Equine-Assisted Learning is an innovative and effective approach to personal and professional development. Because it uses horses as partners in the learning process. It is a unique and powerful tool that can help people and groups of all ages and backgrounds learn new skills, develop self-awareness, and build stronger relationships.
Here are some of the key benefits of Equine Assisted Learning:
Improved communication skills: Horses are incredibly attuned to your non-verbal communication. This means when you are working with horses they can help anyone become more aware of their own body language. Being aware of your own body language and tone will improve your ability to communicate effectively with others.
Increased self-awareness: Horses are honest mirrors of our emotions and intentions. So when you are working with them can help you become more aware of your own emotional state and develop greater emotional intelligence. A better understanding of yourself therefore will help you understand others.
Enhanced leadership and teamwork skills: Horses are social animals that rely on strong leadership and teamwork to survive. So when you are working with a horse you need to be their leader. When you are working with them they will show you how. It then becomes easier to understand how you develop your own leadership and teamwork skills.
Reduced stress and anxiety: There is a lot of evidence about how spending time with horses has a calming effect on the human nervous system, which in turn can help you reduce stress and anxiety.
Fun and engaging: Equine Assisted Learning is a fun and engaging way to learn new skills. It is a great way to develop personal and professional insights. It’s a unique and memorable experience that can help you build confidence and self-esteem.
Experiential Learning: Equine Assisted Learning is a practical way to engage in problem-solving skills that stick with you for life.
In summary, Equine Assisted Learning is a powerful and effective approach to personal and professional development. In other words, it is a program that can help individuals and groups of all ages and backgrounds learn new skills, develop self-awareness, and build stronger relationships. If you’re interested in improving your communication skills, possibly developing your leadership abilities, or even reducing stress and anxiety, Equine Assisted Learning may be the perfect solution for you.
Fear. Anxiety. Dry mouth. Reactive. Upset in the pit of your stomach. Worry. Heart racing. What if… Emotional. Exhausted. As I sit and reflect on the reactions of my mind and body during periods of personal growth they are all very uncomfortable states. I keep telling myself it’s where the magic happens. It is pushing through the discomfort. The growth is on the edges.
I have personally been in a zone of discomfort for some time now. And thinking, why do I continue to do this to myself?
Discomfort
My current story for context is I have recently packed up my entire life and moved interstate, leaving behind a well-established network, family and friends. Whilst I realise I am not the first person to do this I didn’t fully appreciate how difficult it would be.
Finding myself without a vet for my horses almost tipped me over the edge when Peggy got an abscess and was in extreme discomfort. I just wanted someone with a degree to look at my horse and tell me it was going to be ok. Instead, I sat sobbing in my paddock face buried in my hands sitting in the dirt beside my horse. After trying unsuccessfully to get three different vets out to look at my horse, I felt defeated and my head was filled with negative thoughts.
It wasn’t just that moment but lots of smaller hard moments too. There are many time-consuming tasks in finding a dentist, doctor, hairdresser, mechanic, and most importantly a good barrister. People that you need to trust to give you good advice and support. Your network and community. These take time to build and I am trying to do it all whilst taking on a new all consuming job.
These simple things are things we take for granted and don’t use our conscious thinking, they become our routine, like finding the best route to work in the morning. What I have realised that all these tasks become mentally exhausting until we build new mental pathways in our brains.
Now, as I sit facing another day with a daunting to-do list. I am reminding myself it’s in the discomfort that we experience growth. Our personal growth happens on the edges. I know this fact to be true.
It is going through and surviving some of the darkest moments in my life that I have realised what I am really capable of.
As I reflect on all those who I have helped going through extraordinary circumstances, this is the common thread. It’s about understanding that feeling of discomfort is ok. Sometimes it’s great!
Controlling our environment
I am not sure why we have been trained to believe that we think life should be easy and we should always be happy. It’s not real life. Our curated world on social media shows us the highlight reels of everyone else’s existence. The advertising and marketing messages we are served up are clear if you have “this product or service” you will be happy and all your problems will be solved. You should be comfortable. And what happens to all of us after hearing and believing these messages constantly is that we move away from any level of discomfort at any cost. We control our environment to the point that we don’t experience discomfort. We live in air conditioning, don’t get wet, don’t get dirty, and somehow everything around us need to be perfect and controlled. Why? And how did we get here?
Feeling positive emotions all the time. It’s simply not true, nor is it possible. It’s actually unhealthy.
So, my revolution and evolution came when I started changing how I thought about that anxious and fearful feeling. It matters. Because being scared and uncomfortable is where you learn and where the magic happens.
