Horses Poop

Horses have taught me so many life lessons. Some of them are easy and pleasant. Some are tough and I struggle with them almost constantly. Some of them I can’t articulate. Some of them, like today’s lesson, I can share with you. Today’s lesson didn’t come straight from the horse’s mouth, but rather from the other end. 

You see, horses poop. A lot. 

I am blessed with 4 horses currently. It’s not even close to how many horses some other folks have, but I’m maxed out in the poop department. Every day involves a shovel and wheel barrow. It’s not bad in summer time when it’s dry, but in the rain or snow, it’s less fun.

But here’s the thing, I love my horses. I can’t live without them. 

Well, I mean of course I’d survive; my heart would keep beating and air would continue to enter and leave my lungs, but you know what I mean. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I can’t thrive without them.

But the fact remains that horses poop. 

If I prioritize having horses in my life, I have to deal with the poop.

I have to live with the poop in service of the horses whom I can’t live without.

There are other things in life that I cannot survive or thrive without. 

My husband, family, good homemade food, fulfilling work, a cozy home; the list goes on.

Each of these things come with their own “poop” if you will. 

Challenges, disagreements, quirky personalities, annoying character traits, hard work, tough conversations, the sweat and blood poured in; this list goes on even longer. 

Unfortunately, sometimes we just focus on this “poop” - the challenges and hard work. Sometimes we complain and bemoan the presence of those difficulties. 

The reason for this is that our priorities are out of line. We prioritize comfort over connection, ease over depth, and convenience over character.

When we are honest with ourselves and set our priorities straight again, we see clearly that love, connection, family, health, fulfillment matter so much more than those “poopy” little things.

When our priories are straight, we can live with those things, in service of the things we cannot live without.

So here’s my question for you: where are the things in your life that you can live with in service of the things you cannot live without?

How can you prioritize the things that matter most so that the “poop” is easier to deal with?

Bonus: What are the things you really cannot thrive without? Are there things that you’ve been prioritizing that maybe don’t need to be cluttering up your life? How can you simplify?

Here’s to conquering stress.

With heart,

The Stress Experts