I have heard both phrases and I think that
both, in some ways, are true. The trouble
comes when we focus too much on one.
We make goals to help us focus. If we don’t
have goals, long and short term goals, we
can drift about with no idea of where we are
or what we want to accomplish. We have to
have some thought about what we want or what
we want our horse to be. It doesn’t matter
what discipline we practice, whether we want
to reach the Olympics or just trail ride, we
have to have a goal of where we want to be.
We have to enjoy the journey or we will
never get to the end. If we don’t enjoy the
journey for the journey’s sake, then we have
lost sight of what we are doing with our
horses. If you can’t run the race and enjoy
the running, winning is somewhat hollow. To
quote a movie: “If you’re not enough without
it, you will never be enough with it.”
We must try to focus on where we are while
still keeping the end in sight. We cannot
focus all our attention on the present or
the end. Neither is complete without the
other. While we may never quite reach our
goal, we must strive to meet it. If we meet
our goal, we must not be satisfied with
that; we must reach farther out and strive
for even more. It is this striving for our
goals that allows us to dream, to imagine,
and to try.
We must also keep the present in mind while
we are doing all that striving, imagining,
and trying. We have to meet our horse where
he is and not pressure him to meet our
standards or goals. We must help him be the
best he can be where he is. The goal is a
guide, not a means of force.
I tend to get wrapped up in the goal and
what it will be like when we reach that
goal. I sometimes miss the very precious
time that I have now. I miss the moments
that I can spend enjoying my horse just for
his sake. In horsemanship, we are striving
for a balance between the two, both working
hard for something, while still taking time
to smell the roses.
