
Horses bring us a fabulous life lesson on how to deal with fear and uncertainty in all areas of our lives. Those of us who work with horses like we do here, already understand that in its prime form, fear is designed to keep us safe. It’s an alarm bell that says “heads up, you’re gonna get hurt if you keep going.”
As we work with our horses, we can use that fact, we can use our internal warning system to not only BE safe, but to FEEL safe. We can use it for our horses too, for THEM to not only be safe but to feel safe too. It’s a beautiful way of working and feeling when we make the confidence in that safety our primary goal for both ourselves and our horse.
What’s this got to do with economics? And why the hell should I care?
I’m glad you asked! lol!
What do we want our world to look like?
The “c” word has just changed our world forever. Don’t sigh on me, this is an UPlifting article full of hope and “how to”.
It’s a good deal that our world is changing, because here’s just SOME of the ways in which it wasn’t working:
- Our climate is changing. Holy snappin’ turtles, we Aussies had a huge lesson in THAT this summer! And while we were experiencing life changing heat and fires some of you were experiencing other kinds of weather changes.
- Food, water and the essentials of life are not available to all who live on on our planet – and I mean human and animal both.
- Look around you and I mean really SEE – we have dramatic social injustice even within a wonderful country like Australia, let alone out in the wider world.
- We have giant corporations that the system itself compels to grow or fail, so that they do unconscionable things to reach their growth. Oh shit I just realized that I had a part to play in that and thus have a delightful part to play in changing it. I love those ahhaa moments of guidance that feel so delicious!
- We have a medical system that is delicately balanced on the brink and if it’s not in crisis already, it soon will be. Those of us who aren’t in desperate need are going to need to find ways to take charge of our OWN health.
How do ordinary people like us find peace of mind and guidance to what’s right? How do we find guidance for what’s good for us and what’s also good for others around us? How do we find guidance for what’s good for us and good for our planet at the same time? How do we find guidance for what’s good for us and all the wonderful beings and different forms of life that live on this planet with us at the same time?
Because all those things are about real sustainability.
Here’s my answer:
- When we learn how to understand our fear, we learn how to find peace of mind.
- When we learn how to use our internal warning system to not only be safe but to feel safe with our horses, that practice makes it easier to do the same thing IN ALL ASPECTS OF OUR LIVES. Just like with our horses, we can use our internal guidance system to not only to find safety for ourselves but to help others be and feel safe too. It’s a beautiful way of working and feeling when we make the confidence in safety our primary goal in all aspects of our life not just for us, but to everyone and everything around us.
- Just like we can do with our horses, we can use our internal guidance system to find love and joy and expanded feelings of RIGHTNESS in all aspects of our lives – not just for us, but for everyone and everything around us.
- I can feel someone thinking this is wishy washy stuff that hasn’t got anything to do with producing concrete outcomes around these difficult situations. I am sooo glad to tell you that it is not only possible to produce concrete outcomes, it’s the same internal guidance and ahhaa moments that has produced almost all the great leaps of thought, almost all the great leaps forward in history.
- and here below is one of them.
Economic safety
Just like it does with our horses, in every other area of our lives, our fear is guiding us towards safety. With the biggest fear around the health crisis, watching our economies collapse has most of us feeling scared and helpless and that’s because we think we can’t do anything about it.
And yet we’ve learned with our horses that fear is “just” another part of our internal guidance system. If there was really nothing for us to do about our economic situation, then we wouldn’t be afraid. So if we’re feeling afraid right now, then there IS something to know or do about it.
If we’re afraid, then there’s something we need to know or do in order to BE and FEEL safe ourselves or to help another to BE and FEEL safe.
Doughnut economics brings a new perspective and a new hope for a brave new world of sustainability. It’s about thriving instead of growing.
Here’s a TEDtalk back in 2018, where the great thinker Kate Raeworth gives an introduction to an economic model that’s about thriving rather than growing. For those of you who’ve been around for a long time, this is very similar to the Wetlands Model that Devony brought to our attention 10 years ago in our very first on line course Through the Grace of Our Horse.
Once we embrace THRIVING as what we want, rather than growing, the ideas can start to flow. THRIVING feels like such a lovely answer.
This TEDTALK is just an introduction to the idea. If the economic impact of this virus thing is scaring you, then look her up. Join the discussion. Start thinking about what thriving will look like in YOUR life and YOUR family, YOUR community and YOUR world.
Develop your internal guidance system and experience the great leaps of thought that will help you find what thriving is going to look like for you.
And may the Horse be with you…
If this video isn’t working for you, you’ll find the TEDtalk here
If you’ve come to this article not knowing about the internal guidance system that I’m talking about, then there’s a video of Dawn learning how to use her guidance system with the traumatized wild horse that will give you an introduction to it in this article here.
Other articles to help you with the “c” word:
A healing meditation from my reiki grid
Well with all my bookings cancelled for at least the next 3 months, and I have no other income, it is certain that this pandemic is going to affect my financial security. BUT, unusually, I am not dwelling on it, fretting over it, or getting stressed about it, because my intuition tells me that this has happened for a very good reason, and that maybe my life will go in a very different direction when all this is over – and I trust my intuition absolutely!
I am not the slightest bit surprised Chris. You and you sweet sister are poster girls for using your inner guidance and finding serenity again no matter what’s going on in your life. You both rock!