Driving time can be a great source of stress if you let it be, but if you are intentional, and creatively think of new ways to use time, you’d be surprised what a difference you can make in your own life.

If you can handle multi-tasking, here are some ways to make use of your car time constructively. 1. Listen to inspirational and motivational tapes.

This is a great way to reduce stress of driving and work on your attitude and self-talk. You could arrive at your destination quite inspired or motivated! Yesterday UI had a 5-hour drive home from a cruise. I used time to listen to tapes I needed to hear in order to prepare for a teleclass I was presenting this coming week. Worked great.

2. Listen to your favorite tape.

This is a time when you can reward yourself and do something you enjoy. Keep your favorite tapes in car and think of it as "my time to enjoy". Better yet, record your own tape of special favorites.

3. Meetings.

When my oldest son was in college, our conversations were often like this: How are you? Fine. What's going on? Nothin' much. I always made it a point to drive him back to Waco (from San Antonio). About 30 minutes down road, he would open up and start talking. Car time is good for family, friends and also colleagues. It isn't face-to-face, it's a good time to ease into sensitive subjects, it creates an opportunity, and car often has a soothing effect on people. You'll get to know another side of someone you work with.

4. Phone calls.

With right equipment, a phone call in car is no more distracting than a conversation. I used to have to drive all over town giving presentations and was in car a lot. I would call my secretary and go over day, delegate, check in and dictate letters . She would read me emails. You can return quick calls from office, and save longer ones for car. I have a friend who's a busy lawyer who uses car time for social chatting. You only have so many hours during day!

5. Dictate.

Hmm…I wonder where this is going? Well, when they arrived at plumbers home he asked his customer in to meet his family. As they walked toward front door, plumber paused briefly and stared at a small tree without saying a word. He reached out very tenderly touching tips of branches with both hands, took a deep breath and then two of them walked inside.

Age Before Beauty!

After opening front door, plumber went through an amazing transformation. His tanned face lit up and he was ear to ear smiles. His customer, very curious, watched as plumber scooped up his two small children with those big burly hands and then kissed his wife.

Afterward, plumber walked his customer to car. As they passed same tree customer's curiosity got better of him. He asked him about tree and what he had seen him do earlier.

Greater Love Hath No Man!

Oh, said plumber, that's my trouble tree. He went on to say, "I know I can't help having troubles on job, but one thing's for sure, those troubles don't belong in house with my wife and children".

So, I just hang them up on tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them. Then in morning, when I leave for work, I pick them up again.

He said, "funny thing is, and smiled, when I come out in morning to pick them up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up night before".

As I read this story I thought of all methods and techniques that I have used over years to renew my mind. And, clean out subconscious of undesirable thoughts that everyday troubles attempt to gain a stronghold over.

And, once again I realize that it's simple things in life that can have most profound affects. We have been programmed to believe that bigger, more complicated, more expensive, more difficult things and solutions are, more valuable they must be in every way.

I mean everybody believes that more is better, right? Obviously, not in everything, because I've never seen anything that is right for everybody.

It Just Goes To Show You!

Well, I gave plumber's technique a test and, here is what I learned. It's not technique, but attitude. I mean my Lord, you could go outside and rub every branch off of every tree in sight, till crack of dawn, and not get remove one trouble. So, that's not answer.

When I started to pick mine up next morning, I stopped and said, whoa!! Dummy. Leave em there. And, I tell you something, sure it was symbolically, but it made my step a little lighter and my countenance a little brighter.