Life is the Horse, I am the Rider

“I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more, 
However, I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store;

For Life is just an employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why you must bear the task.

I worked for a menial’s hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have paid.”

― Jessie B. Rittenhouse

Last week I posted a blog entitled “Are You the Horse or Are You the Rider?” which you can see HERE.

A few months ago, I was at my board meeting in Austin and this concept came up. I have a very good friend who has an amazing life, runs a spectacular business, and is very successful. The great thing about this friend is that he is also very hungry to continue to learn and to continue to be successful. At one point in his board, he was frustrated by some of his employees and some of the things that were going on in his business. None of these things were huge, they were just the typical things that happen in a business. I told him to remember that sometimes we’re the rider and sometimes we’re the horse.  We have to be careful that we don’t let the horse become the rider. I briefly explained how sometimes we can let our business, which we created to be the horse to a spectacular life, become the rider. When that happens, suddenly we are the horse and our team or our business start to become the rider. 

We had some good discussion around this.  Then, the next morning, I got this text from him:

“Meditated on it all day yesterday.  Being the witness, watching where I’ve conditioned myself to be the horse.  Claiming back my rider status.

Guaranteed, I’m not the only one who’s being the horse and don’t even realize it.  It was a wakeup call!

Rider-horse is my new metaphor while watching my mind work—catching myself where there’s a tendency to be the horse and resistance to being the rider.  That’s my new obstacle course.”

Now, that is some genius thinking. I could not have said it or thought it better myself.  

Where have you conditioned yourself to be the horse instead of the rider of life? Where do you need to go back to your life and say, “I’m the fucking rider, not the horse, and I will take back control of my life”?  

The lion does not wonder if it’s a horse, the lion knows it’s a lion. The rider does not wonder who’s the rider and who’s the horse, the rider knows he/she is the rider and life is the horse.

Keep Living Every Minute,

Dr. Tim