Direction.

About two years ago now, my brother, Dad, and I decided to go on a backpacking trip. We went to the Appalachian mountains in North-Central Pennsylvania, about 4 hours from home. The trail we found was called Old Loggers Path. (You can look it up on google and see how there is nothing around.) This was an old trail that loggers would use to move lumber and equipment around the mountains from one point to another.

To make a long story short - We were confident we knew our way around, until we didn't. We ended up about 6 miles or so off-course (with the knowledge of a couple we met hiking along the way) of where we thought we were and ended up having to b-line it to the valley that we knew led to the truck, and then walk the dry riverbed back. When I tell you we were off the beaten path... we had no idea where the path even was. All we knew was the truck was about a half mile off a bridge that so graciously had CAT Motor Grader parked to the side of it (if you don't know what that is, just think big yellow machine in a construction site), out in those parts of the country for Lord knows what reason, and if we could get to that bridge, we knew how to get back from there.

**Before you think we are totally stupid, we did consider turning around and walking the trail back the way we came, but we quickly learned it wasn't that easy.**

When we made it to the riverbed, we thought we were home free. And we were for about a mile, and then it was dam after dam of washed up logs, trees, rocks, etc. Our 3 mile walk quickly turned into a 4 hour climb and crawl. Needless to say, we made it back safely, but it wasn't fun or easy.

I loved this experience because it was a great reminder that life isn't following a path, but rather following a direction. Sure, you might start out on a path, but eventually you're going to be on your own and realize that you aren't where you want to be. In our case, even the people who hiked this trail every year couldn't help us figure out how lost we were. We could have continued that trail, but the short loop alone was going to be 28 miles and we weren't even 8 miles in. Finishing the loop wasn't an option for us. We were out of food and fire starters, which was more an inconvenience as anyone well-off in nature knows you can find food and make fire, but the reason we definitely weren't going to make it out alive staying on that path is that we were out of coffee. We had a path, but we needed a direction.

A direction gives you an idea of where to go with full understanding that obstacles are going to have to be overcome. A path is only made after someone overcomes the obstacles heading that direction. Paths are great, but sometimes new challenges arise. We weren't expecting to get lost, but we did, and you better believe we made a new path.

Whether work, life, leadership, etc. Whatever it is, you're bound to find yourself off the beaten path. You may just have to choose a direction. Whatever comes may not be easy, but the direction you're headed requires you to figure it out - it's just an obstacle in your way.