I will return to the series First & Always, Follow Well in my next blog post.

“Often, when we are struggling with a decision, it is because we are looking at an option we want and an option we know is right. In this circumstance, the only path forward is to deny yourself, choose what is right, and be at peace.” – Randy Blincow, 12/11/23, via social media

I love new cars. I love new cars, just to be clear, a little too much. Few things in my life have the potential to become an idol for me, but buying a new car is on that short list.

I am financially disciplined. The financially disciplined part of me has a rule that, although I love new cars, I need to drive them 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. My current vehicle is almost 4 years old with 55K miles. It is orange, has bells & whistles, and I love it. But in October of this year, the HVAC system stopped working and I was informed that a part was on backorder without an ETA for delivery. The system in the meantime has two modes: full blasting heat, or “off” & still eventually making the car unbearably hot. With a trip to Nashville & Dallas scheduled for the week after Thanksgiving, I began to wrestle with the decision of whether I should trade for a new car or crack the windows and go on the road. I made the decision to keep my car. This was the right decision, rather than what I wanted, and I was at peace.

Then I spent 6-days living the life of a turkey in an oven. My car got very, very warm. Upon returning home December 4^th, I began to wrestle anew about getting a new car.

The timeline is important here, because beginning December 8^th, I was inspired to write several social media posts about the process of making decisions. In my mind, I was making no connection between my writing and the fact that I was currently wrestling with a decision. Yes, I can compartmentalize when it serves my interests! The December 11^th post – quoted above – was one of the inspirations I wrote as a life coach for those of you who needed to hear it. You’re welcome.

On December 14^th, I headed into my dealership to trade for a new car. Now this is the internet age. Car buying is no longer a mystery. I know the price they’re charging, and I know what my car is worth. The last several times I’ve bought (at this same dealership, mind you), I know very close to where we’re going to make a deal before I go. Not so on December 14, 2023! Beyond human logic, I could not get them to offer me fair value on my trade-in. They told me what they would be able to sell it for, which was $4 – 5,000 lower than what the same vehicle was being listed for on the internet at other dealerships. It did not make sense. But, of course, it’s not going to make sense, because it was a life lesson for a life coach. It was not until my ride home that I realized I was living on the wrong side of a coaching point I had made just 3 days earlier!

The final exclamation point on this story is that I left the showroom, shaking my head, and walked over to the parts department to find out if they had an update on the availability of the part I needed. “Yes, Mr. Blincow, they say the part will be here December 30^th.” Yeah, I should have known.

God is speaking. Listen! Yes, I mean you, Randy. And you, too.