Letting Go and Moving Great Things
A hot summer day in July. I stand firmly in front of our house in the square. In my right hand, I loosely hold a leash, closely followed by one of my best friends. With his almost 170 centimeters in height, he weighs a good 500 kilograms. My goal: to lead Rasco, a full-grown gelding, into a covered washing area to refresh him with cool water. Horses are flight animals and rely on trust. That's why they are among the best teachers when it comes to living true self-confidence. Pretending here is futile. Within fractions of seconds, you are scrutinized and exposed if you try to pretend to be something other than what you are or truly feel. Although I know the power of this wonderful mirror, I still often deceive myself and try to deny the truth - or don't even recognize it at all. That was the case on this day as well. I move decisively towards the washing area, keeping the goal in focus and not daring to look back even for a moment. Then a short tug on the leash, and the sturdy colossus behind me stops. My fear of not being able to lead him into the washing area, as has happened to me many times before, leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy once again. I turn around, look deep into Rasco's eyes, try to speak to him lovingly. After just a few minutes, my friendliness turns into anger, then into frustration. I pull on the leash, apply more pressure. Unsuccessfully. Try moving 500 kilograms. Even bribing with treats doesn't help. When the inner conviction is not right, and you try to force something with pressure, you can only fail. Desperately, I sit in the shade of the washing area and look at the big animal. What a beautiful wonder of nature, I think. But even that cannot console me for my failure. Desperation, shame. Then I begin to reflect on the situation and let go of the inner pressure. It is precisely at that moment that Rasco enters the washing area, stands calmly and looks at me: "I am ready for a well-deserved cooling off," he signals to me. I get goosebumps, and my joy is indescribable. Not because I have achieved my goal, but rather because once again, I have directly and vividly experienced what I have known for a long time: Let go and move great things.
