Overcoming Obstacles

We had a very successful clinic this past weekend, and those of us that participated came away with new knowledge and renewed commitment to continue to work on becoming better horsemen/women, and developing a positive relationship with our horses. This is the fourth clinic in 3 years that we, as a club have offered in the 100 Mile area. When talking with people, there always seems to be a lot of initial interest in participating in horsemanship clinics, and a level of excitement about bring outside talent to our small town. But once the plans are in place, the enthusiasm seems to wane....and the excuses start to come....my horse is out of shape, I"M out of shape, my trailer isn't working, I'm not good enough, MY horse isn't good enough, I can't afford it...you get the picture...
I have been pondering this for a while. Why do we put road blocks n our own way, and look for reasons to NOT participate? Is it a lack of confidence? Is it apathy? Is it the fear of the unknown?

I was reading an article by world renowned personal performance coach, Barbra Schultz, and I really liked what she had to say on the topic. The following is an exerpt from her article entitled "Arguing For Your Limitations":

"...Without disciplining ourselves to replace negative thoughts about feared outcomes with their positive counterparts (from all the physical details to the feeling of it), we get random to poor results. Our natural tendencies can be: · To see things as they were today, or were yesterday. · To actually ARGUE for our weaknesses by giving a million reasons why things won't get better. · To feel safe talking about future events as not working out because there is no failure if we never expect to succeed. · To blind ourselves of our own gifts and gorgeous personal potential as if we are deeply asleep to all the good in ourselves (and sometimes in our horses) ... someone needs to tell us to "Wake Up"! · To feel badly or frustrated or angry and then perpetuate a cycle of negativity until it becomes the way we think. But here's the great news. If you can relate to any of the above points, you CAN break out of those patterns and visualize an outcome you desire by telling a powerful story of your greatness. I know that might sound corny, but it is absolutely true for you and everyone. It's right there inside of you. It's your choice. It's up to you. Have fun with it! Friends and family can be supportive, but ultimately it's the story you tell about yourself and your horse that determines your future success."

Now how many of us have felt like that??
I give HUGE kudos to the individuals that could have SO EASILY found a good reason to "Argue for their Limitations" and not taken part in Gus's clinic this past weekend. Consider the following participant(s) that TOOK PART and were:
a) 5 months pregnant
b) hard of hearing (how do you work with a clinician when you can't hear what he is saying?)
c) recovering physically and emotionally from a serious fall off her horse
d) suffering from severe rhumatoid arthritis
e) financially strapped
f) needing a horse to ride because hers was lame
g) worried because she had never done arena riding before

So, if you have ever Argued for YOUR limitations, try to consider the alternative. As Barbara says you can break that pattern and visualize an outcome that will tell a story of you and your greatness!

The Reininthesun committee is bringing Barbara to the Armstrong Fairgrounds, May 14th and 15th. There are 30 spots available to attend-15 for reiners and 15 for cutters. Check out the web page for more information if you are ready to move past your (self imposed) limitations and tell a story about your greatness!