Awaken Your Brilliance: Navigating the Path

Note: This introductory video brings the brown highlighted text in this post to life with supporting visuals. 

We had been in the rainforest for some time, walking a narrow path that twisted and turned its way through the lush plants and trees. Then it happened.  I stepped slightly off the path with my left foot to photograph an orange flower, and it immediately sank ankle-deep into thick mud.   

The reason we were visiting the rainforest first mentioned in Awaken Your Brilliance: It’s Time was to see sloths.  The reality of what else lived in the rainforest became fully apparent once we started navigating the path.  

First eyelash viper with a mosquito

The adventure begins with a quick loop on a narrow gravel path around a small but dense section of the rainforest.  This is where we saw a red-eyed tree frog, as well as a venomous eyelash viper, a nest of spiders, large mosquitoes, and other things I didn’t want to be near.   

When we circled out of that section and our leader said something like, “All done,” I was good with it—not caring that we hadn’t seen a single sloth.  But our leader was joking and began walking to a trail leading deeper into the rainforest.  I had a decision to make...stay in the comfort of the parking lot and a covered seating area or continue. I knew I’d miss what we came to see, but I’d be safe from the things I feared.   

Although staying in our comfort zones spares us from potential risks, it also robs us of the experiences that will enrich our lives.  The question is: is the risk worth the reward?  

I chose to continue.  

Hummingbird

Pink banana

Another eyelash viper

Sloth viewed through telescope

Hanging Lobster Claw

Flamingo Plant

Catepillar

Papyrus

Hanging sloth

Joining the journey deeper into the rainforest required trust...trusting that our local guides were knowledgeable, had our best interest in mind, and would keep us safe.  Just as cultivating legacy depends on trusting others with good intent, trusting our leaders in this instance paid off. We saw several sloths and other unexpected companions along this unique path that continually changed from gravel, to dirt, to a wood-planked bridge to somewhere new within the rainforest.   

The beauty along the way prompted me to take lots of pictures and record videos, which led to the moment I landed in ankle-deep mud. Attempting to get closer to an orange flower to take a picture, I stepped slightly off the path to zoom-in better and gasped when my left foot sank into sticky mud.   

Muddy shoe

I couldn’t free my foot at first, because the mud wrapped around my shoe like glue, threatening to keep it as a souvenir.  The mud finally released its grasp, however, after several more attempts full of incredible exertion.  I was grateful to see that my muddy shoe was still on my foot.  Listening to the advice to wear closed, waterproof hiking shoes proved to be wise.  

Weeks later, while reviewing pictures of this section of the path, I saw something that I had completely missed: we had been on a low-level, wood-planked bridge.  All the other bridges we crossed covered briskly flowing streams, but this one covered a marsh full of grass, plants, and trees. I was so distracted by my surroundings—as beautiful as they were—that I did not realize that the path had changed. 

This speaks volumes about how in life, as on this trail, conditions change.  Awareness and adaptability are essential to staying the course. 

Juvenile Sloth

Continuing on the path after that unsettling moment resulted in several rewarding

experiences. A burst of color caught my attention, which was another orange flower closer to the path that I was able to photograph without incident.   We also had the most close-up opportunity to photograph a juvenile sloth.  A perfect end to our experience.   

And the journey continues.  Navigating the Path is Part 2 of 3 in the Empowered Legacy Awaken Your Brilliance Learning Series, which explores what it takes to stay the course even when the path isn’t what it seems, and how the choices we make along the way shape the legacy we leave. 

A full reflection guide for Navigating the Path is coming soon.  In the interim, click here to subscribe to the Empowered Legacy mailing list and receive the free Awaken Your Brilliance: It's Time companion reflection guide. This resource offers a glimpse into the tools and support we provide to our clients. 

Empowered Legacy partners with people committed to strengthening environments where others feel valued, seen, and heard. Through self-paced courses and resources shaped by everyday experiences and evidence, we provide practical tools that help people lead with purpose, cultivate humanity, and empower others to thrive. Our goal is to support lasting legacies built through daily actions and intentional leadership.