I blew it. I mean I really blew it. I was trying to show off to the cute new mare in the barn, and I ended up tripping over my own feet and landing with a splat in the mud. I was so embarrassed I thought I’d light up the sky a bright red. Good thing I’m covered in black hair or there’d have been a rosy glow all over the gentle hills of Vermont. I wanted to shrink my bulk down to mouse size and disappear in one of Indy’s rabbit’s holes.

Don’t you just hate it when you make a public mistake? It’s bad enough when you make a mistake that only you know about. When everyone else witnesses your shame, it makes it really hard to let it go.

So, what do you do?

First, as I always say, you have to honestly feel your feelings. Don’t hold back. Resisting emotions just give them more power. FEEL them. Hold on to them as long as you can. You’ll be surprised how fast they dissipate.

Then, you can do one of two things. The most powerful is finding the humor in the situation, and laughing about it. If you can make your faux pas into a funny story, it will take so much of the sting out of it! Not everyone can do this, however, so if the humor in the situation can’t be found, you just have to forgive yourself. Recognize that you did the best you could, and move on. Remember, you can’t change the past, but you can change how you hold it in your mind. Let it go…

I decided to play up my moment of clumsiness and pretend to fall again. My clowning around made the pretty mare laugh. It was good to see her happy. I suppose I can handle the occasional dent in my dignity in exchange for making someone smile.

How do you make your friends smile?

Love, Moshi

From Indy:

I got to play in the mud today. It’s so wet out there I couldn’t help it. Chasing rabbits is dirty work! When I came in the house, Jane made me go straight to the bath tub and take a bath. I don’t know who got wetter, her or me!

I love water, but I don’t like baths. It feels a little like I’m trapped in that small bathtub. I much prefer the pond or the swimming pool. But I know Jane likes her house to be clean, so if I want to live inside with Jane and Rhett, the mud has to go.

Sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do. It’s just part of life. Like going to work or doing laundry. You just have to do it. The payoff for doing those things is worth it, or you wouldn’t be doing them.

The next time you have to do something you don’t want to do, think about the benefit you receive in exchange. It might be money, or greater skill, or freedom, or affection. Give more attention to the payoff, and you’ll feel better about the work.

I love my soft giant pillow in the front hall. I’m very willing to suffer through a bath in exchange for sleeping on my own bed. How about you? What are you willing to do, to get what you want?

I’m clean now, so I’m going to go to the hallway and take a nap. Wake me when it’s dinner time, will ya?

Love, Indy

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