Holding on to the reins
The freedom on the backs of a running horse, galloping on an open terrain, with the wind blowing in your hair gives you an exhilarating feeling. Bonded to the animal, you roam happily as you hold on to the reins and guide the adventurous experience. Similarly we live our lives for the most part in freedom, joyfully skipping and galloping away at times. When things in life are not in our control and they go awry that is when our horse starts behaving erratically. We get perturbed and subsequently we tighten the reins and pull harder and harder. However exactly the opposite effect occurs. The tighter we pull, the more strangulation of the horse occurs. It does end up stopping the horse, but it does also stop us dead in our tracks in life. The more control we think we are trying to exude, the harder things actually get.
The purpose of using the reins is to guide the horse directionally. So too we try to “control” the behaviors of others to bend to our will. This unfortunately backfires when the strings of control are too tightly bound or we are holding on too forcefully, that our life stalls as we literally choke the life out of our relationships with others. Easing up the reins, enables us to breathe life back into the relationships and the horse is able to continue its journey without fear of the rider, you. Being connected with the horse is as important as the horse being able to trust you. Such is the nature in any relationship, be it parental, spousal or a friendship. You cannot exert so much force on another individual that the reins or ties that are meant to navigate the relationship, bring it to a choking stall.
Let go of your need for control, and enjoy the “horsing” around and the riding experience. The native americans used to have a unique bond with the horses such that they would ride the wild horses with out the need for ropes, harnesses or reins. The animal and the rider as one. Freedom to enjoy the company of each other and the journey that is undertaken galloping on the fields of life is a blessing and an achievable goal. It all depends on your willingness to pursue this goal. It depends on your willingness to let go of the reins. It depends on your willingness to accept yourself with confidence. Such that you are not only confident in your relationship be as a rider or with another being, that you do not need a hold on anyone. That comes from freeing yourself from your own reins, and your own ropes that you have tied upon yourself with fears and self doubts.
Are your reins too tight or are you going to run with a wild horse?
