I stepped on a little rock yesterday and bruised my foot. Ouch! It didn’t hurt for very long, but it made me grumpy. Then I got bit on the neck by a big fly. It hurt! I snapped at it and bumped my nose on the fence. I was having a really bad day.

I stood in the corner of my turnout feeling agitated and unhappy. Then I remembered Jane saying that attitude is a choice. I could choose to be grumpy, or choose to be happy. But I was so grumpy that I was having a hard time finding even a hint of “happy” in my mind. I was stuck.

Then Indy stopped by to say hello. He looked up at me with that funny, fuzzy face and grinned. One look at his big, smiling mug and I suddenly found that little tickle of happiness swell in my mind. I thought of all the times we’d played chase and the way he’d laugh with his funny dog laugh as we raced around my turnout. I remembered watching him jump sideways when he spotted the little alligator in the grass and the joyful way he splashed in the pond while chasing a ball.

Within minutes I was feeling happy and content. All it took was changing my focus! I concentrated on the thoughts that made me feel good inside, and that good feeling spread to my outside. By the time Jane had me tacked up and ready to ride, I was feeling terrific! It was a great day.

Do you realize that your attitude is a choice? It does take some effort sometimes, but you can change a bad day into a terrific day just by deciding to concentrate on the good stuff. And there is always good stuff if you look for it. If you have trouble finding it, just take a good look into your dog’s sweet face. I’ll bet that tickles the “happy” in you!

Love, Moshi

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