In a recent Nic Askew Soul Biography video, entrepreneur Rick Sapio talks about finding one’s purpose and taking responsibility for outcomes. He also poses a powerful question. Using the metaphor of a horse and rider for how we live our lives, he suggests that you can choose which one you will be. He goes on to say that whichever role you choose to take, life will take the other role. His question: Do you choose to be the rider or the horse?
It’s an interesting question to consider. Watch this seven-minute film before you read on.
Certainly Rick’s words on knowing your soul mission or life purpose and taking responsibility for your life are important. Yet the horse and rider question is what gets my attention in this short film. Think about it. Do you choose to be the horse and let life be the rider? Or do you choose to be the rider and let life become the horse? In other words, do you let life ride you, or do you ride life? Are you the one in the saddle holding the reins and steering the horse (life), or is life riding the horse (you)?
For me, it’s not such a simple, either/or question. My initial answer is, “It depends.” The bigger question that guides my life is, “What wants to happen?” It’s not, “What do I want?” Life is about more than just what I “want.” So from this perspective, it would seem that I choose to be the horse and let life, or perhaps better said, a greater potential, be in the saddle holding the reins. I let an intelligence or force greater than me guide me.
However, there are also times when I sense that the greater potential is asking me to take charge for specific actions, tasks, or accomplishments. That potential then becomes this amazing wave to ride (the horse) and I’m in the saddle, choosing the specific paths I will take. In those moments, it’s up to me to take responsibility and get specific things done.
So back to Rick Sapio’s question, “Are you the rider or the horse?” Maybe the answer is, “Both, at different times.” What if it’s really about being conscious of when it is time to be the rider and when it is time to be the horse?
“Taking responsibility” then takes on a new meaning. It’s not about being in control, but rather about awareness – knowing when to be the horse and when to be the rider, and then going for it!
P.S. To learn more about sensing a greater potential and how to intuit the answers to questions like whether to be the rider or the horse, Chapter 8 of my latest book, Create A World That Works, can be a great place to start. The book is also available in digital format.
If you enjoyed this blog post and found it helpful or inspiring, I invite you to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter by clicking here.