As we travel through life, we are moving without the benefit of signs, maps or a guide. Like wonderers lost in a giant wood, we know where the paths are, the directions they head and, perhaps, where we want to go, but we know nothing about where the paths may lead or how long they will carry us.
Basically, we're lost travelers, constantly at the mercy of the various perils of the world around us, wondering from path to path, decision to decision, never knowing if we're going to get where we think we're headed.
We make the decisions the best we can, judging all of the variables we can see, but never really knowing what lies beyond the next bend. It's a frightening prospect and one that has broken many souls. We live in fear and uncertainty and that is our permanent state.
Yet, we press on. The air often grows cold and the nights are long, but we press on. Not because we want to or because it's easy, but because we have to. There is no going back, there is no alternative.
But if we press through these tough times, if we keep ourselves warm on the long cold nights and survive the hardships that nip at us every step of the way, we are rewarded. No path can stay uphill forever and no trail can remain rugged for all of time.
History is paved on the backs of the souls who quit, those that couldn't push on or find the new path. However, it's written about those who do, the ones that break through and find something worthwhile at the end.
So, if a path is a dead end or taking you a wrong direction, don't hesitate to take another one. Even though you don't know where it leads, it can hardly lead you more astray. But most of all, keep yourself warm when the nights get cold and don't let the perils of the forest get to you. Though they might alter your course, if you can keep pushing past the difficulties, greater things await.
For life is a game for those that don't give up. Those who go just a little bit further see things until their end and push on through hardships. Victory in life isn't determined by money, wealth or fame, but by having enjoyed and cherished the human experiences.
Sadly, it's hard to cherish life while you're watching it pass you by. That is why we must keep moving and constantly progressing. Even if we're not the first, we can still be the happiest.
For the struggles we face along these paths make the triumph of beating them that much greater and they offer wisdom which can help us with the trails we choose to follow in the future.
Wisdom, which can bring even greater rewards.