Personal growth happens on the edges, it often happens when we step outside of our comfort zones and face situations that make us uncomfortable. When we are uncomfortable, we are often forced to confront our fears, doubts, and limiting beliefs, which are the catalyst for personal growth.
Find ways to challenge yourself:
I have found when I step into the space to do things that I am not comfortable with, I find new experiences and learning opportunities. You learn new things about yourself.
Overcoming obstacles:
This is the best way to build resilience. No book or course is going to give you better skills than when you face obstacles and challenges that make you uncomfortable. Learning problem-solving skills and patience is developed through practice. So the best the best possible way to develop your problem-solving skills is through overcoming obstacles.
Learning from mistakes:
When you make mistakes or fail, it can be uncomfortable. Let’s be honest no one likes making mistakes but it can also provide invaluable learning experiences that help us grow and improve. The quickest way to learn and improve is through mistakes, embrace them.
Developing new perspectives:
Understanding others happens when you step out of your comfort zones. Have you ever gone to another country and experienced a different culture or a different lifestyle? It is where you can gain new perspectives and insights, compassion and understanding come through a new perspective. This helps us to grow and develop as individuals.
When we face our fears and overcome challenges, we can develop confidence in ourselves and our abilities, which can help us grow and achieve our goals.
It’s important to remember that personal growth can be uncomfortable at times, but it’s also a necessary part of life. By embracing discomfort and facing our fears, anything is possible.
Is it the pursuit of making more money or is it the pursuit of making more memories?
What are you making money for? I was recently talking to a business owner who decided to take the leap and be an entrepreneur. It is obviously no easy feat to go out to work for yourself. It requires a lot of money and a lot of time so you really need to be sure that this is what you want to do. You also want to make sure that the sacrifices you are making will be worth it. He is really doing a great job at it too. Having walked some of this journey with him initially his motivation was to have more time? But I asked is that why you should start a business. At our recent catch up he said it was to make more money. How much is enough money? What do you want the money for? It was this conversation that started me thinking about what is my purpose is it about making more money or is it about making more memories.
Where are you Spending Time?
This is something I think about how should I spend my time and what really brings me joy. My COVID experience has made this something I think about a lot more.
When you understand the things that bring you joy it is easier to allow life to pull you in certain directions. It is easier to be open to seeing the serendipitous moments too. I found myself being conscious about finding those moments you need to spend a little more time enjoying.
For me, it is small things that are often powerful;
An extra 5 minutes in bed in the morning enjoying an embrace from my husband. It is the sense of safety, relaxation and pure love. If I didn’t stop at that moment to take that in, to breathe in deeply I would miss it. I realise how lucky I am, and I try to take time to be grateful for life’s greatest joys and without a sense of gratitude I could miss it. I could easily get out of bed and get right in the busyness of the day.
The moment when I look out my window and know I have 3 incredible horses in my backyard. This was a childhood dream that I didn’t think was possible. When I go out in the paddock or look out my window it is about taking a mental picture and being present.
I love the mornings when my husband makes me poached eggs on toast. They are the most incredible poached eggs and no one else can make them as well. It is because every bit of them are done with love. The eggs come freshly laid by my free-range chooks and my husband knows how to poach the perfect egg. It is my favourite weekend breakfast along with the great coffee. I look forward to these breakfasts and I simply just savour the simplicity and perfection of the meal.
It is when my horse will master a new skill or something we have worked on together seems to come together finally. The time and hours put in it is those moments that provide me with elation.
Moments with my kids when there is laughter and when there is something new that they have mastered too. I have loved watching them grow into amazing humans.
The Joy of Giving
If you have ever had the opportunity to give someone something or do something that has really helped them, changed their day, or their life, you understand how powerful that is for you. There is something incredibly powerful in those moments where you can feel someones gratitude for making their life a little bit better. I love those memories these are ones I put on replay when I need to feel good as they always make me smile. I really love finding the perfect gift for someone.
Who do you want to be with?
Think about it: who would you rather spend your time with? Someone who is making money and spending all their free time doing so? Or someone who is making memories doing fun things with friends and family? Why do I ask this? Because in my experience, the people who are truly successful (and happy) have a balance between work and play. They don’t let work consume their whole lives. There are other things that matter to them besides making money. That’s not to say making more money can make you a lot happier than not having any money. I think that financial freedom is very powerful and being able to live a comfortable lifestyle certainly makes me a lot happier than being homeless.
