The Path Ahead of Us: A Letter From Me to You About Courage

Throughout our lives, there are times when it is abundantly clear we're at a crossroad. We simply look back at the path we've taken and intuitively understand that the path ahead is completely different than the one we're about to leave.

And some of those times, it looks bleak. It only takes a moment to understand that every feeling, every choice, every hurdle we've faced up until now, only existed to prepare us for this moment. The hills ahead are steeper, the roads are slicker, and the stakes are higher. But worst of all, most of it is shadowy and foreign. As we squint into the darkness ahead, the only real truth is that we'll never be the same again. It shakes us to our very core.

It's times like these that test the mettle of who we really are. We learn our true character; our internal worth. It's times like these that make cowards of the strong and heroes of the meek. Some fold like a tent. Others rise and emerge not only victorious, but humbled, and with a newly found respect for the path and the journey. A few never emerge at all.

But at some point in this journey, those that stand triumphant at the end realize that it's not about the conquest at all. They learn that our character is not defined by the height of the hills we climb, or the canyons we traverse. Instead, it's about walking the path with reverence and hope, all the while acknowledging, but not succumbing, to the existence of our fear.

As we now stand at our crossroads, remember this... the already defeated memorize the altitude of their highest peaks. The truly courageous look forward to the view at the top and smelling the flowers along the way.