Forging Your Path

Earlier this week, thanks to the generosity of friends, I spent some time in Breckenridge, CO. 
I have been there several times during summer and early fall, but this was my first time to visit in early spring.

On previous trips, I discovered some favorite trails within easy walking distance of my friends’ condo. I have enjoyed hiking these trails many times in warm weather when the winter snow had all melted away. This visit was the first time I attempted to hike those same trails while they were still snow-covered.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, so I put on my tennis shoes, walked across the road to the trailhead to assess the situation. I soon discovered that I would need my boots before attempting the trail. Even though the open areas were fairly clear, the wooded areas were not.

Even after donning my boots and returning to the trailhead, I still wasn’t sure whether I should attempt the hike, but I was determined to enjoy connecting with nature and reveling in the quiet solitude of the forest.

As I timidly began walking toward the trial, I realized that I was not even sure where the trail was. In the snow, the trail looked the same as the rest of the forest floor. I did my best to observe the footprints of others and follow their trail, but it was not always that simple.

There were times when I took a step and sank deep into the snow. Other times, I stepped on solid ice, lost my balance and grabbed hold of a tree to steady myself. Still other times, I found a clear spot, stopped there, and searched for signs of where to go next. The trails that had been so familiar in the past were now not so obvious.

My snow-covered trail adventure reminded me of how often I look to others to define my path in life. I observe what others are doing, where they are going, or what they are creating, and I attempt to follow them and do what they are doing rather than forging my own path and doing what is in alignment with my soul.

I am challenging myself not to do that. Yes, we can learn from others, and we can look to them for guidance, but it is important for us to be open to the direction of our own soul and follow where it leads.

Forging our own path can be scary. We may be timid to even begin. We may lose our balance from time to time and need to reach for something or someone to support us. We may step in “it.” We may step deep in “it” at times. We may need to stop along the away and reassess where we are going before taking the next step.

It is good to remember that all of that is part of the adventure of life. If we do not forge ahead, blazing our own trail, we will miss out on so much of what this life has to offer us, and the world will miss out on so much of what we have to offer.

Through it all, we can trust that we are never alone. We are always guided by Spirit and the unseen forces of the Universe. I encourage you to forge your own path, listen to that still small voice, and as my friend Debra always says, “Keep on keeping on. No matter what.”