If you’re hiking or running on a remote trail, it’s likely you’ll come across some rocks stacked on top of each other.  These formations are called cairns.  The word comes from the Gaelic for “heap of stones” and in their simplest form, cairns mark the route of an ungroomed trail.  These rocks can be a life-saver, especially if you’re unfamiliar with a trail.

From experience, it’s easy to veer off-course on the steep back half of Black Mountain’s, 404 north loop.  Until recently, it’s not exactly the most well-groomed trail this time of year and has the tendency of disappearing as quickly as it can reappear.  Cairns are a big help, but they don’t always to come to the rescue when you need them most, leaving you a little nervous and confused.

These moments take you out of your comfort zone, but also to a place where we learn most about ourselves and our journey.

Even when you have a clear objective (in this case, getting to the peak), there aren’t always going to be cairns that mark your way.  The same holds true in business – the path to success isn’t always clear, even if we know exactly where we want go.  When we deviate from the beaten path, it’s sometimes necessary to re-track our steps and get back to a clearer trail, but there are also times when the only way we can progress is to forge a new path forward, even if it’s uncertain, uncomfortable, and hard.