These are such easy words to say (or write) and sometimes very hard to follow.  When we bump into circumstances and situations that elicit a response where we push against something, it rarely ends well.  A perfect metaphor for this is when a horse accidentally steps on your foot and, wow do you want to get them off of it NOW!  The first reaction one might have is to push the horse off, but guess what they often do in response?  Horses lean back against you.  Not because they are trying to hurt you, but because their natural reflex is to  push against anything that is pushing on them.   Isn't that how we behave too sometimes?  Have you ever had a difference of opinion with someone and find yourself pushing your viewpoint harder to get them to 'understand’?  What we really want in those situations is for them to change their mind.

 

So how DO you get a horse off your foot?  Give them a place to go, look ahead and move them forward to that place instead of focusing on where they are.  Isn't that the truth for so many unpleasant experiences?  Whether it be a disagreement with a loved one or dealing with an illness, sometimes the best thing we can do is take a breath, look for ways to see the situation differently, and move forward.  Standing still (with or without a horse on your foot) is definitely not the path toward peace and joy.  

 

With Gratitude and Grace,

 

Kathy Sanders