A few days ago, I was with a client in session. We were discussing her fears and stepping into a new life path. Often times after I clear out the fear and garbage and limiting beliefs in a persons’ life, it’s a scary thing for them to go forward and walk a clear positive path in life without fear of it all going wrong or the “other shoe dropping”.
Ironically, as we were discussing her fear, I happened to see from peripheral vision my two horses Dodger and Blue running with great fear all over the back pasture. I could see they looked terrified and Blue was leading. I couldn’t really see why they were running so crazy so I excused myself to go take a look.
Now, as an Equine Assisted Life Coach, my horses are a part of my session work. Today however, I wasn’t going to use them in my session but I guess the Universe and Dodger and Blue had other thoughts!
I walked outside to take a look and my client, who loves horses, wanted to come with me so we walked out together only to find Blue and Dodger snorting and breathing very hard. I put a halter on Blue to hold him and take a look. I asked my client to hold onto his halter and just talk to him calmly. Blue seemed appreciative that whatever it was, was going to be taken care of although he was still very frightened.
I looked over his whole body and then I found the problem. It was a thin branch with thorns sticking out of it and it wrapped all around his tail. Now in a horses mind, they are Prey animals so when something like this tiny thorny branch is wrapped around their tail or somewhere else on their body, they think it is attacking them to kill them and eat them. Blue not knowing what it was, was certain this little thing on his tail was after him.
I removed the branch carefully as it was very sharp and really wrapped tightly around his tail. He stood still, trusting that I would fix it. I noticed my client re-assuring him in a calm confident voice. I removed the branch, gave Blue a big rub on his face and he immediately lowered his head to graze. Blue was fine so now Dodger could calm down too and they could again graze together in the sun filled sky with a gently cool breeze blowing through their manes and tails. Life was once again ok.
When we returned to my cozy living room, my client and I sat down and laughed at how silly it was that a 1,200 pound animal could freak out about a tiny branch. I related Blues fear to her fears of stepping out and taking that leap of faith that things will be fine. All she had to do was believe that she could create the kind of life she wanted and begin living as if it is so and when necessary she could find her calm and confident voice.
Sometimes, we worry about small things. Sometimes, they are big things; but in the end, it is as Rumi says, “As you think, so shall you be”. Are you running from things that are only in your mind? How big are they really? When you quiet your mind and take a true look at what is causing the fear, is it possible that maybe you too just have a small branch attached to your tail that is causing you to run wild and crazy?
Once again, my horses helped a client. Once again, my horses reminded me that trust is earned and that even if we are afraid, courage is having the fear, but confronting the situation and facing it anyway. When we can walk through the fire, we come out on the other side and are forever changed and transformed. Be brave…your life is waiting!
Feb 14 2019