The Barriers We Keep

This is what the energy we carry and project can look like, both figuratively and literally - a closed gate. This lesson that was brought home to me this morning, after struggling, finding success and then an “AHA!” moment granted during some relaxed consideration.

I went outside to bring one of my three horses from their pasture into the arena for work. The gate is the entry point separating said horses from the arena. I wanted only one in particular, not all three. The problem is that they all want to come through the gate at once. In itself, it’s not such a bad problem to have - horses coming to me, vying for attention. For the most part, all of my horses are pretty friendly, to the point of being obnoxious sometimes as they tussle over which is to wear the halter in my hand by sticking a nose in it - but the horse I wanted was being blocked from getting through the gated opening by the antics of the other two. I was getting frustrated and trying to shoo them off, without putting off the horse I had singled out for our training session. Also, for those unfamiliar, I have mobility issues, so it’s not like I can just go into the herd and wrangle my horses. I need them all to be co-operative. Training them to be so takes consistency and patience, two virtues I am working to cultivate.

In the midst of my frustration, I decided I needed to check myself. My ego was starting to get the best of me. I was losing patience and getting nowhere good. I took a deep breath, re-focused on the desired outcome and my emotion, then resumed my task. Looking at the horses, I indicated my expectations. The two horses then blocking the gate backed off, and the horse I wanted was able to walk calmly forward and get through.

I walked over to my grooming area in the arena as my unhaltered horse followed me. I haltered him and we hung out for a bit. He indicated his desire for bug spray, so we did that. Not until a few minutes into combing out his thick mane did I realize the significance of what had happened at the gate.

I went over the event in my head -

When I took the time to relax and observe the moment, the horses responded. They responded to the energy I was projecting and to the clarity of the images I was communicating in my mind. Instead of feeling confused and frustrated and reacting defensively to my muddled requests, they were able to de-escalate, and react calmly, while doing as requested.

This translates to “real” life interactions, also. People respond to the energy we put out. How much influence do we carry in the form of energy? How much of people’s reactions are used on our projections?

The energies we exude can be like an open gate, or a closed gate, depending on our clarity of communication. We can block out the things we don’t want, let in what we do, or completely block everything by getting caught up in our own egos. Instead of getting caught up in our own feelings of frustration, maybe it’s a time to step back, take a breath, observe, and focus on how to achieve the desired outcome.

Let’s turn it into this:

Thank you for reading! Have you noticed the use of energy and projection used positively or negatively in your own life? When you observe ourselves getting caught up in our emotions, maybe it’s good time to “practice the pause.”