The Path of the Steer

Steers who allow their curiosity and courage to move them forward

The Path of the Steer

I walked toward the back of the east pasture looking at the feed as I made my way to fill the watering trough.  The grass had become spotty and for the first time I could see walking trails that had been covered by tall, waving grass.  They were clues telling me it was time to move the animals to the lush green pasture to the west.

I then followed the sun, west to my home.

“Looks as if its time to move the animals.”  I said to my wife.  “I’ll get them moved tomorrow.”

Early the next morning I walked my usual path for exercise and then finished by walking up to water the stock.  I filled the trough, followed an overgrown trail to the gate leading to the west pasture, and then walked home through that pasture.

“I thought you were going to move the cows?” Sue queried as I walked in the door.

“I opened the gate.  Don’t worry, they’ll find their way over soon!”  I answered.

This thought, unknowingly opened another gate.  It was a small, and important, thought about the mental maps each of us creates within our mind after a crisis or adversity.  You know the kind of map, with trail after trail circling around where you’re stuck, feeling the pain without making personal change. Then there is another mental trail that leads you to a far worse place after the adversity strike.  The path that leads to continued fear, challenge, hopelessness and depression.  And, there is one other path, a path that is hard to discover for most of us. 

This path, the path of the steer, is the only path that leads us from failure or setback to a new pasture where we emerge even stronger and more capable than before the adversity.  Yes.  There are times when this path can’t be seen because of all the tall, waving grass.  It’s overgrown so we can have a hard time seeing it!  Yet it is often the most positive, productive one.

“In fact, when we feel helpless and hopeless, we often stop believing such a path even exists – so we don’t even bother to look for it.  But this is the very path we should be looking for, because our ability to find this path is the difference between those who are crippled by failure and those who rise above it.” My friend Shawn Achor once said to me.

The next morning as I got up to begin my walk with the sun, I allowed my eyes to scan the west pasture to see if my steers had lived up to the faith I had in them.  And yes, through the mountain-topped filtered light I could see the black fur outlines munching on fresh grass.

“I need to be more like my cows!” I said to myself as I began my walk.

Walking and thinking reminded me of what Jim Collins, author of Good to Great has written, “We are not imprisoned by our circumstances, our setbacks, our history, our mistakes, or even staggering defeats along the way.  We are freed by our choices.”

You and I can choose to move forward, on our way, by following path of the steer.  When adversity calls, the grass is spotty and our minds are offering trails of discouragement or an endless circle of staying in the same place, we can be freed by our curiosity and courage to follow the trail leading forward to a pasture with more opportunity and freedom.  By doing so we’ll give ourselves the greatest power possible: A fullness of joy, not despite of adversity or crisis, but because of them!