Someone I highly respect told me that one of her personal missions is to let go of her ego, and I felt that. What a humble statement, especially coming from a successful competitive horse trainer. Ego is who we are, and we are our ego; it is an inherent part of us. Someone once told me that having an ego is good because it pushes you to work harder and strive to be better. But better than who? Your competitor? Your game is never against your competitor; it’s in your head—you against yourself. The good vs. the bad, the lazy vs. the hard-working, the optimist vs. the pessimist within you. Your competitor is not competing against you; they are working within their own mind to find their perfect path.
Letting go of our ego is choosing the “right” decision - our personal and subjective decision -that is not always the easiest one, nor the decision that will make us feel good, but the one we feel is right for ourselves, the person in front of us, and our horse. Letting go of my ego forces me to listen to voices other than the one in my mind, to truly listen and let the words sink in.
Letting go of my ego is a powerful act of vulnerability, exposing my weaknesses. But these weaknesses are not exposed to the outer world but to the world within me - the world I want to understand, improve, and change to become a better version of myself, 1% at a time.
The freedom from our ego is like a no man's land, a place very few people have reached. I know I haven’t, and maybe there is no such place, only a path toward it that never ends. Every morning, I have to put in the work to let it go, ensuring that my ego is not the loudest voice I hear, reminding myself that it cares more about winning them, than about being true to myself.
Horses appreciate when we let go of our ego because they sense the change in us. They can feel when we are truly listening, allowing ourselves to change our approach and learn. They probably don’t call it ego, but they know exactly when it’s in the way between us and them, and when it’s not. But they can’t tell us that; all they can do is show up to work and see if our ego is in the way. The moment the ego no longer stands between my horse and me, magic happens - horsemanship happens, followed by the feeling that every horse rider knows: that things are right, that the connection is good, that my horse and I understand each other. When this feeling occurs, the two of you can win.
Champions are not driven by the win but by growth, and growth is limited when we are driven by ego. The craft you practice with your horse is an expression of who you are, not to show the world who you are, but to learn about yourself. The horse show is nothing but a challenge to test yourself - your mind, body, and craft. If you lift the trophy, well done, and if not, you will usually get another chance soon. But in both cases, you will show up again tomorrow at the barn, saddle up your horse, and go at it again.
If you’ve made it this far, you’re someone who’s committed to learning and becoming the best version of yourself. That’s exactly the kind of mindset I strive for, and it’s what drives the "Peak Performance Mindset" online program.
This program is designed for those who are serious about achieving high performance and personal growth. If that sounds like you, I’d love to connect and explore how this program can help you reach your goals.
Don’t hesitate to reach out—let’s take this journey together.
Best regards,
Gil
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