Vol. 2.13 "Ride the Ride You Get"

Those words were spoken by Tammy McDonald, a very wise horse trainer for young girls, including my granddaughter.  At each horse show the girls would whine and complain about a judge, another horse, or some other circumstance beyond their control.  Tammy would tell the girls that they needed to "ride the ride you get".  She wanted them to focus on what they could do and not on all of the outside distractions; in other words, don't focus on things that you are not responsible for.

Such simple horse sense...but so difficult to do.  Acceptance of circumstances beyond our control is hard  especially if a solution seems so simple and within reach.  However, not everyone sees issues the same way.  There are just as many people invested in their own outcomes -- not yours, and you have no control over their thoughts and actions.

What is really important to understand is that you are only responsible for yourself -- your one voice and your own opinions, your own actions.  Once words leave your mouth or you share your written words, you have no control over the thoughts, feelings or actions of others.

As I mentioned in the last blog, we all want outcomes.  We are taught cause and effect and we expect the world should work that way, but if often does not.  When we don't get heard or we are ignored, after a few times, we just give up in frustration and stop trying.  That is our biggest mistake. We need to hang in there and just keep speaking up and out, keep writing and sharing ourselves.

Speaking up may be hard, but what is even harder and more destructive to our own sense of ourselves and self-worth is doing nothing.  Our sense of who we are and our importance to the world diminishes.  Our egos take a beating and a sense of helplessness and hopelessness sets in often leading to depression and a downward spiral.

"Ride the ride you get".  Accept what you cannot change (at least immediately) and what you can change -- maybe it is only your attitude.  And let that be your plan of action.  Be true to yourself.  Take care of your health and speak up for yourself and share your thoughts and feelings in a reasoned and respectful way.  You never know who is listening out there, and in the meantime, you will feel so much better for having done so.

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