Hold On or Release

Written by Barb Greenberg

In my office is a picture I took out of a magazine many years ago.  It is a photograph of a horse in mid-flight over a large jump.  The horse is being ridden by a young woman, and in large letters at the top of the picture is the word RELEASE.

The article accompanying the picture explained that if you don’t release the reins, a horse cannot jump. And sure enough, in the picture, the young woman’s hands are resting partway up her horse’s neck, and there is loop in her reins.

How can she do this? Isn’t she afraid? What if something happens?  How does she stay on?

She stays on for two reasons.  One is her focus. She is not looking down. She is not looking behind her.  She is looking forward.

Second, her power and security does not come from holding the reins. That is only an illusion.  Her security comes from the strength in her legs and her core.

This picture reminds me that tightly holding onto something will not protect me, and when I feel stuck, there are things I need to release in order to move forward.

We each have our own lists of what we want to release, especially when we are dealing with  divorce. When we are able to look forward, and realize our strength comes from the core of who we are, our spirit will take flight, just as surely as the horse in the picture.