A Tractor Changed My Life (Truby Tip about the Power of Choice)

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Last Updated on June 10, 2024 by Bill Truby

Discover how a childhood encounter with a tractor taught Bill Truby the power of choice. This inspiring story reveals how pivotal moments shape us and how we can harness our own power to transform our lives.

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Direct Video Transcript:

I was six years old when a tractor changed my life. I remember it as if it was yesterday.

It was a weekend. I was in bed sleeping, and Dad woke me up. My Mom and two brothers were still sleeping, and he jarred me awake. And then he says, come on Billy, I want you to come help me. So he took me out into the field after giving me some breakfast, and he put me on a tractor. It wasn’t as nice as this one. It was a John Deere green tractor with a metal seat.

Now, what Dad had to do, was to put bales of hay on a trailer, and he couldn’t drive the tractor and do that at the same time. He figured I could hold it steady. So he put the throttle in a low speed, put me on the seat, and put my hands on the steering wheel. And he said, hold it steady, Billy. And then he jumped off and the tractor was moving slowly. And I felt so important. I felt so proud of myself. Dad needed me. I was a man. I was driving the tractor and Dad put bales of hay on the trailer until it got to the end of the field then he jumped on the trailer. He turned it around and give it to me again and had me hold it straight.

So he did that until he got the bales of hay onto the trailer up and down the field. And it was so, so special. I can still smell the hay. I can feel the warmth of the day. I can hear the tractor. And as I was going along, I literally felt like I was a man.

That changed my life.

To this day. I love to drive. All my life, I believed I can drive anything. I’ve driven semi-trucks, double-decker Greyhound buses, school buses. I’ve driven everything. And I have never been intimidated by any vehicle. Because back then, that day, gave me the message, I could drive and I could drive anything. Dad believed in me.

That was an event that programmed the desire and the ability to drive, in me for my entire life. And as I look back on my life, I realized that there were many things that were programmed in me.

I almost drowned in the San Francisco Bay. I do not like swimming out in open water. How come? That event changed my life. And there are so many things that have come along and programmed me to like certain kinds of food, to like certain kinds of music, to not like certain kinds of things in life.

How come? Not because I chose it, but because I experienced a moment.

And I’ll bet you, you have too. If you start looking at your life, you’re going to see events, things that happened, that caused you to like or dislike certain things.

There’s probably things that come up in your life where you constantly respond to, react to, a certain situation in a good way or a negative way. Not because you chose to. You didn’t wake up one morning and say, you know what? Every time I experience that, I’m gonna get mad.

No, it happened because of an event back then, long ago, where you believed you needed to protect yourself, and you still do today. So we have a lot of meaningful programs that happened back in the day, but they’re meaningless now because the same kind of situation doesn’t exist.

What do we do about that?

Well, first of all, I believe that we should live life based on choice. We live life on purpose and claim our power of choice. And believe that you can choose anything that you want in terms of how you react to life, your direction in life, your friends, whatever it is you want, you can choose. You do not have to get stuck in yester year or even yesterday.

Use your power of choice.

Back then, you didn’t have a choice. Now you do.

Your power of choice is stronger than this tractor, and it lies inside of you, ready to work for you. You can resurrect it and use it.

Power of choice lies dormant in so many people. Use that power to change how you react, how you live, and the direction you’re going.

Don’t get stuck in yesterday. Use the power to move you where you want to be, and do what you want to do.

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