What is your job on this planet?
“No matter what your work, let it be your own. No matter what your occupation, let what you are doing be organic. Let it be in your bones. In this way, you will open the door by which the affluence of heaven and earth shall stream into you.”
~ Ralph WaldoEmerson
Have you ever contemplated this?
It took me a lot of years of defining who I wasn’t before I could unequivocally answer that question. I floundered around. First the Army, then veterinary technology, sales, coaching, counseling - and finally it all started coming together with horses. My business took off when my passion and purpose was clear.
Even after I realized what my job on this planet was, I would go into self-doubt. My business would go into fits and spurts. I would ride the emotional roller coaster (and still do at times), especially during the
pandemic.
Criticism and push back will come while taking your passion and deep work forward. Anytime you are engaging growth and expansion, resistance will be met. Either your own or that of someone else.
I remember one incident of push back from a family member – I was freshly home from my certification training with horses and she said, “I guess this horse thing is ok (my equine assisted dream) if you can make money at it.” There was a snarky tone in that statement and I felt discouraged.
When I heard Brene Brown talk about the person in the arena being the only opinion that truly mattered, it hit me how I had allowed the voices of the critics (my own and others) slow and stop me in living my purpose or doing my job on this planet.
I enjoyed her comments. Among them, I particularly enjoyed these:
“Show up and be seen. This is who I want to be… In doing all of this – you will get your ass kicked. If you have committed to creating in life – you will get your ass kicked. This is unavoidable.”
“If you aren’t in the arena also getting your ass kicked, I am not interested in your feedback.”
She mentions patterns of good leaders:
Hold the ability to be vulnerable.
Stay the course in tough times.
Live into their values.
Build trust with others.
Hit reset after the failures and keep going.
It takes courage and bravery to do work with horses. You are offering transformation outside of the box and it is a work of heart and passion. The mainstream doesn’t understand and it is our job to educate and connect them with the horses. Equine assisted services are becoming more familiar and we still have some distance to go.
The tough times will come – keep going. I am so glad I did. As for that snarky family member, she knows the rest of my story, a story of success with horses.
When I lose sight of what I value and find myself in the metaphorical weeds - I realign with my horses
and lean into the resources around me to regain focus on what matters most. Get support when you need it.
The work with horses is not about the money – it is about transformation. Keep in mind that there is value in that transformation. This where the topic of money gets muddy in our work with horses, which is an entirely different conversation.
Remember these key things when you are meeting the resistance, either your own or that of someone else:
Being acutely aware of your internal environment of emotions and self talk increases your choices and possibilities. Do the work on yourself. Your clients will thank you in spades.
Courage - take action in spite of the fear and doubt present in the moment. Create resources to lean into when you don’t know what to do. This can give you certainty and keep you from getting stuck.
Inclusion – working together as a herd, even if from different backgrounds, to bring the horses forward.
At times, it feels like starting over and it really isn’t –it is just taking a fresh approach at what you have been doing and doing well.
We are all leading the way for the horses. Our mission at HorseBusinessWhisperer.com is to bring the horses as the public's first choice in personal and professional development. By empowering and equipping equine
assisted practitioners with the knowledge, tools and resources needed to build a dream business –together, we reach more people and accomplish the mission.
Keep going.
Keep reaching.
Allow your unique brilliance to shine.
Live into the job you are here on this planet to do...And if you catch yourself standing on the sidelines criticizing, get back in the arena and go get a client. Do the work you are here to do.
If you are ready to charge forward - check out the upcoming free 4-part training:
Soleful Six-Figure Mindset and Manifestation that begins June 26th. Learn more here...