IT IS DONE!
My Talk at TEDX Wilmington’s 7th Anniversary is now history. Now, we wait for 30 days, for TED.COM to upload it and allow it to go viral. The day not only finally came, but is now over. All the memorizing, all the practicing, all of it, is now in the past. The entire experience could fill the pages of a book.. but for now, here are some priceless pictures.
This was at the conclusion of my Talk.Viton came out and sat–LIVE– on a bean bag chair! EPIC!!
This was Viton and Ajit Matthew George, the Organizer of TEDX Wilmington, at the conclusion of my Talk. TEDX Wilmington audience can be partially seen in the background.
And this…This is what BLISS looks like, after it was all over!!
All photos taken by the incredibly talented Joe del Tufo.
I could ramble on about the experience, and in future blogs, I might. But for now, precious words from a dear friend shall suffice.
My dear friend Carrie Brady, who runs an amazing farm in Wilton, Connecticut–Possibilities Farm–shared her thoughts after viewing my Talk. (I thought her insights were worthy of sharing!)
“Being Love: Accepting No with Grace
Today my friend and colleague Mindy Tatz Chernoff gave an amazing TedX Talk entitled ‘Love, Connection and a Horse.’ She stood in front of a large audience and spoke from the heart about the power of simply being with horses and exuding love. Her passion and joy were palpable even on the live streaming video.
At the end of her powerful talk, Mindy had the courage to take a huge risk. She brought out her horse Viton and asked him to sit on a beanbag chair, something she had taught him to do years ago as a fun way for them to connect. This time, she was asking him to do it in a strange location with hundreds of attendees watching and many more participating by video. Horses are prey animals and sitting is a vulnerable position for them. Viton initially said no. I held my breath and watched in awe as Mindy regrouped. She calmly and gently led Viton in a circle and asked him quietly again. This time he said yes.
Mindy’s presentation contained abundant wisdom but her silent response to Viton’s no contained a lesson as powerful as anything she had said. To be partners with horses (or with humans) we must be willing to give freedom, flexibility, and options and to be prepared for a response we don’t like. If Mindy had gotten upset in that moment and had let herself go down the very human path of anxiety and fear there is no way that Viton would have sat down because he would have thought that it wasn’t safe. Instead, Mindy stayed fully present and grounded. She did not put pressure on Viton, she respected his decision, gave him a few seconds to regroup and gently asked again. I have no doubt that if he had declined a second time Mindy would have let it go because her relationship with Viton is based on love, not control. She honored his wishes and embodied everything she had said in her talk about love being a state of being, not doing. Since Mindy accepted the no gracefully, Viton felt safe and loved and trusted Mindy enough to change his answer to yes. Thank you Mindy and Viton for being a shining example of true partnership and for sharing your wisdom today!”
I shall post the video as soon as it gets uploaded. Till then…
Remember: Awe is all around!