So we’re nearing the end of the first 1/3 of Horse’s year. It’s a good time to look back and get an idea of how things have changed from the New Year until now. My sister taught me something years ago and it has stuck with me, although I usually apply it in way I don’t think she every intended: “When you’re going into the woods, always stop every so often to look back at where you’ve been. Because the path looks completely different from the other side and if you only know one side of it you’ll get lost and maybe never get back.” This was meant as practical advice because she’s been an outdoors person all her life and wanted her city kid sister to not come to harm. And it’s great for peace of mind even if I’m just hiking a public trail. It’s also good advice when trying to navigate a hospital when visiting someone. Those places are convoluted mazes at the best of times and knowing the land marks from various angles can save a lot of time and frustration. Plus it can make you a hero to those who are with you, which isn’t a bad deal.
But it’s also really good advice in life. Looking back and taking stock of where we’ve been and what the landscape looks like isn’t something that should be relegated to New Years and resolutions. A bit of introspection can keep you on track, provide revelations, and much needed feedback along the year’s journey. When riding horses it is always good to stop periodically, check your saddle and equipment (if you’re using any) to make sure everything is working properly, check out your needs and the needs of your horse. What started as a wild ride might need to calm down for a bit, what started as a lark might morph into a charge that energizes with power and speed. You can’t know if you’re just bouncing around up there oblivious to everything but the motion.
So how are things going so far? For some it’s been a plod, like renting a horse for a beach ride. You get where you’re going, you really enjoy the ride, but the horse is only going to go as far as it knows and as fast as it wants to go. Been there done that. For some it’s been like a horse out in the pasture on a sunny day: lots of relaxation and plodding around with the occasional romp with heels in the air while at other times shadows and snakes have spooked them into galloping away to somewhere they didn’t expect to be. And for others it has been a fast pace ride up hills and down dales, getting a peek of where they are headed and then they are off again down into it, dealing with what’s in front of them. For those who are ready to take off but feel stuck, open the gate. Make that leap over the fence. Get started. This year is moving things whether you are working with it or against it. Even if you haven’t made a choice, you can feel the choices brushing against you like the breeze on your skin. Choose. Choose to let loose, to seek out your dreams, to have the life you want. Then hold on…