Hiking and Its Metaphor For Life

During a much needed break from the stress of life and constant busyness, I escaped to the woods for a hike today. I was drawn to the quietness and shelter of the forest, calmed by the babbling creek that meandered along my path and granted plenty of time to reflect.After walking adventurously in an unknown area, I began to relate my hiking to the path of life. Many of us start strong, full of energy, willing to try new ways and open to whatever may come. But as time goes on, we want the known path, the comfortable path. We want to know what is ahead. Sometimes not knowning what is ahead or which way to go, we become frozen in fear and maybe panic. Part of hiking is just taking the next step to continue forward to get to your destination even if it's hidden from view behind some trees and foliage. Often our path in life, like a hiking trail is muddy, rocky, sandy or even untouched. We have to watch our footing and take our time. Despite the terrain, we must continue on because you never know what may appear in the clearing. Likewise, the pathways in life have twists and turns and may be overgrown but must be forged by us. We must trust that with each step we take, our journey becomes more self-evident.Will we fall? Will we get lost or go the wrong way? Will we walk in circles? Panic in fear?Absolutely! I know I did on the hike and after almost an hour I couldn't find the pathway to the parking lot. I walked in a circle, took some wrong turns and panicked slightly until I stopped and intently listened and looked for anything familiar. I listened for voices and noticed a building which guided me in the right direction. I was also reminded of the poem by Robert Frost, "The Road Not Taken" and smiled realizing this is how we should approach our life's path."Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference."