Meet Me At The Crossroad

 At some point, we all come to a crossroad or better yet a fork in the road. Do we go left or right, the long route or the short cut. The known or unknown path. 

Today, while on my trail run, I came to a fork. I've ran this trail before and have always went right at the fork, so I knew the terrain. It was a flat, straight path and seemed to be a short cut to the main trail. I was comfortable with the short cut, it was familiar, it was predictable, it was easy. But today, I was curious about the left route. What is the terrain? What's the distance, is it the same or longer? Is it flat? How difficult would it be?  Is the trail clear of debris? 

I had to ask myself, do I want to take the known or unknown path? A sense of adventure came over me. I thought to myself, "let's go explore!" So I decided to take the unknown path. 

I soon realized that this was a longer path with several hills. It was more challenging, but I liked it! I  was starting to climb and my inner coaching kicked in....

"Pick up your knees"

"Swing your arms"

"Lean into the hill"

"Slow your breathing"

"Dig"

"Dig"

"Keep going"

"Don't stop"

.... My breath is now more labored...

"Slow your breathing...inhale...exhale"

"Focus"

"Watch out for the trees...duck!"

"Look out for the debris....jump!"

"You're almost there, keep climbing".... My heart rate is now pounding.

"Whew, you did it, you made it to the top!" 

I felt euphoric, productive and excited." I was glad that I ventured from the familiar and pushed myself.  I thought, "ooh, let's do that again!

As I always say, I see running as a metaphor for life. As in life, when we come to a fork in the road, which route would you take? The path less traveled? Are you willing to take the path unknown in order to explore, seek new experiences and see what challenges may come? Or will you take the known path, the safe bet?

With the known, you know what to expect, there are no surprises, it's routine. But, there is no growth with the known. The path unknown,  expands our minds, it can be challenging. And with new challenges, we are tried and tested. We can be stretched to our limits when challenged. And as a result, we learn that we're capable of so much more than we thought. We discover new found strength, courage and new possibilities. Without challenges, we miss out on the opportunity to rediscover ourselves, to learn, to build confidence and grow. 

So the next time you come to a fork in the road, or even a crossroad, take the path unknown. Explore and discover your greatest potential.