How do you know you’re on the right path for you?

How do you know you’re on the right path for you?

My 6 year old, Bobbie, joined me on my morning walk this morning, and there’s a little game I like to play with her in the woods.

I let her take charge of the route.

At every crossroads, I tell her to pause, close her eyes, put her hands on her heart and tune into what her gut is telling her is the correct path.

I love watching her face, as she scrunches up her nose with the internal debate about which way is best.

I love the way she looks to me for confirmation at first, then quickly grows in confidence and decisiveness.

And I love the way she manipulates the outcome to take in the ‘Minecraft ruins’, rope swing and blackberry bushes.

I’ve played this game with all 3 kids over the years, and it’s a winner - not just because it kills a few hours in the summer holidays.

So often we assume that the most direct route is best.

But what if our goal isn’t speed?

What if we miss out treasure along the way?

And of course there’s a golden lesson in here, one I hope will last her a lifetime:

To be able to trust her own intuition.

To be able to tune into her gut, to identify what she really thinks and articulate it.

And to know that when she voices that opinion, she’ll be listened to.

One of the most valuable self-leadership lessons around, don’t you agree?