If you’ve ever watched a herd of cattle move together across open pasture, you know how quietly powerful it can be—no yelling, no chaos, just a natural rhythm of response and trust. For Terryn Drieling, that image became more than a moment of beauty—it became a metaphor for how humans can learn to move through life, relationships, and community with more grace and awareness.
Terryn, a rancher and relationship coach from the Sandhills of Nebraska, is the creator of The Good Movement Draws Good Movement Podcast, where she helps rural folks and families navigate communication, emotions, and connection through her philosophy of “good movement.”
The idea came to her in the pasture one day while moving cattle with her dog.
“I was thinking about the stockmanship phrase ‘good movement draws good movement.’ When we’re aware of ourselves and our animals, we communicate in a low-stress way that helps the herd flow naturally. And I wondered—if we can do that with animals, why can’t we do it with people?”
That question has shaped her work ever since.
Resilience Isn’t Grit
Terryn explains that rural people are known for their grit—and while grit helps us get through tough times, it’s not the same as resilience.
“Grit means you push through. Resilience means you bounce back.”
She compares resilience to a bouncy ball: you can hit the ground hard, change shape for a while, but eventually you return to center. It’s a powerful reminder that healing isn’t about avoidance—it’s about elasticity.
Validation Is Not Agreement
One of Terryn’s most memorable lessons from the episode centers on validation.
Using a ranching example, she says:
“If a cow is wide-eyed and tense, you validate her by stepping back—you don’t have to agree with her reaction, but you see her and acknowledge it.”
It’s the same with people. We don’t have to understand everything someone feels to hold space for them. Sometimes, the most loving thing we can do is simply say, I see you.
Leading with Love, Not Fear
Terryn emphasizes that when our relationships are built on fear—of rejection, of authority, of being wrong—we get compliance. But when they’re built on love and trust, we get authenticity. That’s true whether you’re raising kids, managing a team, or deepening a friendship.
Healing and Friendship
In one of the episode’s most touching moments, Terryn shares how her mental and emotional work supported her healing during her cancer diagnosis.
“I was the healthiest I’d ever been mentally and emotionally when I found out. I really believe that inner work helped my outcome.”
And when she talks about friendship with her best friend Sheila her voice softens.
“To have that ride-or-die friend who holds you in hard seasons and cheers for you in joyful ones—it’s indescribable.”
The Lesson: Good Movement Starts With You
Terryn’s story reminds us that awareness is a form of leadership. When we know ourselves—our triggers, our fears, our patterns—we can create space for others to feel safe too. And from that space, good things grow.
“Good movement starts with us,” Terryn says. “And when we bring that into our homes, our friendships, our work—it draws good movement from everyone around us.”
Listen now to Episode 223 of The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to hear Terryn’s full episode.
Connect with Terryn
Be the first to comment