Parables: Life Lessons From A Horse

Welcome to Episode 9 of Parables: Life Lessons From a Horse where we are talking about freeing ourselves from societal limits and self-imposed beliefs.

A few years ago, I was speaking at an event, and afterwards, one of the audience members approached me because he felt my message needed to be heard in Africa… He and his wife had created a village in Uganda and they were doing amazing things there. One thing led to another, and there I was, in Uganda, speaking at their village, inside a women’s prison and at churches.

To say it was an amazing trip is an understatement—It was enlightening, inspiring and life-altering.

Without going into too much detail, I had the incredible experience of a true African safari. On that adventure, I experienced nature in it’s most natural, untouched form. Listen to learn more about what I discovered on that Safari and the life lessons I took away.

Welcome to Episode 8 of Parables: Life Lessons From a Horse where we are talking about creativity and routine.

Over the past year, I have been consistent with Para—Playing with him regularly, setting goals and always showing up. Pretty quickly, though, I felt that our progress together plateaued and boredom set in... For both of us. Boredom then started manifesting itself into unfavorable behavior from him and I began to wonder "What is the answer?"

Through self-reflection of  my own life, I soon discovered the answer was creativity, variety and learning!

Since changing my perspective for Para, I have begun challenging him through creative activities, learning new things and always keeping it fun. I'm glad to report that we are back on the upward trend of improvement.

Our guest today shares about creativity and how we can all learn to embrace it.

Will Smith said “No matter how talented you are, your talent will fail you if you’re not skilled. Skill is achieved through practice. Work hard and dedicate yourself to be better everyday.” This rings true for many of us and sometimes it's easy to discount people's hard work when we only see the end result. 

Today, we are talking with Alissa Kelly who shares a beautiful story about her horse Toasty. Toasty was a “reject” with poor confirmation, but with Alissa’s vision and his heart, they made an impression in the arena that has shocked people. Listen to learn more about Toasty and how try and heart can overcome obstacles in animals’ lives and in our own lives.

Alissa Kelly is a wife, mom and barrel racer of 14 years and both raises and trains future barrel horses for competition. Beyond that, she enjoys working from home doing sales, marketing, networking and promoting riders and brands within the equine industry.

One of her prize horses is Toasty and he is a rather special horse. He was discarded due to his severe sway back at the age of only 2. As Alissa says “The most valuable lesson I have learned from him stems from his heart and try. These two things have led him to becoming recognized and adored by many. He’s the horse that loves his job, tries no matter the circumstance and puts his heart into the sport.” 

Toasty reminds Alissa every day that even if we are not breaking records or winning every weekend, you can still be admired and respected.

I’ve always seen and connected with animals differently than many people. I could never explain the feeling I had with them, but in this episode we are talking about a book, Kinship With All Life by J. Allen Boone, that demonstrates this feeling so beautifully and unfolds stories that represent the silent language that is spoken between animals and humans.

We will be reviewing research and science behind the connection between animals and humans as well as learning how animals can make us better leaders. True leadership is partnership—not dictatorship.

What is the difference between training and educating, anyway? We will be talking about that difference, and:

• How animals can teach us love without boundaries
• To be still 
• And to listen without expectations

Welcome to Episode 4 of Parables: Life Lessons From A Horse.

Welcome to Episode 3 of Parables: Life Lessons From A Horse. 

Welcome to Episode 2 of Parables: Life Lessons From A Horse.

Today, we are talking about courage. With a little confidence building and small acts of courage, Para went from refusing to cross boggy ground to swimming in unclear waters. 

Sometimes, the first step is the hardest to take, but our guest today helps share how we can start small and grow big. 

As one of the first female success coaches in the country, Mandy Bass has helped thousands of entrepreneurs break through their income ceilings, reduce stress and lead more fulfilling lives. What she didn’t know was how important these skills would be in saving  herself. On February 7, 2016 she suffered a brutal attack on her life  when a college student broke into her home in a drug-induced rage and nearly beat her to death. Against all odds, she got herself back on her feet and rebuilt her business and her life.