Being sure-footed is also about paying attention and maintaining the right vision, intention and attitude. You will always benefit from spending time in thought and prayer about where you’re headed and why it matters that you get there.

Plateaus are an opportunity for determining why we are where we are.

When you’ve moved over an obstacle and achieved the exceptional results you are seeking, or, even when you may have missed the mark entirely, there is always more. It’s the nature of life that we keep desiring more. It’s the nature of life that we are constantly creating, whether we do so consciously or not.

As we become more aware of what it takes to move through the journey from where we are to where we are destined to be, the teaching stories that are within my story, our story, is a reminder to use your conscious and creative powers of imagination to choose which road(s) you will take.

Your attitude is most empowered when you’re ­determined to transcend, to climb beyond, whatever walls you perceive to be in your way.

As individuals and as leaders we need to embrace both emotional and strategic agility. The demands of our lives can create physical burnout and make us feel increasingly isolated and impoverished.

We overcome the fears resulting from uncertainty by celebrating incremental success.

The spoken and unspoken thoughts of others can wreak havoc on your best efforts to stay the course. “What was she thinking of, why would she even bother again, what’s she trying to prove?” All thought is powerful, for better or for worse.

Even though an entire journey still stretched out before us, the moment we actually faced that wall was the only moment that mattered. The commitment and effort we needed called for total focus and concentration. We believed in our capacity to take the next step, and then the next step. We trusted our guides, our preparation and, ultimately, ourselves. This fueled our forward momentum and, our ultimate success.