Shifting Away From a Comparison Lens

​“Regardless of what we believe, or how we view the world, the one thing we all have in common is our respect for the horse.”

These words were shared as I began a 3-day horsemanship clinic.

I’m not sure if it is human nature or not, but I admit, from the moment I arrived with my horse, I had been looking around and noticing all the differences between myself and others. I was noticing people’s ages, people’s confidence with their horses, the colors and breeds of the horses, and the quality of their equipment. And I was making it all mean something. 

I wasn’t conscious of where my focus had been until the clinician called out how we were aligned. 

This simple reminder about what we all share in common took me out of my comparison lens and dropped me into the commonality view. 

This shift made all the difference for me. 

We were all there because we had the utmost respect (and, dare I say, love) for the horse.

I encourage you to practice calling out what it is you all have in common, as you participate in meetings, attend an event, or engage in conversations with a group of people.​

This will give you all permission to let go of the focus on any differences that may create barriers or hurdles. 

For me, I saw that within hours, our group of 11 – different backgrounds, ages, experience levels, and (I’m sure) belief systems and values – came together with a shared focus: respect for horses. 

We joined together to improve how we show up.