April 29th 2023

Stand in strength

This week I needed to disk some soil to prep for planting. The fields we were working in were on the small side for our equipment. Usually when we disk we drive four horses, but in small spaces with lots of turns the horses tend to get frustrated so I decided to try disking with just three. Now the question was which three horses to choose? The two mares, Ivy and Scooter, don’t work together and I worried that even if I put another horse between them they could try to reach around and fuss with each other. Ivy and Jack work fairly well together and they’re both a little chunky and could use the exercise. I also wanted to get Scout in the field this week. Usually I would have Jack in the middle and the girls on the outside, but Jack is the best with tight turns, he’s very nimble and loves to do fancy footwork. So I put him on the outside of the tongue and decided we would only turn toward him. This also put Scout on the outside of the hitch where she could pull a little slower when she needed to. I didn’t know for sure how they would all perform together without Sam to keep them steady but they did fairly well. They all have different personalities and quirks and I did the best I could to set us up for success. I’m reminded of when and where I try to do this in my personal life too. We all have our own strengths, there are people we work well with on certain tasks or simply being in the right position to accomplish a goal can make all the difference. There are so many times that I create unrealistic expectations for myself based around who I think I should be, or what I want to be able to accomplish. It hasn't ever made me more productive, it just leaves me overwhelmed or disappointed. I have to look at the horses and realize where they are right now and accept that. I have to look at everyone in my life and accept them for who they are and lean on their strengths. Just like I do for the horses I want to setup the people in my life for success. I don’t want to ask someone for something they can’t give. When we accept people for who they really are we set ourselves free from being disappointed by who they aren’t. (And isn’t that what it means to love someone?) This isn’t easy work. I’m still figuring it out most days. But hopefully this example helps some of you throughout your week.