Where did the path go?

Fall is a time for change. The weather cools, the days shorten, and the trees lose their leaves.

It is in this season that the trail paths in the woods can be hard to see. The leaves cover the dirt and it all blends together.

One moment you are walking on a clear path, the next you have no idea where the path is.

Our lives are a lot like this. We think we know where we are going. We are following the path. We are feeling good.

All of a sudden, the clear path is not so easy to see.

I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.
— Rosalia de Castro

What causes the path to become unclear in our lives? Many things.

Bad business decisions
Broken relationships
Death of a loved one
Negative feedback
Monotony

The difficulties you meet will resolve themselves as you advance. Proceed, and light will dawn, and shine with increasing clearness on your path.
— Jim Rohn

With the path unclear, many will want to give up.

When walking trails that are covered and unclear, you must not give up. In the woods, you pause and look around.

If you look hard enough, you can find traces of the trail. The edges of the trail will become visible, the leaves may break and show the middle of the trail.

However it happens, the trail becomes clear again.

The same steps can be taken in your life to see the trail again.

Refocus your vision
Take a step back. Look at your situation from a different viewpoint. Is there anything you can see from a different vantage point? Most of the time your path will open again.
Keep moving
After you refocus, keep moving. If you stop, you will not advance. Even though the trail may be covered, moving forward gives you motion and a chance to find a break in the cover.
Go back the way you came
If you can not find a clear path, it may be time to turn around. With no path, you may find yourself wandering aimlessly. In leadership, you will flounder with no path. Your followers will start to doubt your leadership. Heading back to the beginning is not a sign of defeat. You may realize you were not on the right path to begin with.
Clear a path
Clearing the path may be a solution. Take time to clear out the junk covering the path. In nature, you can push the leaves and branches to the side of the path. In leadership, get rid of the clutter and junk that is making the path hard to see. After you have cleared the path, you can see it clearly.

You will begin to feel at peace once the trail is visible. If your path is clear, good job! If not, I encourage you to take a moment and find out what can be done.

It may be time to refocus and orientate where you are. When you do, your path will become clear and you will have a strong sense of where to go.

Question: Have you faced a time when you did not know what your path looked like? How did you overcome this? Please share your answers in the comment section below.