Where the Growth takes place

One way I like to relieve stress is to go for a run. And a recent run inspired me…

I ran in a park that I have never been to before. I didn’t know if there was a trail or a track or if the park was conducive to jogging at all. But I was determined to run. So I found a worn out running/bike trail and stayed on it for about a minute or so. This uneven trail ended and I had a decision to make; go find a new path or just keep running back and forth on this path. I went with the former. I ran towards a baseball field and saw a little dirt path. I had no idea where it led but took it anyway.

I ran past what felt like the edge of the park and to my surprise this little dirt path became more substantial. It turned into a gravel pathway that was about 3 feet wide. And then as I ran through a broken gate, this barely used path led me to an unexpected clearing. I was shocked, I just assumed this little path had served its purpose, but I was wrong. I kept running and now I was in explorer mode; I couldn’t wait to see where I would end up! There wasn’t a person in sight. I was all alone. Normally at this point in my run I have to fight off the reoccurring thought of “when can I stop running?” Well, not today!. I didn’t want to stop, I wanted to see what was next.

The clearing turned back into a path that became narrower as I ran. Eventually there was a fallen tree blocking the path. So I turned around, pleased with myself that I hadn’t stopped to walk yet. I ran all the way back to the baseball field and instead of stopping, my brain said, “go back to the road block and see if the path continues.” So I did just that. I ran back to the place where I had stopped before.

I climbed over a few branches and leaned over the trunk of the tree. And sure enough, there was the rest of the path. I couldn’t see it the first time I was there, in fact, I didn’t even think to look.

But that is often what happens, isn’t it? After some time, thought and reflection, we tend to see a way through.

We will all be faced with a version of this run at some point this year. There is going to be something that you haven’t tried before. You are going to go down a path without any idea where it leads, and you might be alone (or at least feel alone) on your journey. You are going to come to road blocks. Make sure you reflect and go back to the place you got stuck. That is where growth takes place!