We all have our favorite trails. And one of favorites in the Colorado Springs area is the iconic Manitou Incline; climbing 2,000 feet (6,600 to 8,600) in .9 miles. So when it closed for four months last year, everyone (myself included) were in withdraw as we had no idea where to find another trail that would give us the same type of heart pounding intense workout. And let’s face it we all hate change; we are comfortable doing the regular trails we hike month over month. Yet we know change often opens up new trail opportunities and areas for growth. Many of them “right under our noses.” It took a while, but two months after the incline closed we “discovered” the trail on the east side of Mount Herman, which is a 9,100 elevation foothill mountain that I see every time I leave my house. But I never noticed the trail because I was comfortable with my Manitou Incline. While the Incline did help prepare me for the Mount Herman trail, it still required me to still learn new climbing skills and techniques as the route is steeper than the Incline in many sections. It has become my new favorite trail and oh the views…
In our work/personal life, most of us have faced trails being “closed” which can consist of a job loss, death of a parent, accident, or other major life changing event. These force us into a change we didn’t expect and don’t want to accept; because we don’t like change! Yet – like in hiking – change can be rewarding when we accept the reality of what it can offer us. In my work life; the biggest change was the layoff from Alcatel-Lucent (Nokia), accepting a position at Cognizant, and moving to Monument, CO. This changed opened up the opportunity for me to develop a Mentoring Program in Cognizant, become an avid hiker, and start these “Trail Tips”. All new skills I would not have learned if the Alcatel-Lucent trail had not closed on me. On the personal side, having my mom pass away, put me in the position of being the “elder” of the family tree with my remaining brother and sister. This caused me to take our relationships more serious and be intentional about staying in touch and seeing each other. We are now closer than we have ever been before.
The closing of a trail can: cause us to seek out new opportunities that we would have never considered, give us the chance to learn new skills, and challenge us to look at the direction of our life from a different perspective. What trails have closed in your life recently? Are you still in denial about their closure; hoping they will reopen or have you embraced the change with all the possibilities that are now open to you?
Al Andersen 