Ep 195: Developing an Attitude of Gratitude
I’ve always considered myself to be a very forward-thinking person. I rarely pause to look back at the past–I’m always thinking ahead and planning what I’m going to do next. While I believe that this forward-thinking mentality has served me well in many areas of my life, I also believe that it causes me to forget to slow down and appreciate the little things from time to time. On this episode, I'm sharing a story about a blast from the past and how this moment of reflection reminded me about the importance of operating with a present mindset and an attitude of gratitude, and explaining how my horses benefit from this mindset.
A Moment of Reflection
This morning as I began to saddle horses, I popped my AirPods in my ears and turned on a Spotify playlist – Jessie’s Girl Radio. This blast from the past brought back many memories from rodeoing back in the 80s, and it triggered a thought spiral of gratitude.
The nostalgic feeling triggered by that playlist brought me back to the time in my life when I was at the peak of my rodeo career. I was competing in both the amateur and professional circuits throughout the Dakotas, and that year, I had set a goal to qualify for the Linderman Award. “The PRCA Linderman Award is one of the most prestigious awards in ProRodeo. It recognizes a cowboy who won at least $1,000 in three events, and those events must include at least one roughstock and one timed-event” (ProRodeo.com, 2022).
That year, I had an outstanding travel partner who was one of those people that you want to surround yourself with when you are trying to achieve any kind of goal. He was a person who was a high-achiever and was just an all around great and uplifting person to be around. When I set out to qualify for the Linderman Award, I had a plan in place, and my hauling partner (who was also my team roping partner at the time) played a major role in helping me achieve that goal. 1989 was the season that I won the Linderman Award, and it was truly one of the best times in my life. However, at the time, I’m not sure I recognized just how impactful that accolade would be in my career.
When I heard that playlist, song after song began to bring back memories from that summer on the rodeo trail, and I took a pause to give my old hauling partner a call. We had a great conversation, and I left that conversation feeling immensely full of gratitude and appreciation for that time in my life. I truly believe that, had I not been named the Linderman Award winner that year, my professional career would not be where it is today. That title opened so many doors for me and led me to meet some incredible people in the horse industry.
This story, while it may not be relevant or entertaining to anyone but myself, is just an example of how gratitude impacts your everyday. When I stepped onto my horses after that moment of reflection, I was filled with an overwhelming amount of gratitude. And, I noticed a shift in my horses’ energy.
How Your Mindset Affects Your Horse’s Energy
On my training roster for the day were a few colts that I had just started breaking, and anyone who is in that stage of training knows that is an opportunity that is full of potential to have challenges. However, there was something different about my energy this morning. That moment of gratitude and reflection filled me with dopamine, and as a result, I believe that feeling transferred to my horses. I was in a content, relaxed mindset, and so were they.
As someone who is a natural forward-thinker, moments like this are a great reminder that it is okay to not always be looking ahead. While I believe that it is wise to be proactive, I also think there is a profound wisdom that comes from reflection. This week in your training, I challenge you to be mindful of your headspace. Be present. Be grateful. Appreciate where you’ve been, how far you’ve come, and how far you have yet to go. Your horses will reap the benefits of this mindset more than you realize.
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