When Your Horse (or Life) Turns Into a Wild West Show

Sometimes the clarity you need comes from trusting yourself

Hey there Wonder Tribe (is it ok if I call you that?)…

Welcome to another edition of Add Wonder. Today, I want to share a story that involves a bit of horse sense, a dash of humor, and a whole lot of learning about trusting yourself.

Picture this... I’m out with my horse, Novedoso, for what I thought would be a calm, uneventful stroll. But apparently, Novedoso had different plans... he decided he was auditioning for a Wild West show, bucking and kicking right in front of the reception area at El Lugar (one of my favorite resorts in Costa Rica) with a full audience watching. And there I was, suddenly the star of a show I never signed up for.

In the past, moments like this might have had me looking around for a cowboy to come riding in to save the day. I’ll admit it, I used to have this pattern of always looking to be rescued whenever things got too big, too chaotic, or just plain uncomfortable. If life felt like a big mess... or even a big celebration... I’d find myself glancing around, hoping someone else would step in and take the reins.

But this time was different...

As Novedoso did his best Wild West impression, I realized that I had a choice. I could shrink into the stress, or I could expand my awareness and trust myself to handle it.

I chose to get bigger... to be control without doing control.

And in that moment, something amazing happened. Instead of panicking or forgetting everything I’d learned, I found a crystal-clear calm. All the training and wisdom I’d gained about riding a horse came right back, and I knew exactly what to do...

But before I finish the story, I'd really like to highlight this piece about desiring to be rescued, because I know I’m not alone in this.

How often do we create something huge... whether it’s a big project, a big change, or even a big joyous event... and then secretly look around for someone else to swoop in and take over?

Maybe we want someone to rescue us from the mess we made or carry on the celebration we started.

It’s that subtle energy of wanting a hero to step in and save the day.

But here’s what Novedoso reminded me...

The real magic happens when you realize you don’t need rescuing.

You have the capacity to be the hero of your own story.

When you expand your awareness, step into that bigger version of yourself, and trust that you can handle it, you’ll find a clarity and calm that makes everything else fall into place.

Now, let’s wrap up the story, shall we?

At one point, after Novedoso calmed down for a moment, I thought maybe I’d just slide off, lead him gently into the stable, and call it a day. It was that classic “back door” escape — just quit quietly, step off, and avoid any more chaos.

But I realized in that split second that quitting wasn’t actually safer. If I tried to dismount mid-chaos, I’d risk more imbalance, more chance of being thrown off. The real choice was to stay on, ride it out, and trust that I could guide us both to a calm landing.

And that’s what I did.

I stayed present. I stayed on Novedoso.

And I rode steadily through the wildness of it all, until we reached the stable.

Once we were truly in a place of calm and it was safe, I dismounted with confidence, knowing that I hadn’t abandoned myself or looked for a back door.