A safe climb, life analogy

This is one of the follow-ups to the "Happiness" post, elaborating why I think you can feel safe by trusting yourself. 

As I'm climbing up the mountain I suddenly become aware of the fact that I'm not only making my way up there, I'm also walking on an already finished path. I'm walking on someone else's path. A path not only one but many people have chosen to walk on before me, and there will be more coming after me. The goal for most people is to reach the top of the mountain, and to reach the top we've chosen to walk on the same path as others before us, literally. 

Continuing my journey, every now and then I make a shortcut and the closer to the top I get the fainter the path becomes and I have to start climbing on the rocks, there's now no given path. I forget about the path, I only have the top of the mountain in mind. 

When I reach the top and look back down I discover two different paths I could have taken, one of which I choose to take on my way back down. But I realize none of these paths would have helped me on my way up because the mountain wall was just as steep, the stones just as slippery, as where I made my own path, perhaps even worse - some parts of these paths were so worn down they actually became harder to walk on because there was no grip left.  

Every now and then during my climb, making my own path was the better option because it was more safe, because I then thought for myself instead of following someone else's thoughts by walking their path. Making my own path - trusting my own judgement and ability made me feel more safe, and actually being more safe.