What’s holding you back?

“Doubt is a difficult barrier to control when you are trying to move forward. For every bit of credence you give it, it grows ten-fold. Next thing it has snuffed the life right out of you.”
By Kari Fulmek

I spent more than a decade in a successful sales career before I changed my direction and took on revitalizing a rodeo attraction.

And then, at an age when most people have settled comfortably into their career, I decided to study equine assisted learning with a goal of opening my own business.

I was listening to my voice of empowerment and my intention was clear. I wanted to change what I was doing in life and move closer to the gift I felt I was given, which was to engage with horses as a means of empowering people.

I began an Equine Assisted Learning course as an on-line learning experience.

It wasn’t long before doubt started clouding my vision.

I had a lot of experience working with horses that I had acquired throughout the years, but I was just not fully understanding what I was studying – like, at all.

Maybe I got this wrong, my voice of doubt suggested. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to be moving in this direction in life. Maybe I wasn’t able to learn what I needed to know to follow my intent.

I grasped the theory that I was reading. But I couldn’t translate that theory to the practicality of truly understanding how the horse could empower me.

When you start to doubt yourself or another person, it is the fastest growing sentiment on the planet. For every second you spend doubting yourself, the impact is measured 1000 percent.
I almost quit, and that would have stopped me from realizing my true gift in life and living a life full of purpose and joy.

Now I suggest to people that before they abandon what you feel is the right intent, they should ask themselves: Is it the idea or the execution of it that is not working? Am I on the right road for my life journey, but using the wrong vehicle to transport myself?

I decided my idea was valid and my intent was clear, but my execution was wrong.

I went to the training facility to see firsthand how this program worked and whether it could really be the right business for me. I was even told I could get my money back if I changed my mind and it still didn’t work for me. That was another sign that I was moving in the right direction.
I ended up making two more trips to the training facility to find peace with my new direction and learn more about Equine Assisted Learning. I was entranced and totally impressed with what I saw. I knew that the horses truly were the teachers, and they had the power to fuel others.
Time has shown that my idea and intention were sound, but my original execution was wrong for me. If I had quit at the first barrier, I would never have known the joy of operating a business that I am still committed to 200 percent every day.

I would have missed the chance to do the purposeful work that is my gift, and the opportunity to share it and empower others.

So if you have an idea and an intention, don’t walk away at the first bump in the road. Step back and ask yourself first if you are doing it right. Is there any other road to take you where you want to go?

Kari Fulmek is the author of “Two Weeks to Empowerment: How to take charge of your life and find your true purpose” and the founder and owner of Equine Connection – The Academy of Equine Assisted Learning Inc. She is a Certified Master EAL Instructor and a Certified EAL Facilitator. From her base near Calgary, AB in the foothills of Canada’s Rocky Mountains, she travels the globe to empower clients. To learn more about Kari, visit her website at: https://equineconnection.ca.