Probate

As an Indianapolis lawyer it is important that I find places where I can go to recharge my mental batteries. I can then return to my litigation practice recharged and refocused.  One of my favorite places to go is horseback riding.  On the back of a horse, the world narrows and the superfluous fade away.  Your sole focus becomes finding and maintaining a partnership with your horse. And as you do, you create moments of time where you know what it means to move in perfect harmony with something that is far larger and stronger than you are. 

This goal, of course, can only be obtained if the horse is willing to cooperate.  Otherwise, you may find yourself embroiled in a contest of wills with an opponent that will challenge your every action. I recently ran across an article at www.myhorse.com entitled Prioritize Problems. You can read the entire article here.One of the points the author made in this article was that secret to successfully training horses (much like anything else in life) was setting priorities.  The second priority suggested by the author was to “Control the Direction”: which means: 1) getting the horse’s feet to move; 2) getting the horse’s feet to move consistently; and then 3) taking the horse’s feet in the direction you want them to go.

When I read this article, I was struck with the similarity between resolving problems with your horse and resolving problems that can arise in a business law setting. In both instances, you may find yourself confronted with a seemingly immovable object.  Trying to force a seller into certain contract terms may be just as much as a wasted effort as trying to push a 1200 lb animal that’s decided it is not going to budge. You end up exhausted, frustrated and with nothing to show for your efforts.  

The better way, just as with a horse, is to start simply by getting the matter moving.  Find the common ground – look for the places where there is agreement and start from there.  Once the negotiations start, keep them going.  Develop a continuing dialog. Once you have the dialog flowing, take the discussions in the direction you want them to go.  While there is no guarantee that this method will always work, the chances that you will obtain your ultimate goal are far greater than if you try to obtain the same result through sheer force. If you try to physically overpower a horse to get it to do something it is not ready to do, you may find yourself flat on your back in the dirt.  However, if you simply concentrate on getting the horse’s feet moving, you may find that the horse can be taken exactly where you wanted him to go.  The same may be true in your next business law transaction.

By the way, if the background in the picture looks good and you want to learn to ride or need a place to board your horse - click here.