ESPíRITU— Resting in Appreciation

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THE HORSE GUY?

Coaching with Horses?

Story #64

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RESTING IN APPRECIATION

Words, images and an unexpected surprise

The week began innocently enough and ended with me in tears at the beauty of life. Early in the week I began logging words and quotations that I simply enjoyed. Like lines from a good poem, I just let these things sit in me and have their way. I’m not interested in making meaning or inventing some clever way in which they are connected. Maybe that will happen as I write. Maybe not. It doesn’t matter to me.

First up was a quote by Isaac Asimov (1920-1992), a prolific American writer and science professor at Boston University. Here’s an excerpt: “There is a cult of ignorance in the United States and always has been… It is nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Have you ever been in a business meeting with endless and noisy chatter when someone, finally, speaks a word of truth and everyone turns around to see who said it? This statement made me smile. A sharp blade of truth cutting straight to the core. I only wish I had said it myself.

Poets and scientists in one article! Is this even possible?

Then there was this: two lines of poetry from two different poems by Mary Oliver. “Why am I always going anywhere instead of somewhere?” ( From ‘I Don’t Want to be Demure or Respectable’) I felt the little girl sense of wonder and boundless curiosity that this poet brought to her life and work. The landscape ahead felt boundless with nothing in the way to block her. I drifted off in memories of building snow forts and river rafts as a boy. The title also struck me. Neither I nor Isaac Asimov want to be demure or respectable. Life is too big to be contained in a polite little wind up box.

“It’s ok to know only one song if it is this one”. (From North Country, Mary Oliver). This is one of those lines speaking to what’s essential, i.e., You can take any path you want as long as it leads to what matters most to you. Any other path won’t be enough. We already know if you’re concerned about being demure and respectable, chances are you need to keep looking for another song, one that is yours.

From the other side of the world straight into my heart.

A long time friend and colleague from Australia sent me this story that another Australian, Ash Playsted, posted —

A Donkey started this conversation with the Tiger.

The donkey told the tiger, "The grass is blue."?

The tiger replied, "No, the grass is green ."

The discussion became heated, and the two decided to submit the issue to arbitration, so they approached the lion.?

As they approached the lion on his throne, the donkey started screaming: ′′Your Highness, isn't it true that the grass is blue?"?

The lion replied: "If you believe it is true, the grass is blue."?

The donkey rushed forward and continued: ′′The tiger disagrees with me, contradicts me and annoys me. Please punish him.

The king then declared: ′′The tiger will be punished with 3 days of silence."?

The donkey jumped with joy and went on his way, content and repeating ′′The grass is blue, the grass is blue..."?

The tiger asked the lion, "Your Majesty, why have you punished me, after all, the grass truly is green?"?

The lion replied, ′′You've known and seen the grass is green."

The tiger asked, ′′So why do you punish me?"?

The lion replied, "That has nothing to do with the question of whether the grass is blue or green. The punishment is because it is degrading for a brave, intelligent creature like you to waste time arguing with an ass, and on top of that, you came and bothered me with that question just to validate something you already knew was true!"

The leadership lesson of the story?

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I just love the surprise at the end, a complete re-frame from what I expected. Isaac Asimov could not have said it better himself. I’m both the screaming ignorance and the intelligence that moves on. This story paints a compelling picture of the simple twist of wisdom required to side step and move beyond ignorant arguments, so abundant in today’s world and media.

Beauty that binds us together

One last item that stunned me with its beauty this week. It deepens the apparent theme in this article about going beyond oneself to find the essential. It comes from an unlikely source, a beer company. Heineken titles their ad, #OpenYourWorld.

You can watch any short film (4 minutes) as long as it is this one —

https://youtu.be/etIqln7vT4w

As you may have guessed, I have been going anywhere this week and not somewhere. I couldn’t be more pleased with these discoveries. But there is one more, one that did not require us to go anywhere, involved no ignorant arguments or overcoming limiting assumptions. We have a new horse for our coaching with horses business! He was right there in front of us, an old friend from a previous farm who suddenly became available. He will join us this weekend. I will have more to say about him in coming days. Until then, be well.

You know, maybe I’ve been going somewhere after all! Thank you for coming along with me.

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ESPíRITU?

ESPíRITU programs — check us out at www.espírituhorse.com

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