What Are Longings?
Guest Author: Bernadette Barton | The Longing Path
Our longings invite us to go beyond ourselves, to reach farther than what is currently within reach. They invite us to open ourselves to what lies beyond our immediate fulfillment and consider alternate ways of being in our life journey. Longings are about pursuing the things that bring the most significant meaning to our lives. They matter because they resonate deeply, pulling us toward a vision of what life could be.
Our longings provide an ever-evolving source for cultivating a well-lived life. Having a clear idea of how you imagine life unfolding can be helpful, yet those specifics can also influence the way we relate to our deepest longings. Longings have a life of their own, offering unique invitations for how we might live with them. As we engage our longings, nuances of their potential emerge – they reveal new vistas of what can be.
In today's world, it's easy to lose touch with our longings. We can easily succumb to our everyday routines that seem to repeat with little to no change. Furthermore, we're typically unaware of the everyday invitations our longings offer to step more fully into our lives. Our longings provide us with vital clues for what brings us to life and can guide us toward a more engaged life. Whether conscious of them or not, we all carry deep-seated longings that invite us to live our lives well.
Why Longings Matter
So, you might ask, "Why should longings matter to me?" Longings can take many forms, such as questions, hopes, and ideas, that draw us to dream, imagine, and create. You might long to accomplish a specific work, build a community, or enrich the sense of meaning in your life. These are just a few examples. At the same time, longings can confuse and unsettle us. Pursuing them, however, is rarely a simple process. Longings can initially offer a profound hope for future versions of our lives. And yet, pursuing longed-for versions of life can leave us disheartened. Since we may never fully realize our longings in some sustainable way, it's easy to become discouraged about our longings.
The Winding Path of Longing(s)
To reiterate, the pursuit of our longing(s) is rarely a straightforward path. Challenges are, inevitably, part of the journey. It's in navigating these setbacks that we discover some of the best opportunities for bringing our longings to life. I've frequently observed that slow progress leads to frustration for myself and those I've worked with. This, in turn, can incite us to scramble for quick and superficial solutions. Despite the impact of any obstacles, it's essential to see these as a regular part of the walk towards our longing. This is where equine-assisted coaching can play a critical role. There will always be ups and downs along life's path. Horses have a way of helping us gain insight into our relationship to these waves.
How Equine-Assisted Coaching Can Support Our Longings
If you've experienced a setback yet still feel called to explore what truly matters, a coach – co-facilitating sessions with a horse can offer a meaningful path forward. Carl Jung recognized the horse as an archetype within the collective unconscious—an expression of our instincts, emotions, and inner struggles. In the presence of both coach and horse, the horse becomes a mirror, opening a space to explore your relationship with your longing and to deepen your awareness of it. Through the responses of the horse, you begin to gain insights as to whether you're aligned with your longing and what might need to shift if you're not.
What I've come to appreciate most is my relationship with my longings. Rather than seeing any roadblocks as a problem, I view them as part of the path and an invitation to listen and learn. This insight has become one of my greatest lessons, and it's the heart of what I hope to share through my writings. Equine-assisted coaching facilitates this opportunity to listen and learn, in a safe and supportive environment.
As you consider your longings, here are some questions to ponder (and questions you could think about for an equine-assisted coaching session).
As I reflect on what I'm drawn to in life, what might be some of my larger longings?
In what ways might my longings shape what is meaningful in my life? How might they impact my daily life?
How do I create space to listen to and understand my longings?
To explore longings further, please visit my website at: www.thelongingpath.com
Bernadette Barton
The Longing Path
