“On the other side of discomfort lies great rewards, goals, excitement, adventure and dreams that come true”. Glenn Stewart
Do you ever feel like your Pushing a rock up a hill when it comes to your horse? Imagine what it would be like pushing a rock up the hill. Every day you think about that rock and the hill you have to push it up you start finding reasons why you don’t have time today, maybe tomorrow or maybe on the weekend or next weekend or when the weathers better or in the summer. Weeks, months, years go by and basically nothing has changed. We are just older and so is the horse. When we finally talk ourselves into trying again it isn’t that much fun for various reasons. It’s difficult, challenging, maybe scary always trying to roll backwards. What if you stayed at it long enough to get the rock to the top of that hill. What if the next day it was all downhill no more pushing and working so hard.
Starting a Colt: Pushing Through the Hard Part
I experience this every time I start another colt. Until I get to where I can ask the horse to canter right and left leads from the saddle it feels like I’m pushing the rock up a hill. Wondering as I take those first few rides getting to where we can canter around comfortably if I might get bucked off. I don’t like pushing the rock up the hill or wondering if I’m going to get bucked off so I do everything I know I need to do so hopefully on the third day I’ve got them saddled and cantering around. After that it feels like I made it to the top and its easy sailing. I’d rather do the work be uncomfortable for a short period and get done what I need to get done so I can get to easy street as soon as possible. I don’t want to drag things out, pushing the rock up the hill any longer than I have to. I’d rather be uncomfortable for a short time than avoid what I need to do and be uncomfortable for a long time knowing that at some point it has to happen.
The Hidden Costs of Avoiding Discomfort
Some folks will avoid discomfort at any cost. By cost I mean financial, social, emotional. They don’t get to go ride with their friends or always paying someone else to ride their horse, feeding and caring for a horse that is just a pasture ornament. There is many ways and reasons that we can feel uncomfortable. So, we need to do, what we need to do, to get through it, over it and to the other side.
What Are You Avoiding?
Is there anything that you are working on or avoiding working on that has been a challenge, difficult, uncomfortable for some reason? Do you ever avoid a little or a lot? Are there things you want to do that you are not? Riding with friends out on the trails, loping across a field, loading your horse and heading out on a poker ride, moving the neighbor’s cattle? Riding other people’s horses, going on horse adventures around the world? Have you changed or given up on your goals or dreams from when you bought your horse?
The Path is Proven—You Just Have to Follow It
I hope not, there is absolute proven pathways to follow. The exact steps already laid out, you just have to follow the path. However, the best equipment, exercises, advise most proven pathway doesn’t help anything unless we are willing to throw away the excuses. Be willing to put in some effort and know that learning is uncomfortable. Knowing that the immediate gratification of excuses and avoidance is actually just a long slow burn of disappointment.
Comfort Can Be Costly
Some people understand that the immediate gratification of comfort and avoidance has way too high a price to pay. The trade off is absolutely not worth it. If the same problems are appearing a month down the road something has to change.
How Do You Respond to Discomfort?
When you get uncomfortable what is your reaction to it? Uncomfortable can show up in many ways, fear, challenging, difficult, frustrating, feeling embarrassed, seems impossible. What’s your response when one of these happens? How do you view being uncomfortable?
The BLAH BLAH BLAH of Avoidance
Have you ever listened to someone rationalize their avoidance? Listened to a hundred excuses why they can’t or it won’t work or it’s someone or something else’s problem. They just have no control over the situation that they keep finding themselves in. Even though the solution is right in front of them but they are unwilling to make the changes, learn the skills, look in the mirror?
Excuses Don’t Lead to the Life You Want
I hear it, see it and listen to it all too often and I can tell they actually would like to do whatever it is with their horse but they spend more time making excuses and rationalizing all their decisions than following a completely proven path to success; used with amazing success by thousands of other horse enthusiasts.
The Ones Who Succeed Accept Discomfort
The difference is the ones having success understand learning new skills takes time and often feels uncomfortable. They also know that on the other side of discomfort lives all the good stuff. All the goals and dreams live on the other side of discomfort.
Don’t Get Stuck in a Comfortable Rut
Goals and dreams are never achieved from excuses and avoidance. Allowing ourselves a few excuses once in a while, doing a bit of avoiding, isn’t the end of the world but we don’t want to hang out there. Being comfortable is a good thing for short periods. Maybe for a quick breather but change and growth comes from the challenges and learning. We can be in a constant state of discomfort because we work so hard trying to stay comfortable.
Trade Short-Term Discomfort for Long-Term Reward
Embrace discomfort, stay focused, don’t avoid, no excuses, keep your eye on the prize. On the other side of discomfort lies great rewards, goals, excitement, adventure and dreams that come true. The main thing to realize is that constant comfort has a very high price attached to it.
Stop Telling the Same Story
I have listened to people tell me the same sad story for literally years about all the things they want to do with their horse but can’t because BLAH BLAH BLAH!!! Until they are ready to end the BLAH BLAH it won’t matter what amazing path they are given to follow they will never arrive. We have to be willing to follow the path, do the work, learn the skills, embrace discomfort, drop the excuses and have fun, enjoy the new skills we learn and get ready for doors to open that we never knew were closed.
Push the Rock, Reap the Rewards
Push the rock up the hill, put your back into it and reap the rewards.
Glenn Stewart