be the rider, not the horse

It’s crucial that you take extreme ownership of your life. When it comes to running your life, you must take a stand — no compromises, no negotiations, no regrets.

Obstacles and setbacks are inevitable. And so, you must either take charge and live an intentional and productive life of your own choosing or you allow yourself to be ruled by circumstances. 

There’s a cowboy expression from the old Western times: “There never was a horse that couldn’t be rode, and there never was a rider that couldn’t be throwed.”

It’s a great life lesson to always keep in mind. Either you ride your life or it rides you. And the only factor that determines whether you’re a rider or a horse is your mental state. As the famous adage goes, “Your attitude determines your altitude.”

There’ll be days when you’ll be on the top, there’ll be days when you encounter a hurdle and take a painful fall. It doesn’t matter what you experience — joy, despair, victory, defeat, excitement, embarrassment — you must maintain a positive attitude and keep on going.   

In short, ride or be ridden. Lead or be led. It’s as simple as that! 

So, now is a good time to reflect upon this: Have you been riding your life, or your life is riding you? Have you been a rider or a horse so far? If it’s the latter, it’s time to fix your attitude and take the reins in your hands moving forward.