What is, is (the acceptance of what is, without judgment, in the moment).
Recently, I was faced with two potentially disastrous situations, and in both cases I found myself uncharacteristically calm and present – which I am sure averted both disasters.
The first averted disaster involved a horse and a trolley. The trolley – used for moving heavy furniture, appliances, etc. was sitting in the middle of our round yard holding a folded up massage table. I was standing near it with two other people when Mac seemed to purposefully walk into the round yard and lay down in the sand near the trolley. He rolled and twisted, getting himself nearer and nearer to the trolley. Before I could move the trolley, he rolled over kicking the massage table into orbit, and tangled his hind legs in the steel bars of the trolley. He leapt to his feet and continued to struggle to free his hind legs. He could have potentially broken his legs and I realized the only way I could help him was to be intensely calm and present. I instinctively knew that I could not allow myself to fear what might happen. I found myself observing Mac struggle and hearing the words, ‘what is, is.’ I didn’t move and my heart rate didn’t change. A few moments later Mac flicked off the trolley – which also flew into orbit, and calmly walked away. I checked his legs and there was not a mark on them!
Here’s Mac
The second averted disaster involved a horse and a barbed wire fence. I saw Grace caught in the middle of a 500-metre-long barbed wire fence. The rest of the herd was at the far end of the fence, and Grace was standing alone. When the other horses spotted me they galloped toward me – straight past Grace. They ran past me, turned around and ran down the fence line – again, past Grace. When they reached the end of the fence, they turned around and one more time, galloped past Grace. All this time, Grace did not move. Just like with Mac, I knew I had to be intensely calm and present. She was several hundred metres away from me, and as I walked calmly towards her (all the while the herd was galloping up and down), I did not allow my thoughts to fear that she could shred her legs and rip tendons and muscles if she struggled. When I finally reached her, I saw that both of her front legs were woven between two strands of barbed wire. I helped her step through the fence, and when I checked her legs after she was freed, she did not have a mark on them!
Here’s Grace
Both of these experiences are reminders of the power of our thoughts. Energy flows where our attention goes. So, the next time you are faced with a situation that could become ugly, stay present. Inhabit your body, empty your mind and be intensely aware – without judgment: what is, is!