760 - Born to Run: Why Playing It Safe Is Costing You Your True Potential

The Wild Horse and the Farmer

A young stallion, swift and strong, roamed the open plains, its hooves striking the earth with power, its mane flowing in the wind. It had been born to run, to navigate the wide expanse, and to test its strength against the forces of nature.

One day, a well-meaning farmer saw the horse and admired its beauty. “You are too wild,” he said. “The open plains are dangerous, and running free will only wear you down. I will care for you and keep you safe.”

He led the stallion to his farm, where he enclosed it within sturdy wooden fences. The farmer clipped its mane short, so it would look tidy. He filed down its hooves, believing they were too rough. And, rather than letting it forage and run, he fed it grains from a trough, thinking it would be grateful for the easy life.

The stallion grew restless. It pawed at the ground, feeling the strength still within it, but each time it tried to run, the fence stopped it. “This is better for you,” the farmer would say. “You don’t need to work so hard anymore.”

One day, the farmer hitched the stallion to a plow. “You can still run,” he said, “but with purpose now, helping me till the land.” The stallion obeyed, but the weight behind it slowed its stride, and the wild energy that had once made it feel alive began to fade.

At night, as it stood in the stable, the stallion longed for the wind against its face. It remembered the feeling of pushing itself to the limit, of racing against nothing but the horizon.

One evening, a gust of wind rattled the stable door, and something inside the stallion awakened. With a powerful kick, it broke the latch. It leapt over the fence, hooves pounding against the earth, faster and faster, until the farm was nothing but a memory behind it.

The farmer awoke to find the stallion gone. “Foolish horse,” he muttered. “It will never find an easier life than the one I gave it.”

But out on the open plains, the stallion ran—not for ease, not for safety, but because it was born to do so.

The Well-Meaning Limitations of Others

Maybe you’ve never lived on a farm, but in many ways, this story is about all of us. Whether we realize it or not, we’ve all been the wild horse at some point—full of potential, yet surrounded by fences built by well-meaning others. The question is, do you see yourself in this?

The farmer represents the people in our lives—parents, teachers, friends, or even society as a whole—who believe they know what’s best for us. They see our wild energy, our ambitions, and they try to “tame” us, offering a safer, more predictable path. They may not mean harm, but their guidance is based on their own experiences, fears, and preferences, not on what we are truly meant to be.

The Stallion’s Natural Drive

The wild horse symbolizes that inner force within us—the part of us that feels an undeniable pull toward something greater. Whether it’s a dream, a career, a personal calling, or simply a way of being, it is something uniquely ours. When that drive is confined, when we are forced into roles that don’t align with our nature, we feel restless, unfulfilled, and disconnected from ourselves.

The Comfortable Trap

The farmer gives the stallion food, shelter, and what appears to be a stable, secure life. This mirrors the way many people are conditioned to believe that working hard—not for passion, but for security—is the ultimate goal.

“Keep your head down. Work the plow. Build your savings. One day, you’ll have enough to finally feel safe.”

But what if that feeling never comes?

Many people spend their best years trading their natural drive for productivity, their deepest desires for financial stability, always preparing for some uncertain rainy day that may never arrive. And in the process, they sacrifice the very thing that makes them feel alive.

Security isn’t the problem—it’s when security becomes a cage, keeping you from running toward what you were truly meant to do.

The Plow: Productivity Over Passion

When the farmer harnesses the stallion to the plow, it represents a common belief—that our abilities must always be directed toward something practical, something useful, something that serves others in a way that is easily measured and justified.

There is deep meaning in contributing to others, in using our strengths to create something valuable beyond ourselves. But when usefulness becomes the sole measure of worth, it can strip away the joy, energy, and individuality that make our efforts truly fulfilling.

The problem isn’t service—it’s when service is defined only by external expectations. When people are told that their value comes only from how hard they work, how much they produce, or how much they sacrifice, they risk losing the part of themselves that once thrived.

True fulfillment comes from finding the balance—where your natural energy and talents align with meaningful contribution, rather than being reshaped or reduced into something that simply gets the job done.

The Awakening and the Escape

The moment the stallion hears the wind and feels its instinct return is the moment we all eventually experience—the deep realization that we were not made to live in a cage, no matter how comfortable it seems. It is the call to break free, to reclaim the part of us that was always meant to run wild.

The Farmer’s Misunderstanding

The farmer sees the stallion’s escape as foolish, just as many people view those who leave conventional paths as reckless or misguided. But what the farmer does not understand is that the stallion did not seek an “easier” life—it sought the life it was meant for.

Running for Its Own Sake

In the end, the stallion does not escape to find an easier life—it returns to its nature. It does not seek approval, validation, or permission. It simply runs because that is what it was born to do.

But in running, it also finds something deeper—the freedom to choose its own path, to push itself in ways that feel meaningful, and to discover how its strength and speed can serve a purpose beyond mere survival. It no longer moves under the weight of expectation but instead follows the rhythm of its own instincts.

True fulfillment isn’t just about breaking free from limitations—it’s about stepping fully into who you are meant to be, carving a path that is yours alone, and contributing in a way that feels both natural and deeply aligned with who you are.

The Path Forward

• What fences—whether built by others or by yourself—have kept you from fully embracing what you’re meant to do?
• If you could break free and run in any direction, where would you go?
• What is one action that you can take that feels most aligned with the direction you’re meant to go?

 

Call to Action:

Did this episode resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Send me an email at Cliff@CliffRavenscraft.com and let me know how this message spoke to you. What fences have you broken through—or are ready to break through? I read every message, and I’d love to connect with you!