Are You on the "Right" Path?

Are you on the right path?

How do you know which path is "right"?  And who is leading the way?  Many of us obsess over these questions, constantly stressing over the path to success and/or happiness.  But at the end of the day, there is no one "right" path.  And YOU are the one leading the way, whether you realize it or not.  A recent personal example really brought this home for me, so I'm sharing it with all of you below:

A Tale of Two Hikers

On a recent 7-mile hike through Stokes State Forest, there were many of those "fork in the road" moments. 

My oldest son is goal-oriented and focused.  He was tracking our mileage, confidently declaring each mile and our average pace, checking and double-checking that we were going the right way, usually ahead of us all, ensuring he had solid footing and was making progress.

My youngest son is creative and a dreamer.  He picked up a stick, named it the Bop-a-nator 6,000, and lightly bopped every single wild mushroom we saw on the trail (many, many mushrooms), all the while having fun, precariously jumping from rock to rock, sharing facts about snakes, frogs and other reptiles, and seeing each turn as a new magical opportunity.

Literally, they could not be more opposite.

And while I think most of us, if lost in the woods, would prefer to have the older son leading us, the reality is we need both of these types to influence our path and make it more fulfilling.

In corporate settings, I think the oldest son's traits are typically seen as leadership traits.  He knew where we were going and helped us all get there, but he couldn't see any possibility beyond the trail we chose.

And like most of us, he truly believed there was only one right trail, one right way to go.  But when we got turned around for a few minutes, it was the younger son who was having the most fun, not worried, and saw another path we could take that would still lead us back to our car.

If you judged winning based on getting to the "finish line", we all won.  If you measured winning based on enjoying the present moment and having the most fun, the youngest son definitely won.

When you think about your path in life - there is no one "right" path.  There are just paths.  And choices.  And each decision shifts your path.  None of them are wrong. 

Some may take you the long, scenic route.  Others may be more difficult, have more rocks, or steeper terrain.  And still others may take you through some of the most beautiful views you've ever seen.

What matters is that you can feel comfortable being YOU.  Your true, authentic self.  Because we need all of you - the leaders, the dreamers, the right brained, the left brained, the determined, and the happy.

We are ALL leaders of our own lives.  Sure, it is ok to look up to someone else.  But we all lose when we try to be someone else.

If I forced my older son to slow down or notice the rocks, he would've been annoyed.  If I forced my younger son to lead us using the trail map, we all might still be stuck in the park.  (We'd all be stressed, he would probably be happy to observe the night animals!)

But together we had an amazing time.  Each son got to be who they are while we all enjoyed each other's company.  

I know your life isn't as simple as a 7-mile hike.  I know that there aren't simple, carved paths for each of us.  But there is room for our imaginations, ways to make the path we are on more fun, and the ability to travel tough terrain successfully.

There is room in this world for all of our versions of success.  There is room in this world for all of us to be happy.  

Stop worrying about whether or not you are on the "right" path.  Start making YOUR path work for YOU.  If that means focusing and tracking and striving, then do it.  If that means imagining and dreaming and taking risky jumps, then do it.  

Lean into your strengths.  Be open to new possibilities and learning from others.  But don't change who you are.  Your innate talents exist for a reason, and it is your responsibility to share them with the world.

This is particularly true in team settings.  We tend to view our own skills as the most important.  The reality is, we need many different skills, personalities, and viewpoints to successfully achieve goals.  

We need imagination to find new paths.  We need direction and focus to follow-through.  And we need each other more than ever.

You deserve to enjoy this life you are working so hard for!  Be your own leader and carve your own authentic path.  Be in the present moment and remember, it is all about the journey.  Because we never truly arrive at the destination.  There are just rest stops along the way in this beautiful, winding path we call life.

Cheers to your authentic path,
Sharon

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