Imagine getting on a wild horse without a saddle or bridle. You'd be in for a pretty wild ride, hanging on for dear life, totally at the mercy of the horse's whims. Anything that spooked the horse would take you off in another direction, and all of your energy would be devoted to just hanging on.

When talking to a horse-riding friend, this analogy came to me as she spoke of her mind, and how it kept taking her to places she didn't really care to go, thoughts and feelings of fear, of pain, and of suffering.

I asked how one learned to tame and ride a wild horse, and we went through the basic steps. First the horse must be approached with love and gentleness, to let it know that no harm is intended. Then it is befriended, until a certain trust is present. Then a bridle is slipped on, and the horse gently led around a closed ring, and finally a saddle put in place and the horse mounted.

Only after the horse has learned to accept control is it ridden out of the ring. When something threatens to spook the horse, it is gentled and reassured, and a firm tug on the reins keeps it from running off in the wrong direction.

Our human minds operate in the same manner. Until we know that we are more than mere bodies, our minds take us on a wild ride through life. We seem to be victims of all the "spooky" things we see, and are unable to control our thoughts or emotions.

When we learn a little of our Higher Self, we begin to observe our minds, and gentle and befriend our thought processes through reassurance and forgiveness. When REALLY scary things occur, we know enough to call in a trainer, to go within and call upon that Higher Self to help us.

Eventually we learn to take a firm control of the reins, and shout "WHOA!!!" when the mind tries to take off in an unwanted direction, turning the mind in the desired direction, to thoughts of peace, and wholeness, and joy, and love.

Then our life becomes a gentle ride through the countryside of life, and we see the beauty of all creation.