Challenge Yourself

This was the second Father’s Day without my dad. While we weren’t always close, I always admired and appreciated his knowledge and skillset. I knew I could ask him pretty much anything as far as what was wrong, what to do to fix something, or other similar advice. With my clients encountering grief in their lives, I encourage doing things to honor our loved one’s memories. Now, grief is not just about a physical loss. It can be any significant loss, real or perceived.

Recently, I spent about two days building a ramp for our shed. I overthought. I overplanned. I stayed stuck. I kept my cool, though. That’s a good tip, by the way. Stay calm. Enjoy the moments. Enjoy the lessons. I kept smiling, thinking how Dad would have finished that sucker in about an hour.

Fast forward to a little bit ago. Now, keep this in mind: I enjoy comfort as much as anyone. Challenging myself is not always my first choice. Recently, I took some strides to do some things I don’t typically do. I wanted to share with you some things I encountered and learned. Hopefully, it will help you as you experience challenges.

I still kept my cool. I knew things, whether smooth or not, would be invaluable for me as far as learning and growing. I even found myself humming. I worked in our shed that is chock full of things, including my motorcycle. I’m not the handiest of people, you see. My dad was. So, my plan was to change the oil in my bike. It’s not difficult. There are many wonderful videos out there that help people like me do such things. I picked one particular video that was simply perfect. Clear and exact. I had to remove the sump guard, which is no big deal–4 bolts. I really focused on taking my time.

I broke the tasks down into smaller chunks. This was not intentional, but it’s how it worked out. I think part of that is from focusing on taking my time. I cleaned as I progressed. I filled the bike with oil, let it warm up, and checked the level. I adjusted. I did not want to add too much. Honestly, that’s partially how I got to the process of changing the oil. Plus, it was just time for it. I focused on doing things right.

I began reinstalling the sump guard. Again, this is just four bolts.

I really struggled.

When I put it on previously, my youngest son helped with hands and support. This time, it was just me. That said, seeking help is a good option. I didn’t do this, of course.

I persisted.

And struggled.

I ended up stripping the last bolt and breaking it off into the threads.

This caused a delay. I had to figure out a way to remove the stripped, stuck bolt. I really did not know how. Thankfully, the internet is full of options. I placed an order for a tap and die set. In the wait, I became sick. Just a lot of congestion and occasional coughing. The order finally arrived, and in it, I had acquired some helpful, correct tools.

Things started out splendidly and super easily. I repaired a thread without issue. I thought I would be done in five minutes.

Then, I broke off the tap in a thread. Again.

I figured out another way to get the broken tap out. I worked on finishing the job with the broken tool. I kept at it, humming.

I installed the sump guard.

Is it perfect?

No!

But, it’s on.

And I learned a lot.

#challenge #calm #curiosity #cool #correct #tools #joy #hum #learn