I believe that one of the best parts of being human is having the ability to connect with other living species on the planet, such as animals.
Our ability to connect with other living things is proof in real time that we are all a part of the same place, we all come from the same place, and we are all connected to it.
There is true beauty that lies beyond what the eye can see when it comes to having a genuine connection with another living thing.
As humans, we are physical and spiritual beings that were designed to connect with the environment around us.
Humans were designed to rely on other humans to survive and this is the only reason that we have made it to this point in time.
While everything may seem befuddled due to social media and consumer culture, we are all still spiritual beings that have the ability to feel things that other species cannot.
I think a big part of why I value simple things in life like genuine connection is because of the way that I connect with animals.
God gave man dogs to show us what unconditional love truly means. The only thing on a dogs mind is their owner and the more love you give them, they return ten thousand fold.
God gave man animals like horses to show us what true genuine partnership means. After-all, we relied on horses as our sole source of transportation for thousands of years.
True connection to another living thing will give humans a feeling that you almost can't put into words, you just know that it feels genuine. It is the most pure form of love when you have a deep connection to other living things.
The thing with animals is that they have no ego...
Animals don't have personal lives or a 9-5 job with a boss shitting down their neck 24/7, and they don't have relationship drama and heartbreak - they are what they are and they were put on this Earth to survive.
There is no grey area when it comes to animals.
Once an animal learns that it can trust you as a provider and trust you for safety, they will go the rest of their lives ready to give theirs for yours.
Obviously, those of you reading this are aware that I train horses for a living and I have spoken many times before on the valuable life lessons that I have learned working with horses.
Simple tenants of earning trust and respect from another living thing are values that no amount of money on Earth can buy - the only thing you have are each other.
To me, genuine connection to other living things and other people is what makes life worth living.
It is so easy for people to get caught up in what he said/she said, what this person or that person is doing, that people forget about the things that actually give us genuine substance and fulfillment.
Being able to provide genuine value to something larger than yourself is what truly suits the human spirit.
Knowing that other lives rely on you is a big responsibility, but that is part of being a man - taking care and protecting others is what it means to be human.
I am at a point in my life now where the only thing I truly value is a genuine connection with those around me.
I will not waste time on anyone that doesn't have my best interest at heart.
I will not waste my time on people who do not want to see me win.
I will not waste my time on people who disturb my calm and do not bring me peace.
There are days that working with horses is harder than others. Horses are like humans in the sense that they have good days and bad days. There are days when they are ready to throw you into the side of a mountain and there are days where they genuinely enjoy whatever you have planned for them that day.
The key to horses is being able to earn their trust so that they do not have to rely on their instincts for survival. To me, this works the same with people.
I have learned that the only way that I will give anyone my time is if they can truly understand the importance of building that connection with one another the same way we build connections to animals.
I understand that people are not dogs and people are not horses, but the fundamental rules apply in that foundational trust and unconditional love is truly all people will have that actually matters.
The thought of death does not scare me - I have thought about it a lot.
I realize that death is the one debt that all living things on planet Earth must face.
Generations after us will have no recollection of our existence - the only thing we will have when that day comes is our pride and the impact that we left on the people we cared for the most.
The only thing that I care about is being the best possible man that I could ever become for the benefit of those that rely on me.
My value as a man will live through the lives that I have impacted in my existence here on this planet, whether human or not.
For this reason, I will continue to work and build myself into the strongest possible man that I can become and I will continue to value the things that give me genuine peace.