Where There’s Sh*t, There’s a Pony 🦄

EDITION 2

I almost skipped my morning walk today.

I mean, it was already late, and the time-tight to-do list was itching at the back of my mind.
My old self would’ve stayed in and put me second. But this morning, I decided to go against the grain.

(As one does, every so often.)

I laced up my running shoes, leashed the pooch, locked the door, and stepped outside the plan.

The air was warm, with barely any wind—like a soft promise that fresh air might just shift my mood.
And honestly, it did. But the real surprise came when I ran into Harold.​
​(Not his real name, but stick with me.)

We used to live just up the road from him when we first moved to town.
He’s quirky, eccentric, and oddly wise.

He asked how I’d been.
I told him the truth: life hasn’t felt so great—especially now that my current role is ending (as I mentioned last week).

I’m wrestling with my control freak side, trying to loosen my grip and let life happen. “Let things flow,” as they say.
​
Why is it that letting go often feels harder than holding on?
​(I keep picturing Elsa from Frozen, singing “Let it go, let it go…” and that helps somewhat. I know my cousin’s kid would be proud.)

Harold nodded, smiled, and then hit me with:
“Where there’s shit, there’s a pony.”

I blinked.
“The what…?”

He repeated it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world: “Where there’s shit, there’s a pony.”
​(Maybe this is a South African-ism, or maybe just Harold’s personal brand of gold. I’m rolling with it either way. Crib note: I grew up between the city and a farm, and we had ponies—easily my favorite childhood memories. So the moment Harold said ‘pony,’ I was in.)

He explained: “It means that wherever there’s a problem, there’s also a solution. You can look for the good in the mess, or you can spend your time complaining about how bad it smells. Your call.”

A perspective shift, basically—like Wayne Dyer said:
​“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

That got me thinking about how we show up in our own stories.
We see the chaos. We see the “shit.” But do we believe there’s a pony in there somewhere? That maybe we have a role to play in unearthing it?

I don’t know if you believe in synchronicity, but if there is such a thing, this felt like it.

See, before leaving the house, I was feeling down—still uncertain of my next steps. I hoped a walk might give me some clarity. Then Harold rolls by, delivering a one-liner that turned my entire day around.

He shrugged. “There’s so much going on—potential wars, unpredictability, everything we can’t control. We’re born, we try some stuff, then we die.”

“So basically,” I said, “we should stop sweating it all?”

“Exactly,” Harold replied. “That’s it.”

“And do the things that make us happy?” I added with a grin.

He nodded.
We talked for maybe five minutes—enough to leave me feeling lighter, realizing it really is all perspective, and wow, do we overcomplicate things sometimes.

He drove off, still smiling, and I walked away imagining a pony hidden under a pile of muck, just waiting to be found if I keep looking.

Moral of the Story?

The answers you’re looking for might already be within you—or they might show up as a brief encounter with a Harold. Someone whose quip or new perspective flips your day (or maybe your entire life) in just a few minutes.

Because at the heart of it, yes—where there’s shit, there might just be a pony. 🦄

I’m glad I have a Harold.
I hope you have yours, too.

That’s all for now.

Until next week!

Always light,

Shanna “finding the pony” Lindinger

WILDER ESSENTIALS

What's On Shanna’s List of Things Right Now

▶ Thinking Spot: Coastal path walks with the pooch

▶ Podcast pick: The Rich Roll Podcast

▶ Current read: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

▶ Writing setup: MacBook Pro + simple notebook and pen

WRITER OF THE WEEK

Wayne Dyer: Philosopher of Perception & Possibility
_____________________________________

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life

Wayne Dyer wasn't just a self-help author — he was a master of perspective transformation who understood that our view shapes our reality. Through accessible wisdom and genuine compassion, he showed us how perception becomes the foundation of our experience.

His powerful insight, "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change," isn't just clever advice. It's an invitation to freedom.

Dyer reminds us that in every challenge lies opportunity — that our ability to shift perspective might be our greatest power in navigating life's inevitable messes and discovering the hidden gifts waiting beneath the surface.

Let’s keep exploring together