I just returned from a sublime week in California, wrapping up my Master Coach training with Martha Beck herself. It was beyond special. I've had difficulty figuring out how to describe the experience with words. There was a convergence of beauty and energy of place, people, horses and nature. There was a collective intention to learn, love and share. I am beyond honored to be called a Master Coach, and of course I'm still learning and always will be. While I was working on my application for the Master Coach program back in March, I created a super-quick vision board one morning. It looked like this:
My favorite part of it was this woman draped in filmy orange fabric, a beautiful white horse behind her, its eyes peacefully closed. This was my intention for the horse coaching that I knew would come at the end of our training. At that point I just wanted to survive the horse coaching. I didn't know too much about it except that you couldn't hide anything from a horse. I had a crazy idea that the horses would gaze deep into my soul, find me wanting, and ignore me or run away. So this image , which I gazed at for many months leading up to my horse experience, well, it was there to comfort me. Maybe I would be like gauzy-dress-woman and a white horse would follow me. Peaceful. (I ignored the reality that the horse was probably blinking from the wind machine that had the model's hair going all crazy like that.)
So, the months went on. I completed myriad assignments. I received helpful feedback. I cried some. I hid some. I stepped out some. I tried all kinds of crazy ideas. I took some risks. I did my best to be present and to show up. And finally, the time came to show up in person at Martha's ranch.
I arrived just a little bit early with Erin, a fellow Master-Coach-to-be who was familiar with the ranch and the horses, as she's an expert Equus coach. (Thank you, Universe, for making those arrangements!) We had time to go see the beautiful labyrinth, which meant walking through a fenced area with horses. Two white horses!
So there I was. Me and a white horse. No boundaries between us. Plenty of room for it to ignore me and stay far away, disappointed with my lack-luster soul.
Ah, but that's not what happened. No. This horse came right up to me. Snuffled my face with his sweet velvety nose. Exhaled his grassy breath onto my cheek. (How had I never had that incredible experience before?) We took a selfie together. Erin said it appeared that he was very agreeably posing with me.
Wow. We hadn't even gotten to the horse coaching day and my vision had come true, minus orange see-through dress and wind machine.
Now I see white horses everywhere. I saw this beautiful one yesterday.
I bet he dresses up like a unicorn for Halloween!
I saw a spotted white and tan horse today, but didn't take a picture. I'm seeing them everywhere, in catalogs, in paintings. Nearly every day, a white horse. For now, they're talismans of what's possible, just like it said in the appropriately orange words I glued across gauzy-girl's waist. "Think what's possible." So much is possible. Me. A master coach. Hanging out for a weekend with Martha, Koelle, Jennifer, Bridgette. And my wonderful Master Coach cohort. Learning. Teaching. Sharing. Being.
So much is possible.
Vision boards help me with my intentions. They provide images for me to connect with, perhaps even on a subconscious level. And they are so much fun! If you're in the New Orleans area and love vision boards and wigs and dancing, it's still not too late to sign up for WIGS and WIGS this Thursday, November 14. Who knows what you might put on your board that may come true in the best way? Intention is a powerful tool.
And if you see a white horse, please say hello for me!