Wow! I just finished another Way of the Horse workshop up here at Bushwood Farm near Woodstock, NY. This time the theme was Create Your Future Through the Way of the Horse.

A small group of us took advantage of the incredible weather this time of year, crisp light, reds and yellows on the trees and a lot of sunshine to spend some time accessing a part of ourselves that we normally don't, with the help of the horses.

Horses live completely in the present, they don't know about future. So how does planning your future intersect with horses? What better way to create your future than from being fully present in the here and now? So, that's what we did.

Each time I create the space and opportunity to do this work I am equally amazed by the beauty and potential that the horses reveal to us by mirroring who we truly are. Because they are animals of prey they have highly developed sensory awareness systems. To them everything, including emotions, is information that tells them they should flee or graze. With humans their behavior is a reaction to our emotions, even if we aren't aware of them. Because as humans we exist mostly in our heads, we not only ignore what we feel, we often mistake these feelings for something they aren't. Horses teach us about feeling emotions and the information they have for us.

For example....Fear vs. Vulnerability.

Fear

Message
Intuitive, focused awareness of something that is a threat to our physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual well being
Questions to ask of the emotion
What is the threat?
What action must I take to move to a position of safety?
Intensification
Worry, anxiety, Confusion, dulling of senses, Panic, terror, dissociation

Vulnerability

Message
Something significant is about to change or be revealed
Questions to ask of the emotion
What wants to happen and how does this seem to threaten the status quo?
What belief, behavior, or perception is being challenged?
Intensification
Panic, Anger

Working with the horses gives us the opportunity to make a distinction between these two powerful emotions. Being able to do so is critical for moving forward. Fear, our reaction to a real physical threat, informs immediate actions that can save our lives. Vulnerability is an indicator that we are growing--by letting go of what is no longer serving us.

Where are you right now? Is it time to flee for your life, or question what is happening in the present that can change or evolve and Create Your Future?

This is just the beginning...There are so many full emotions for us to embrace as we live. The first step is awareness, and then the journey begins. Welcome.

To learn more about Karla McLaren's and Linda Kohanov's Messages Behind Emotions, contact me at Lisa@metacg.com.

I am always wondering about or doing something concrete toward developing my authenticity and integrating it more into my business coaching. Well, this week has been no exception; however, I am amazed at what I discovered!

This particular part of my journey took me back to a client that I have had for a long time, but rarely felt that I was able to give them the most value possible. I was sure that this was due more to their perspective of value rather than mine. When asked to do the job of coaching a leadership team on some strategic and short term issues, I balked and as much as said, I didn't think this was a good thing for them or me.

Feeling both nervous that they would take me seriously and agree with me, and elated that I had gently but firmly set my own boundary of authenticity, I contemplated my actions. However, as life would have it, they called to confirm the time of arrival and the objectives for the 2-day retreat.

I took a deep breath of relief, or was it annoyance, and began preparations.

To my surprise, and come to find out theirs, I was able to respond to them from my most powerful place. The meeting ended up being an amazing blend of my 15 years of coaching and consulting and my love and passion, the relationship work with the horses--but without the horses.

I was so surprised to find that when in my own authenticity, what I know and what I love organically worked together, for the greater good--the client’s and mine. It was so effortless. I found myself in my favorite place with a corporate team! This something I have been working for years to do.

How is this possible? My husband and consulting partner Paul Kwiecinski observed that by my becoming aware of and honoring my boundaries I was able to take the risk to question the same old path we had been taking as client and coach/consultant for the past 7 years. This created an opening for something new and powerful to happen in our relationship. That along with the Multi-Level Systemic Coaching, the methodology I am using that combines coaching, organization development consulting and energy science. If you want to know more about this, look under Coaching Solutions on our site.

Who would have thought that what I have been saying for years is actually true? I guess to get something different; you have to do something different. The difference for me was my authenticity. Not always so comfortable, but very effective! What a journey...