the process

don't get frustrated with the process.  respect yourself as a student.  everything is a learning experience.

this is a very difficult thing for me.  being a RBE i tend to need encouragement.  it's important for me to know what i'm doing right, as well as what i need to work on.  negativity really brings me down.

if an instructor is hard on me, without offering encouragement, it paralyses me.  i begin to feel like i am incapable.  i become incapable of putting the halter on billy.  i start to think that maybe i'm too dumb to be a horse owner.  it's quite debilitating!

it takes me some time of just being with myself, sitting with billy, not doing anything WITH him, but just spending some undemanding time.  i spend a little time talking to myself.  telling myself all the things i'm bad at. then i talk with handsome hubby.  he reminds me how far billy and i have come.

then slowly i remember the above adage... respect yourself as a student.  if i'm being so hard on myself then i don't respect myself.  if i don't respect myself then how can billy respect me?

then i start the re-building process.  and i remember that each problem usually leads to an amazing breakthrough.  it can be the darkest before the dawn.  and i start looking for the dawn.

remember to be fascinated by the process rather than defeated by it.

mistakes aren't bad... they show you what you need to work on!

and the best learning takes place outside of your comfort zone!!