I went for a glorious walk in the woods near my house today. Interestingly, I have lived in this neighborhood for over 20 years, but it was just a few months ago that I discovered this fabulous treasure right outside my door.

I've always enjoyed the paved walking trails that crisscross through my neighborhood's greenbelt. Often I saw mountain bikers emerging from the woods, and I wondered about the trails back there. But since I didn't know where the trails led, I never went into those woods. After all, I might get lost. A mountain biker might run me over. It might not be safe. So I stuck to the paved trails and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

But a few months ago my friend Deborah, who I walk with most every week, suggested we go on one of the off-road trails. She and her husband had spent many hours exploring those trails, so she felt confident she could get us out alive. So we plunged into the woods and I discovered what I had been missing all those years. To my surprise, I found 16 miles of cleared trails winding through dense woods, past occasional creeks and small waterfalls.

I loved it! I enjoyed walking on the varied terrain, watching out for rocks and tree roots, climbing up and down small inclines. It felt like an adventure, like I had traveled to a distant state park rather than my own backyard.

I told Deborah I would probably only go in the woods when we were walking together, as I still felt unsure about where the different trails led. But it wasn't long before the woods called me, and I took a trail walk on my own.

Now I go on walks through the woods frequently. Once I got a taste of how nice it was, I was willing to risk getting lost (which I never have) for the joy of being in the peace and quiet of nature. To think, those lovely wooded trails were waiting for me all those years, just a stone's throw from my house. Although I knew the trails were there, I didn't think they applied to me or appealed to me. But I was wrong.

It's good to be content with what you have, but each of us is destined for more. For twenty years I thoroughly enjoyed walking on the paved trails in my neighborhood, but it's been a huge bonus to discover the miles of undiscovered off-road trails as well.

What unrecognized blessings are "hiding ? in plain sight in your life? What talents are lying dormant in you? Take a look around and see where you might be selling yourself short in life. Step up to the plate, take a risk, and you just might find a new level of peace and happiness beyond your wildest dreams.

Karen Wheeler Hall - All Rights Reserved