Sometimes, life can be funny. I still laugh when I think about the day I tried to start someone’s car with the wrong key.

I had been given a bunch of two different keys. I never even thought the second one was a car key; in my mind, a key was just a key. So I confidently walked to the car, slipped the first key into the ignition, and turned it.

Nothing.

I tried again. Still nothing. My heart began to beat faster. Was the car broken? Had I done something wrong? For the first time in my life, I was afraid of driving and the car hadn’t even moved!

Then came the correction. Someone gently took the keys from me, smiled, and showed me the right one. The car came to life immediately.

That simple moment taught me three important lessons:

• Not every key opens every door. In life, what worked yesterday may not work today. Pay attention and use the right “key” for the right situation.
• Assumption is costly. I assumed all keys were the same, and it wasted my time. In life, don’t assume, verify. (Proverbs 14:12 – “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”)
• Correction is a gift. Being corrected saved me from further frustration. Sometimes, correction is the very thing that moves you forward. (Proverbs 12:1 – “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.”)

As I drove the car that day, NBA posters seemed to stare at me from every wall, as if reminding me: Pay attention, follow the rules, and you’ll succeed.

That was the day I learned that being careful and teachable is far better than rushing with confidence that leads nowhere. (Proverbs 19:20 – “Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.”)