Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it is our greatest measure of courage.
Brene Brown – Rising Strong
Sometimes being vulnerable means despite your fear of being judged as a failure, it is to admit that getting on your horse, who has suddenly taken up protest rearing in the driveway to avoid leaving the yard, makes you feel that bit too far out of your comfort zone to sit through it that day. It can be to decide that until you build back the partnership that you feel you have lost along the way, taking your horse for a walk like an oversized dog, trundling past children on their ponies and trying not to compare yourself, because if they can do it then why can’t you (when really you know the answer to that is, if they tried what your pony did, you could put your feet on the floor! Two different circumstances – no good can come from comparing yourself to others!) Or it maybe simply saying, today we are going to practise standing calmly and patiently, and we are going to learn to listen.
Admitting your fears and allowing someone into your mindset can be terrifying, especially for fear of rejection or judgement. Not only that, but for me, taking those necessary steps to build back my own confidence felt like regression, rather than the progression I had aimed for. In reality though, what I have been trying to focus on is what is best for both of us, building up confidence, trust and a solid foundation upon which we can one day build a better partnership upon.
“Bravery is not the absence of fear. Bravery is feeling the fear, the doubt, the insecurity, and deciding that something else is more important.”
That all important something is what you believe it is, and in my own situation, it is building a better relationship between me and the horse I absolutely adore, and making sure that she is confident in my ability to lead us into (and get us back from) any adventure we may choose. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, and if I remember rightly, no one specified in what direction that step had to be in.
#allwehaveisnow #bebrave #mindfulriding #teaminspire
Rather Be Wearing Wellies ♥ 