Making More Money
I came from a working-class background. I know what it is like not to have money. I spent many years of my life making more money working harder than anyone else so that my children wouldn’t know what it is like to go without. I sacrificed a lot along the way and I still wonder whether it has been worth it all. I spent my time making more money it didn’t bring me the happiness I thought I would. I wanted to drive the fancy car, own my house and have fancy shoes. I guess what I have learned through this process is more things don’t make you happy. I have filled my life with having things and now I understand that people and places are what we remember on our deathbed, not the fancy things. It certainly won’t be my expensive coffee making coming to my bedside when I am sick and need someone.
Deathbed Moments
This is a profound question that was given to me by a young man who had too much life experience for someone his age. He had such a great time at Leading Together that he described it as a “deathbed memory”. I have started using this statement as my measuring stick and thinking is this a “deathbed memory” and I have started to realise it is the small things that are the most important. Having lost too many precious people too young you realise that things you miss the most are the simple things, not the grand gesture moments.
When you think about those precious life moments that you reflect on in your final hours what do you think that are they going to be? Making more money or making more memories.
Here are the top 5 ways to boost your emotional intelligence in order to find success. If you want to succeed in both your professional and personal life, there are a broad range of skills that can help. However, the emerging research is emotional intelligence is the most important skill you need to develop. Your vision and fresh and creative ideas are critical aspects of success. Leadership requires a number of human skills as well as technical skills for success.
Great leaders make themselves and their personal improvement a lifelong project. They actively seek out learning. They also seek out people who will tell them the truth about how they come across to others. In addition, tell them areas where they can make improvements. They look for organizations that will accommodate them or spend money on a coach who will provide them with honest feedback. Great leaders recognize that they are a work in progress and are always looking for ways to improve.
Develop Your Listening Skills
Good leaders are always aware of how essential listening skills are for success. They recognize that everyone has the desire to be heard. Not only do you receive more crucial information when you develop your listening skills, but you are better able to connect with others by picking up meanings and messages through nonverbal cues.
Show a Genuine Interest in Others
Not only do emotionally intelligent people learn the names of everyone that works at their company, but they also make it a point to find out as much about others as possible. They strive to find out what matters to them, whether it is their family, special interests, or hobbies. Showing a personal interest in those around you show others that they are valued as people, rather than just cogs in the machine.
Develop Your Ability to Manage Emotions
Developing your ability to manage not only yours but others’ emotions is an important skill to have. Leaders that possess high emotional intelligence can process information and respond only after they’ve thought about the situation. Emotionally intelligent people can pick up the underlying feelings behind the words spoken.
Develop a Strong Sense of Appreciation
Great leaders, with high emotional intelligence, are always appreciative and aware that they have others to thank for them to where they are. One way you can develop more gratitude is to keep a gratitude journal and write down three things you are grateful for every day. It helps to maintain a positive attitude and their motivation high throughout the day.
High emotional intelligence is an essential aspect of success. Incorporate these five tips into your life and you can help boost your emotional intelligence.
The beliefs that we hold are just patterns that we’ve learned and developed over the years. There are a number of things throughout our lives that play a role in shaping our beliefs. Some of these might be supporting and nurturing, while others might be roadblocks on our paths to achieving happiness. Positive affirmations are a great way to change the barriers into supportive and encouraging truths. You can use positive affirmations to keep you moving forward. Here are four useful tips for writing positive affirmations that work.
Write Down Your Ideas
You need to take the time to determine what areas of your life you want to improve. Write down your ideas on how you would like your life to look and areas that you want to improve. After you’ve written down your thoughts, take a look at each of them and write down a few positive statements that reflect your vision for your future life.
Use the Present Tense
When you write down your affirmations, you want to be sure to write them in the present tense. Write them down as though you are experiencing everything you desire right now. You want to avoid using words like, within the next two months. . . because every time you use this affirmation you are saying to yourself and the universe that you are still two months away from achieving your goal. After you use this affirmation for one month, you will still be saying, within two months, which tells the universe and your mind that you haven’t gotten any closer to achieving your goals.
Focus on What You Want
You need to write your affirmations in a way that forces them to focus on what you want in life, rather than what you are trying to eliminate or avoid in your life. For example, rather than writing I’m not addicted to alcohol, a better option would be to write something like, I am completely free from alcohol. If you aren’t sure about how to write an affirmation in the positive, then you can imagine that you’ve already accomplished whatever it is that you want to achieve and describe yourself in that positive light.
Writing positive affirmations is both an empowering and exciting experience. Learn how to enjoy the process and try not to get caught up in the details of what you’re writing. Have fun with the process and try to relax.
