The sweaty palms, the shortness of breath, the tension in the body, the mind trying to keep us safe are very powerful, when we are in true danger. It prepares our muscles for action, pumps the adrenaline to where we can use it to escape or protect ourselves. Is it more than that? What power does fear have? Just writing this, I can feel the tension building in my body. That is power. I am sitting in a comfy chair, in a beautiful log home, all is quiet and safe but the power of just thinking about anxiety and fear has my body tensing and reacting.
It goes much deeper than this. I love the story of the lion, walking through the herds on the Serengeti, on its way to get a drink. The herd grazes on, without a care in the world. There is no reason to fear, the intentions of the lion are for water, not food. The herd doesn't need to expend any energy, it can save energy for when it is needed. Then, the lion is hungry, it walks the same path, but with different intention. Its energy is tense, it has to make a kill to survive. As soon as it steps one foot onto the same path, the first animal feels the power of the lion and lifts its head. It spins and bolts. As soon as its energy changes, the whole herd spins and bolts from the energy of one herd member and the lion. Chances are, one of the herd will not live to see the next day.
That is the power of fear. But that same power, is there when the fear is all in our head. We can sit, in a comfy place, and visualize, the most terrifying thing we can think of, and our body will react. It won't know the difference between real danger, and the danger our mind is creating. That same fear, our horses can feel. Their life depends on feeling the fear of one member of the herd, and we are a member of their herd. We carry fear with us, all our "What If's" and the horses learn to either tune us out, or become so spooky, we can't find the cause. So many times, we don't realize, we are the cause. What power does fear have? An amazing amount, but the good news is, Joy is even more powerful. Focus on the joy.
If you would like to hear more thoughts on this, I shared some in my recent video blog you can find here: Fear vs. Confidence
You can also get my free 5 Energy Games to play with your horses! Some of my favorites! Click here
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