One of the greatest things that I love about horses is that a horse knows what you know and knows what you don’t know, and a wise horse that is committed to it’s job in life will not let it’s human get away with less than what it knows. A lesson from these beings is one of the most valuable things about a partnership, being an opportunity for one partner to hold the other accountable in the relationship. Accountability for our best is how we learn and grow.
I had spent a pretty peaceful winter with my Lucy. I had been learning a lot about the ability to be soft and effective, and had not so much has carried a stick with me in playing on the ground with her in months. We had gotten increasingly connected in our work using energy, conversations about space, intention, and clear mental pictures. All something I think that both her and I were very happy with. Soft effective communication and partnership is very exciting!
Last week there was a lovely warm day, one of the first of its kind, and I got inspired by spring. I decided it would be fun for Lucy and I to up our game a bit from over the winter, and work on some fancier things. I carried my stick for this. We worked on going one direction, and all went beautifully, in fact it was some of the most fancy, controlled movement, I have ever gotten from her. Very exciting! We went the other direction then, and as it is with animals with bilateral vision, one side is generally different from the other. It was a little more difficult for her to step under herself with her left hind leg, and I gently encouraged her to do so by touching her hip with my stick. Now keep in mind, this was a kind, encouraging touch, not unlike I typically would ask her to do something. It was very soft and light.
But up in the air she went, and out like a rocket. Kicking, bucking and tearing around in that circle, tossing her head, followed by more bucks and a high tailed gallop. Typically just an easy word will bring her down from any upset, but not this time. Lucy was acting like she had clearly had it. After we got settled back down again, I began to laugh at my pretty girl and the ruckus that my little tap had caused. It felt like she was saying to me in a huff, “I can't believe you would do that! You know you don't need to do that!”
I recently began an intensive leadership program, and even knowing the benefits that I would get from the program, I went into my decision kicking and screaming. As I sat in my first weekend and got present to what was really there for me to be, I realized that I had resisted stepping forward into my leadership in my life because then people might expect that from me. We shrink from being the person in life that we secretly know lies like a little gem inside of us. This is a thing to be examined.
I knew as I sat there that in just being there I had already stepped in, and that excellence does not occur from sitting on the sidelines accepting status quo. The good news is that the people with me will hold me accountable, and stand up for me to be the leader that I have said I would, just like my beautiful horse won’t stand for me to be less of a horseman than she knows me to be.
What areas of your life do you know that there are to step into, but haven’t been allowing yourself to for fear of what incredible things you might accomplish, or might amazing things you could be? Don’t be limited by what you think you should be or by what you have been already. Once growth happens, you can never go back.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
