. As I took care of these things, I did get the results I was seeking.
This brought me to think about how many times we have things we are trying to repair or work on in our personal lives, in our family or friend circles, in our education, or in our work, and it just isn’t syncing up? My check engine light wouldn’t be fixed by getting a car wash or adding air to the tires. How many times do we try to repair or come up with a solution to something and we don’t get the results we were anticipating?
Just like using the wrong part to fix my car wouldn’t give me the results I was seeking, neither would doing the same thing repeatedly in my life, even if I hoped for a different result. So, if you find yourself in this situation, perhaps it’s time for a tune up.
With a tune up, an important place to start is to understand what motivates us, what we value, and how we can connect with those things in our varying situations. I believe as we connect with our strengths and values, we can create a better path to repairing what may be off or broken, and we will better stay on the road to success in our lives, relationships, education, and work.
Does the tune up we need involve taking a class to improve our bodies or mind? Is it getting professional help medically, financially, etc.? It may be as simple as believing in yourself or another person to help “fill the fuel tank”.
Most of the time when we are willing to step outside of ourselves and seek help, or offer help, this is when our answers come about what our tune up needs to include. I was reminded recently in an article I read that, if we focus on the task and use time to our advantage, instead of trying to outrun time, the quality of our efforts will increase and so will the satisfaction. As we make the proper tune ups in our own lives, we will have better focused energy that will bless us and those around us.
As our strengths and values get in sync, our lives do too. In Believe, we value those who are seeking to use their strengths and values to build good in the world. We would love to have you join us in making the world a better place!