The Cow's Trail

The First Major Winter Storm

The Cow’s Trail

It was just after the first major winter storm of the season.  Snow was covering most of the grass in my field, so I knew the animals would be hungry and as soon as I walked toward the hay barn the little pony began to follow me.

Once inside, I scooped up some flakes of hay and walked her back to the manger where she began to eat.  Then, I sauntered back to the barn for more hay because the cows were also hungry. 

To make it easy on myself I tossed the hay across the arena fence into the manger and then stepped back to watch as the cows simply stood, in agitation, at the fence and stared!  The hay they wanted so badly was right in front of them, yet they weren’t able to get past an obvious major obstacle.  Their clear anxiety and confusion caused me to think about how you and I, at times, also follow “The Cow’s Trail” to obstacles, so we don’t get the things we want in life either!

Ok.  You and I surely have mental and physical advantage over cows!  But, can you think of times when you’ve followed that same path to anxiety and confusion?  Have you ever had a time when all you could see was an obstacle keeping you from what you wanted? Did fixating on it make it go away?  Is there a different path available?

Yes!  There are different paths apart from the Cow’s Trail.  Here’s how I showed them a new way to get what they wanted.  In order to coax the cows along, so they could reach their desired reward, I simply “left a trail of bread crumbs.” Those little deposits of hay along a new path opened their view to new discovery.  As they marched along, they soon found that the gate was open and they could reach their reward manger.  It worked for them.  It can work for you and me as well!

Here’s what I’ve found to make a difference when I’m feeling as if I’m a steer on the wrong side of the abundance fence:

First, take the time to ask, “Is there a path to get what I want, even when what appears to be obvious isn’t working?”  This one simple question has magical power to open your mind to new possibilities!  Staring at one thing has huge opportunity cost.  In other words, because you aren’t looking for other opportunities, you aren’t seeing them.  Stubborn-staring has a cost.

Second, reduce your opportunity cost as much as possible.  Start down a new path one step at a time.  You can map multiple steps in advance; just make sure you take each step fully.  Then, enjoy the small rewards as you reach them.  I couldn’t get the cows to take a different path without the promise of reward. And, there are lots of rewards to enjoy while on your journey.  Make sure you enjoy them all!  They’ll make your ultimate reward just that much sweeter!

Finally, be ready to accept a different ultimate reward, should it present itself.  Have you ever gotten what you wanted, only to be disappointed?  It can happen to all of us.  Yet, the reverse can also be true!  One of my favorite movie lines of all time is, “What do you do when your real life is better than your wildest dreams?”

There will be times, for each of us, when it seems as if our greatest dreams are frozen by the winter storms of life.  It is in those moments when you can remember “The Cow’s Trail” and begin to look for a new, currently hidden, path to the manger of your dreams.