As the title suggests, we can be and have significance yet be humble at the same time. It can be a balancing act. At times you may step across the line in either direction.
To be significant means we have a purpose and a reason for our actions. Give a person purpose and you will see a positively motivated individual. Take purpose away from a person and you will see a self conscious individual who is negatively motivated and may very well have a low self esteem.
To be significant, we need a task that we understand and can see through to the end. The end result becomes the motivation to succeed. When it comes to having significance to others, that's about us showing our value to them and letting them know that they can count on us and there is a reason for and a benefit to our actions.
In our Horsemanship, we need to have significance. This gives the horse reason and motivation to learn or to try. If we are not significant, we do not put out positive energy. We tend to be less interesting to the horse when we don't strive to have or show significance. When a horse learns that there are reasons and benefits to our interactions, they become very interested in us and what we might have to say.
We need to be aware that we don't stop being humble in the process. To be humble simply means to not put our own self worth above another. By staying humble we help ward off arrogance and it keeps us from pushing off our horses interest in us and their willingness to try.
In order to show significance and yet stay humble at the same time, we need to remember that our time with our horses is always a 2 way conversation. We cannot go into their time and space thinking only of our agendas. We listen to them and address their needs. This is not easy to explain. But an example might help. If I walk into a horses pen or stall, and they bend their head as to look the other way and avoid me. I don't continue up to them. Whether I am looking to put a halter on or just walk up to pet them. If they turn away from me, they don't want me. To stay humble I give them what they want. To have significance, I plant a thought in their mind that makes them desire more from me. In this case I would move in a way that I do not get closer or further away but move in a way that pushes on the hind end and draws the eye at the same time. If the head is bent away and I move as to go around their back side without getting any closer, we push the hind and draw the eye. We plant the thoughts of interest in what we are doing "and" what do we want? Once I have their interest, I soon have their attention and the desire to communicate further without any interest in leaving or ignoring me. In this example I had to spend a little extra time addressing the horses needs. But it pays in the long run because I was able to stay humble in a give and take sort of a way that allowed me to show that I had purpose, reason and benefits to our interactions which shows my significance.
There are many more examples I could talk about but the point is that your horse should see that you value your relationship with them and you really are good to have around. They should see you as a whole lot more than just the feed person. There should be many other benefits to having you in their life.
So work at being significant in your horses life, and do your best to stay humble.
Thanks for reading along.
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