All sentient beings have the potential to stop the spinning of the rat race wheel at any given moment. Yet we don’t…. like bad elevator music running in the background it goes unnoticed and untamed. Meanwhile amongst this chaos we create the perception of our reality. A false reality, one we will fight tooth and nail for like an animal…. But not even be in love with.
As I love analogies please allow me to share one of my favorites. It’s a representation I use, to create outside of myself a tangible image, as an assessment and aid for myself. I refer to it as being the horse or being the rider.
We live in an emotionally driven world, emotionally driven culture and emotionally driven upbringing. Emotions are like lightning, they show up unpredictable and sometimes can be beautifully expressive and sometimes can cause complete disaster… they’re much like an untamed horse. We, as humans, are like an untamed horse – and don’t even realize it. Startled by what frightens us, fight or flight, we kick up our feet in defense or we flee from what we believe is the source of the upset. We’re steered by our feelings and our beliefs about the way we feel in such a way that the use of higher intellect and logic are not even remotely accessible in those moments. Unfortunately, it is specifically in those moments they are needed the most, as those unguarded actions become the mile markers in the wake of our path. The permanence of how the world sees us, until it lays new eyes upon us again. Once you gain control of your horse, you may rise above and be the rider. Be the command of your life, the center focus and creator of where you go, how you get there and how fast you stride. We are just as capable of being in that kind of control as we are capable of breathing.
How to ride your horse as an analogy to life and what to expect:
FIRST, with full intention, grab hold firmly by the bit (This is Ownership… you can’t be in control of your life if you’re not even willing to put your hands on it. It’s uneasy only because you are uncertain what happens next. What happens next is not “chaos” like the voice in your head has been warning, but a simple sensation of “stun” or “silence”. In that quiet space, one might try to immediately return to the scramble… don’t let it, hold firm, sit with the silence… the quiet, the clarity)
SECOND, show affection (This is Respect… you’ll never win over a part of yourself that thinks you’re not worthy for it to listen to. Be connected to your emotions and have an honest relationship with them. How you process the data from your life, comparing it to previous apples and create the patterns to which to trust in or avoid, is how you USED to be. Respect that for what it was, let it be what it is, and process differently now)
THIRD, mount quickly with reigns in hand and stay calm and steady (This is where Resistance may show up… you second guess yourself anytime you’re trying something new or putting yourself out there in a way you’ve not before… resisting being a better version of yourself is totally natural. Expect it, push it aside when it shows up, and stay focused on being in control.. This antsy-ness will pass, the sooner you quit worrying about it being there, the faster it will pass)
FOURTH, create direction (This is Living… no one says you can only ride if you ride a path clearly marked. Fuck that path. Create your own… You may be surprised to see the mountains move and rivers part to greet you as a guest to where you’ve never before been. Where ever in life, love, fun, relationships, careers you’ve not before been… go there now and take in the new world with childlike curiosity)
FIFTH, remind, reassure and redirect (This is where Life will try to Life ya…. This is where practice will make or break you as a rider. If you want to be a rider, be committed to being a rider at all times. If you find yourself face down in the dirt, get up and get right back on. That moment has passed the minute you stand up, don’t make it mean more than it is. When your emotions kick up… be completely present to the emotions. See those emotions kick up like a horse lifting on its hind legs. You’re either going to fall off your horse or someone is going to get hurt… unless, you control your horse. BE. THE. RIDER. Hold firm to logic, look at the facts of what is occurring and silence all the voices that tell you how to feel about it. Silence all the stories about what it means and how it’s just like something else. No two moments in life are the same, only the stories we make up about them are. Calm your horse, hold firm the reigns and redirect. Remind your horse that you are its rider and it doesn’t make the decisions about where you go anymore. The more consistently you redirect your horse when it kicks up, the less it will kick up... and the more centered and peaceful life will be)
A Master Rider’s horse only rises to its hind legs when commanded to do so.
