The Power of the Pause
I was in the middle of a figure eight when I stopped, right there where the two circles join.  The feelings of anxiety, work, chores, overwhelm all piled up on me at once.  When I got on my horse, I had 10 things all lined up to work on.  Backing, moving the shoulders right and left, moving the haunches right and left, etc. Just writing this, I can feel my stress rising and those feelings of overwhelm creeping in.  Like many of you, we focus on all the "DOING" that we think needs to be completed to move on to the next steps.

As I stopped, right there in the middle of the figure eight, I felt the "PAUSE".  I felt it through me, through my horse, all the tension drained away into the ground.  We both took some deep breaths together and just leaned into each other, feeling our feelings.  I know this sounds a little nuts, but it was very powerful.  The power in this pause lasted for a few minutes.  There was no rush to carry on with the figure eight.  There was no rush to continue with all the things on my list.  There was just the two of us, in that moment, enjoying being together.

How long has it been since you really took a pause?  A pause in your daily life?  A pause with your horse?  A pause with your family?

I encourage you to take some time and set down the RUSH, set down the "TO DO LIST", set down all the electronics, and just lean into the PAUSE. Feel the power.

I challenge you the next time you ride your horse, build in the pauses to just enjoy each other, in those moments of pause.  Feel how you are feeling.  Feel how your horse is feeling and fill both of you up with a few moments of "BEING" together.

I talk a little more about this in my latest "Turn Riding Fear Around" Podcast, Episode 33: The Power of Standing Still for our MIND.

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Hey there! I’m Elise Hittinger—Fear Slayer, Confidence Creator, and your go-to Courage Coach.

 
Once upon a time, I was that fearless kid riding deep into Angeles National Forest without a second thought. Then bam—life threw me a plot twist. A horse flipped on me, pinning me beneath it, and fear crept in like an uninvited guest who wouldn’t leave.

That moment tested everything. But here’s the wild part—I walked away with only bruises and a divine reminder that I wasn’t done yet. Fear may have stolen my joy for a while, but it did not get the final say.

Fast forward to a move to Kentucky, where the trails were calling my name. I had two choices: let fear keep the reins or take them back. Spoiler alert—I took them back. Now, I help other riders (and, honestly, anyone sick of fear running their life) do the same.

I make fear pack its little bags and GTFO. Whether it’s through hypnotherapy, NLP, or a little well-placed humor, I help people trade anxiety for confidence, doubt for courage, and overthinking for action.

So, if you’re ready to kick fear to the curb and rediscover the joy you deserve—I’m here for it. Let’s do this.

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