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One summer when I was in college I drove UPS trucks.
The thing is, I’m short. I’m 5’1” on a really good day. Driving those big trucks was more than intimidating, but I knew I had to do it. One, it was one of the better-paying temporary jobs I could find, and two, I knew I needed the physical challenge.
I was coming off almost a year of being quite ill, with evolving symptoms that baffled all the doctors. After a couple months of what was almost bed rest, I was feeling a lot better. I knew working for UPS would be a challenge, but I was sick of not doing anything and wanted the challenge.
And it was a challenge. The hours were long and the work tiring. I’d get home, eat dinner, and go to bed, only waking to get up to go to work in the morning. After months of insomnia it was a relief to be sleeping again.
Not only was I sleeping better, I also lost weight (which I needed to do), gained muscles, and felt better than I had since before I got sick (ten years after getting sick, we finally figured out it was celiac disease wreaking havoc on my body). I also got comfortable driving those big trucks.
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A few years later, we were moving from Monterey, CA to a small town near Denver, Colorado in the middle of November. I found myself driving our 26’ U-Haul truck on I-80 near Lake Tahoe in the middle of the night in crummy driving conditions.
I was driving because I was more experienced than Jeremy and I can be a control freak and wanted to be the one driving. It took all the skills I’d learned plus some to navigate the deeply rutted interstate. I certainly couldn’t have done it without my UPS experience.
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Skip forward a few more years and we were towing an 18’ travel trailer behind our pickup truck. There were a couple UPS trucks that towed trailers, but I never drove any of them. Jeremy did most of the driving on our road trips, but any time we needed maintenance or an inspection done I drove it to the dealership, an hour and a half away. Driving big UPS and U-Haul trucks made it easier to drive the truck and trailer on our narrow roads.
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Each of these situations were challenging, but I learned from them and was able to build on each one.
Not to say that I enjoyed all these experiences, because I didn’t.
Driving the big UPS trucks was scary at first- the biggest vehicle I’d driven to that point was a small minivan (one of the original Dodge Caravans). I was white-knuckling it the whole way up the mountain in the U-Haul truck. Our narrow roads with minimal-to-no shoulders always made me nervous when towing the trailer.
I firmly believe that if we don’t face our fears or uncertainties that we will never grow and discover new strengths. Over the years I’ve repeatedly put myself in situations where I had to step up to the challenge and push past my fears, and I’m a better person for it.
When we share our experiences overcoming challenges with our kids we show them that we can do hard things.
We can also help our children take on challenging experiences, learn new skills, and build their confidence. Whether it’s hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, or any other pursuit, we can show by example that challenging ourselves is a lifelong pursuit.
How have you challenged yourself?
