I’m lucky to have spent a great deal of my life in the company of horses. Horses can teach you things in such a way that you really feel it. So many lessons that people have tried to impart over the years could be shared in just a few minutes by a horse.
One of those lessons is knowing when to back off. When teaching a horse something, there is a time to apply pressure and then a time to release it. If we just keep applying the pressure and pushing, we will never allow the horse to lick and chew. That’s a phrase you might hear in natural horsemanship circles that means giving the horse the time to think about what he has just experienced. What he has just learned.
I think that’s a lesson I need to revisit for myself from time to time.
I find myself pushing and pushing and feeling like I need to be busier and putting 100% toward my goal. 110%. Push! Keep going! Stop procrastinating! Do it now! Do it all right now!
I need to rework my website, my blog, work on memes, find a couple more social media partners, get the book finished (any of them finished), find a good place to guest blog, find out how to get more views of my articles on LinkedIn… and the list drags on.
What I need to remember, and maybe you do too, is that I don’t need to be busy or productive all the time. There are times when I can sit back and let my mind wander and refocus on the big picture and just know that the details will sort themselves out. The website will get done, but it won’t be overnight. And that’s ok. It will take however long it takes.
And that’s another lesson I remember from my time with horses. Basically, just take the time it takes and don’t try to cut corners. If you just take the time it takes, it will take less time.
While this can be interpreted as business advice, my personal purpose is to encourage you to embrace these ideas in all aspects of your life. Basic lessons here: It’s ok to sit back and let your mind wander. It’s fine to take your time. And everything you need to learn in life, you can learn from a horse… and Star Trek.
I am a humorous and inspirational speaker and writer, but Storytelling is my love. I am an open-networker and invite you to connect. Please feel free to join the conversation on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @Dachia .
The above was originally published on LinkedIn.