The Obstacle Course Lesson
by
Carol Beard
What did the confidence course teach me?
Now that’s a question isn’t it? In the Navy, the confidence course isn’t
really there to train us on overcoming physical obstacles. Most people in the Navy do not have a need to
traverse forest or urban battle fields and those who do end up receiving
specialized training after recruit training.
So why is it that we had to complete this obstacle course as a part of
our training?
While I’m positive that the Recruit Division Commanders
(RDC’s) told us something about the course, my fatigued and overwhelmed
18-year-old brain did not retain the information. But, I remember clearly going through the
confidence course. I remember how hard it
was for someone my size, I’m only 5’1” tall, to jump over and flip around and
climb through the obstacles. I also
remember being yelled at by the RDC’s because I was struggling and being
encouraged by my fellow recruits. And I
did make it through the course both times we had to run it.
So what did I learn?
I didn’t learn any particularly important physical skill by going
through that course. What I learned was
much more important, although at 18 I’m not all that sure that the true
significance was. But now the lessons I
learned show up in the sneakiest of ways.
I learned I was capable. I was
capable of getting through the physical challenge that was the obstacle
course. And more importantly, I learned
I was capable of accomplishing just about anything I set my mind to.
I actually bruised my lower ribcage in the process of
getting through the obstacle course. It
hurt. I had people in authority
constantly telling me to quit, to give up, that I couldn’t do it. That hurt to.
But I learned to take that frustration, that pain, and turn it into fuel
for my accomplishments. I learned that I
could persevere and overcome obstacles in life.
Throughout my ten-year Naval career, I often came back to
the obstacle course lessons. I worked
hard and earned my way up to First Class Petty Officer, or E6 paygrade. I spent two years working on my Air Warfare
certification. I used the lessons I
learned way back in recruit training in perseverance to grow as a Sailor and a
leader. And then I took the lessons with
me back to the civilian sector.
Sometimes the situations I was in hurt. They hurt physically, mentally, and
emotionally. But every time, every
single time that I wanted to quit I would think of that obstacle course. The fact that I did finish, even in the face
of difficulties and pain. I’d think “well
I know I can get through this too” and then I’d get the job done. Whether the job was taking care of accommodations
for my daughter’s special needs, or pursuing and earning my college degree didn’t
matter. It was the same skills and the
same knowledge that I could do it.
We all have obstacle courses in life. Some more obvious than other. But if you think about your obstacle course
and you think about the lessons it has taught you, you will find that you can
do. You will learn that you are
capable. There will be pain, there will
be people trying to stop you, but you can do much more because of the experience
of the obstacle course. That’s what I
learned for the obstacle courses in my life.
What have you learned from yours?
