A toolbox of tips for getting through turbulent times.
This motivational work is built upon the metaphor of a traveler driving through a storm. Drawing on his extensive experience as a professional counselor, pastor, educational speaker, and intervention specialist, debut author Coyle uses several travel-based analogies to share advice on managing distress, noting at book’s end that “the greatest reward from our road trip is not what we get out of it but what we become through it.” He begins with the foundational principle that one should be guided by core values, rather than external events and circumstances. He stresses the importance of “giving it all you’ve got,” continuously making “right” choices, and seeking out opportunities to help others. To find greater motivation, he encourages seeking physical, spiritual, and emotional balance in one’s life, as well as embracing hope, faith, and love. The final section, which encompasses half the book, contains short, specific motivational messages, in no particular order, that try to help readers stay “safe and productive on the road” of life. Each theme (such as “If You Want Change, Become It” and “Self-Discipline from the Inside Out”) receives a brief, one-page discussion. Overall, the layout of this book makes it an easy but affecting read. Coyle makes good use of photos, charts, and suggested activities, and his prose style is excited and hopeful, validating readers who may be struggling and providing truly effective tools to help them. His storm-travel metaphor is relatable and memorable, although some sub-analogies stretch it a bit too far, such as a comparison of influential experiences to mile markers. Most others, however, fit the principles in ways that simplify and illuminate them, such as his descriptions of hope, faith, and charity as a windshield scraper, gas pedal, and fuel, respectively. Although Coyle’s principles may not be particularly new, he explains, supports, and organizes them in a catchy, persuasive way.
A self-help book that ably turns abstract principles into concrete, applicable concepts.
