Journey on the Road Less Traveled by

The dimly lit path was long and arduous, and not without its numerous obstacles and tempting side paths. But she had made it this far. She could go further. It was only mind over matter, right? “Right”, she declared with only a slight wavering note in her voice.

Besides, secondhand knowledge had already told her that these tempting side paths that shone like the North Star on a pitch-black night could be the most debilitating. In fact, they could be downright treacherous. She had heard tales of side paths eventually leading off into overgrown jungles where terrifying trees grabbed at your hair and made biting remarks about your slow progress before enveloping you completely within wooden and unyielding cores. Other paths led to sinking sand pits that held you captive until either someone else came along to rescue you or you found the strength to pull yourself out. And yet other paths were so barren and picked over by previous wanderers that the current travelers had to turn back to take another path or risk certain death by starvation.

And so she had continued until the path led to a clearing with only a steep ledge laying beyond it. That was it. Nothing else.  She had looked around with confusion creasing her youthful face. Had this whole journey been for naught? Was there nothing more beyond this point except a significant drop and painful death? Did nothing more exist beyond what was on the known paths?

Disappointment had rendered her completely motionless as her thoughts swirled around chaotically like hummingbirds caught in a windstorm.

It was then, in the stillness, that she suddenly realized her journey down this path wasn’t over. This was her final obstacle. This was her Everest moment.

Taking deep breaths she forced herself to stand inches from the edge. She didn’t want to look down because she knew the dizzying sensation and possibly deadly effect that that would have on her nerves. Instead she stared straight ahead, quieted the voices of self-doubt that had plagued her since birth, and jumped off of the precipice and into the great abyss.

She knew immediately that she had chosen correctly. She knew because instead of falling, she flew. Gravity would no longer be her master.