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Motivation from Moshi, by Jane Savoie

You’re never going to get there. You’re never going to get it all done. You’re never going to reach the very top. There is no final destination.

Do these statements tweak you a little? Are you certain if you just could get to Prix St. Georges and wear that cool shadbelly coat that your life would be complete? Are you sure if you just lost that last ten pounds that your whole existence would be smooth-sailing from that day on? Do you believe if only your horse had perfect one-tempi changes that you’d be completely satisfied as a rider?

You gotta trust me on this: no matter what you think right now, when you reach your goal, you’re going to want more. It’s the nature of being human. And since I’m a horse, I can watch what you humans do with unbiased eyes and really see what’s going on. No matter what you achieve or what you receive, you naturally look to the next goal, the next horizon, the next toy or tool to make your life even better.

This is not a bad thing. This just IS. But it’s helpful to know that you’re not going to get it done. The goals you set will always be stepping stones to the next thing. There is no end.

Goals are very important. They give you a target to shoot for. Having goals directs your mind to find the path. Every day you work toward a goal, you get that much closer. And when you get there, rejoice in the moment! Because as soon as your attention wavers, you’ll be looking for the next one.

What goals do you have for today? For this week? For this year? Write them down and check them off when you reach them. Then add new ones! You’ll be surprised how often you do actually reach your goals!

Have you seen my one-tempis? That was one of my most precious goals. And with good visualization and hard work, I got there!

Love, Moshi

From Indy:

Geoffrey and I had a fight today. I wanted to go to the pond, and he wanted to go hunt rabbits. I got mad and called him mean names. Then I picked up my ball and went to the pond without him. His feelings got hurt, and he went home.

Geoffrey is my best friend. Even when I’m mad at him, I still love him. Now that he’s at home and I can’t play with him, I feel really bad. I’m sorry I got mad. I’m really sorry I hurt him.

It’s said that we hurt the ones we love much more than those we barely know. The good news is, if you’ve hurt someone you love, you can do your best to fix it. You can say you’re sorry. You can take responsibility for your part in the situation. But that’s only the beginning.

There’s a story about a boy who lost his temper a lot. He would scream and yell mean things at whoever was nearby. Frustrated at his son’s behavior, his father gave him a big hammer and a box of nails and told the boy to go out into the back yard and hammer nails into the wood fence whenever he felt angry. The boy went through box after box of nails over the next few weeks, venting his anger on the fence.

Then one day his dad told him to pull all the nails out of the fence. While doing so, the boy noticed that there were a lot of holes in the fence from where the nails had been. The boy’s father told him, “Son, the words you say to people are like putting nails in the fence. You can vent your anger and make yourself feel better in the moment. You can cool off and apologize to those you hurt, just like you pulled the nails out of the fence. But the person you yelled at will always have those holes you created with your words.”

Have you hurt someone lately? I’m sure you didn’t mean to. The next time you start to yell at someone or hurt someone with your angry words, remember: even if you apologize later, the damage will remain.

I’m going to apologize to Geoffrey. And I’m never going to call him names again. I don’t want to create any more “holes” in his “fence.”

Love, Indy

Jane Savoie
1174 Hill St ext.
Berlin, VT 05602
Jane’s Website
DressageMentor.com

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