I am the blacksmith. This phrase has come to capture my attention and help me to understand my world just a bit better. Since I am a blacksmith, I suppose that the analogies are easier for me to come by and to understand. My goal in this blog is to help myself and my readers come to better understand the lessons of life from "the flaming forge of life."
I will begin with what I know to be a truth for the blacksmith/farrier and I suppose that it is a truism in all of our lives. The two hardest horses of the day are the first one and the last one. In other words beginning and finishing are difficult. This post will focus on beginning tasks when it seems hard or overwhelming. What I have had to do to overcome this tendency is to play some little tricks on myself just to get over the hump to get started. Here are a few:
Starting
1) Unpack your tools - It can be helpful to focus on preparation for the task at hand if that task seems overwhelming. Before you know it you know it you may be engaged and starting your task will be a natural extension of your preparatory activities.
2) Visualize the finished hoof, and shoe backward in your mind - When you visualize the excellence of the work that you will do, and then imagine a back to front process to get there, it is only natural to start when you get to where you are standing.
3) Talk the horses owner through the things you will be fixing - When you engage your intellect in the challenges you face (challenges that in part make it difficult to start) your eagerness to resolve those challenges rises and before you know it, your are beginning your task with vigor.
I hope that you think about all the things you don't start because it just seems to daunting. Remember that you can only accomplish any thing, after you first begin.
Please remember, that not only am I the Blacksmith, but "You are the Blacksmith."
