Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Before diving into this week’s Success Builder, I want to thank all of you who sent me e-mails and cards of sympathy over the past couple of weeks. Each and every message I received brought me comfort and connection. They made me feel a little less alone in this world. I appreciate your kindness and your caring.

I came across the above quote by Emerson this month. It seemed especially apropos for me.
The month of April has been, well, I’m not sure of the word! There has been grief and sadness. There has been healing. There has been a tremendous amount of peace. There has also been joy and happiness. When I was in Missouri, driving around on the red dirt roads of my youth, I couldn’t help but feel connected to all the lessons I learned there. I know that those lessons built and shaped my character and that I carry those lessons with me still today. In some ways, I am still very much just the Little Blackberry Girl. At the same time, I am very far away from those red dirt roads. I remember as a child, walking down our solitary road wondering where it could lead to and what might be out there in the world. I am now living a life that I couldn’t even conceive of back then. It’s exciting and, at the same time, it leaves me feeling untethered, which can be a bit scary. I’m on a path that no one else in my family (or any of my friends from my childhood) has seen or traveled. It can be lonely. My constant companion on this path (other than Rick, of course) is my conviction that I am going in the right direction for me. In the end, I suppose that that is all any of us can really do: travel our own path, travel it true to our own values, and to travel it in such a way that others are inspired and encouraged to travel their own path.

As my next step on my path, I am preparing to launch my Blog on leadership. I am very excited about this as I think it provides a point of connection and community. Leadership isn’t an action or even just a series of actions. Leadership is a journey of discovery. Leadership is a process of knowing yourself and the world around you so that you can make wise decisions that move you and your team (whatever that team might be) forward in a positive direction. I hope that my blog is a place where we can connect and encourage each other in this journey.

What trail are you leaving?

P.S. The Leader's Journal Blog is now my home page at http://www.bobbikahler.com, and Success Builders Weekly will continue.

To Your Success,

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