I know I have heard the old phrase "Honesty is the best policy" too many times to count. I used to think that it kept me from getting into trouble with my parents. Today it has so much more of a profound meaning to me. The horses showed me today all about being honest from a different perspective.
Being honest with others also means that you need to be honest with yourself. Saying what you believe and believing what you say is honest and authentic.
It was feed time and their meal wasn't quite ready yet. While I waited for it to finish soaking I spent some time with them. They were eager and slightly impatient to have their meal even though they had a bale of hay that was available to them. They all huddled around me, searching for a morsel of grain somewhere on me that would satisfy their craving. Jack thought I was something to be protected and kept the girls just slightly out of reach of me. He felt that he alone should be the one and the only one to receive any morsel I may have. Zoe was able to creep in and she was agitated but not pushy. She searched me all over then in one swift move grabbed my jacket hood and yanked. Not the kind of yank to drop me or drag me, not mean or invading my space. She was simply being honest with me that her tummy was yearning for her meal and I had to bring it to her NOW. I told her soon and she sighed in understanding. Lady waited patiently next to Zoe, waiting for her opportunity to get close to check me for food; as if I may have a hidden morsel just for her that I didn't give to Jack or Zoe. She waited next to me never searching, never yanking, never protecting, just waiting. Diva thought she would woo me with soft nuzzles and warm breath. Diva girl just is a darling.
I think most people would have shooed the horses away, saying they were encroaching their space, that they were being rude and pushy. Never once did my horses cross a boundary that left me feeling cornered or unsafe. They just were letting me know that they were hungry in their individual ways. They didn't skirt around the truth, they didn't sugar coat it (well maybe Diva did a little), they didn't pretend they weren't hungry. They just came right out and let me know in the only way that was possible for them.
When I can be direct and honest with people about how I feel and my beliefs without sacrificing anything that is authentic. Horses do this so naturally when we allow them. We can learn so much about being authentic; lining up our beliefs and what we say to be congruent. Horses set boundaries for themselves everyday that help them survive. They never lie, cheat, pretend, or exaggerate to survive. Surviving is about being honest with their individual needs so they can work cohesively together as a herd and not as individuals. If the herd can survive then each individual can too.
Being authentic has such a liberating feeling. I feel heard, understood, accepted, and trusted. I never feel like I did or said something that betrayed my belief system when I am authentic. I can positively impact my life and those around me when I am congruent with my beliefs and my speech.
Of course to be authentic we do have to slow down and evaluate how we feel and be able to express our beliefs in a clear way. This also means thinking about what we say before we say it (that has not always been easy for me).I have less regrets over what I say because I am authentic. I know that we are all individuals and not everyone will agree with me and that is ok (sometimes hard to allow each their own experiences when I can have such strong beliefs) but again at least I know I was true to my beliefs and allowed myself to be truly heard. Then when I put my honesty out there, it is a relief to me because I know I spoke from my heart and what I said is true for me.
I also think that speaking from the heart is authentic because we speak from a place of love and then no words spoken will ever be intended as mean or hurtful. Everything we say will positively support each other on their individual journey while also supporting our own.
This entire blog is my authentic being. I speak from the heart and this is what I believe. It is through my relationships with my horses, client horses, and horse energy that have allowed me to find my true authentic voice.
No comments:
Post a Comment