Hard Eyes, Soft Eyes
Why the Fastest Way There is Often the Slowest
This morning I thought I’d sit down and “get some work done.” I have a few projects I’m working on that I’m excited about, and I really wanted the chance to dive in. So, I tore myself away from my current puzzle and sat down to “accomplish” something.
But I wasn’t more than five minutes in before I began to get the signals. My enthusiasm was there, but it was as though my mind was putting up a smoke screen to keep the “work” from actually getting done. It wasn’t a loud protest; it was a subtle shift of energy. But because I have been practicing being more sensitive to such things, thankfully, I noticed it.
The thing is, though I really am excited about these projects, that “get something done” energy is just not where my Sunday morning is. So, even though it was a bit of a challenge to do so, I stepped away.
It’s a horse term, but it’s a life term, too.
“Hard Eyes” are what we use when we go into a project ready to conquer and “get things done.” But sometimes, that intensity is exactly what keeps us stuck. For instance, if you approach a horse to halter it with Hard Eyes, the horse will almost always run away. It’s too intense. It’s too direct. But if you switch to Soft Eyes—a wide, receptive, peripheral view—you can usually walk right up to them.
I think our creativity works this way as well. Our lives certainly do. There are times that call for Hard Eyes, but much of the time, a Soft Eyes approach will actually get us where we want to go faster... precisely because of its slowness.
If you’d like to go deeper into these practices, I invite you to join us for our monthly gathering, Take the Reins. Our next gathering is Sunday May 10th at 10am. We will be exploring this idea of ‘Hard Eyes and Soft Eyes.” We meet on the second Sunday of every month to find the “engaged rein” in our own lives through the wisdom of horsemanship. You can sign up here.
