Keep on Truckin’

My oldest son, Ryan always loved trucks. As a young boy he spent hours in the sandbox with playing with them and as an adolescent he once remarked, as we were passing road construction, that he just loved watching them work. So it makes sense that last week he graduated from a technical school in Diesel Technology.

For high school he went to a private school because he needed the academic support, smaller classrooms, and  focus on skill-buidling. After graduating from that school, most of his friends went on to attend a fine liberal arts college and so did he, but it just wasn’t who he was. He has always loved building things and working with his hands, so after some soul searching, he decided to take a different path.

This week he landed a job at Penske Trucking Company and is so excited to begin his new career. Ah, one little birdy happily flying the nest! Such relief for us as parents that he has found his calling.

There are a couple of lessons here for me. One is that a great place to look for career direction is what has brought you pleasure in your life history.

And the second lesson is to really follow what’s right for you, despite what everyone else is doing or what will bring more money or what the current trends are in busines. None of this matters. What matters is that you are spending as much time as possible doing what you love, what brings you pleasure, and what brings you satisfaction and fulfillment.

It’s so easy to get caught up in what others think you should do with your time, energy, and life goals. But you are the only one who truly knows what is important and meaningful to you. The answers are there inside you. It may require some time spent in contemplation and reflection, but it’s worth the effort and the investment.