My life unraveled this past month. And, I couldn’t be happier.
About 4 weeks ago, I traveled to Savannah Georgia to participate in coach training for a program called BARE (more on the details of this program in a later post). Part of this program is about getting naked with yourself.
Yes, naked – literally and metaphorically. Can you look at yourself in the mirror and feel absolute, unconditional love for yourself? Can you look at your life and get very clear about what you may be hiding from?
I knew this program would change my life and it did. But not exactly the way I imagined.
Part of the experience in Savannah included a day of horse whispering (it’s real name is Equus Coaching—but it doesn’t sound as romantic).
The idea behind horse whispering is that the horse (and a master life coach) helps you discover what’s going on within you at the very core of all the swirling, all the fears and past that to that part of you that asks the questions and offers a very wise way forward.
As soon as I stepped into the ring, I knew the “gig” was up. Here I was standing alone with this 1800 lb. mass of energy – who knew my secrets. There is no lying in horse whispering.
The horse immediately started paying attention to my crotch. After confirming that the horse would not hurt me, I had to ask myself what does this mean? I quickly realized that this was all about vulnerability. Was I willing to lean in to me instead of the outside world and get really honest with myself? The horse was there to provide the mirror for me and unlock the gate.
I don’t like to make mistakes. I can be addicted to achieving. I don’t like to hear “no”—I have to prove to myself that I CAN do it. I had lots of stories about why I was carrying those heavy thoughts. And they are old, heavy stories that I realized I don’t even believe anymore.
It was as if Molly (my horse) knew I had signed up to get BARE and she was going to force the issue for me even when I wanted to avoid my own self-confrontation. I have a tendency to intellectualize almost everything (if you know me, you know me . . .). And yet, here in this moment, none of that mattered. It didn’t matter what my GPA was in school, or how many degrees/certifications I had, or what my job title is.
What mattered was did I have the courage to let go off the past, the thinking that was keeping me in a holding pattern, and brave forward without “knowing”.
Instead, my vulnerability asked me to embrace “feeling” as a guidepost. This is all very tender still and yet it feels like peace, like freedom.
BARE is not just a program – it’s a life recalibration that empowers us to step into our best lives.
I am beginning to offer one-on-one BARE coaching and an upcoming group program soon.