Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

After a brief three month blog hiatus I'm back in the saddle again. One of the most integral components of a successful blog is consistency, but Roping and riding down south caused me to fall off the blogwagon for a few. However, I am an optimist. So I feel time away can sometimes refuel the fire and definitely give you more new material. Did you know most of us live in a prison we have built ourselves? It's a routine "not terrible, but not outstanding" place called our comfort zone. It looks appealing, but it's far from invigorating. Comfort to me is not exercising, eating whatever I want, working for someone else in a dead end job, not roping the dummy, not getting my horses on a program, not making business calls, not reading inspirational and motivational books, and not asking people I admire for help. It's safe. It's easy. And it's not how you get famous. It's not how you find fulfillment. It's not how you get successful either. I think most people never step out of their comfort zone because of two reasons 1.) laziness and 2.) fear of failure, self limiting beliefs, and fear of what others think. I've come to this place where I do not care what other people think and it feels amazing. This is MY life. And in a few years we will all be dead! Morbid, but true! Do what you want! Don't live other people's dreams. A lot of people lose limiting beliefs by the time they are older. By then they wish they had had the belief when they were younger when they could do more about it. And it's super cliche, but the most successful people are always the ones who have failed the most. They have heard the most no's, felt the most rejection, and messed up the most. But they learned from it, grew, and moved on. When you feel the HUNGER deep within to look your best you will go work out every day. When you feel the HUNGER to win the barrel race or roping you will work your horse and practice. No matter whether it is 20 below, or a beautiful sunny day when everyone's drinking margaritas. People who want to achieve their goals NO MATTER WHAT don't have to pry themselves off the couch. They are so excited they are jumping up with a smile on their face to go practice. Any time I have had the HUNGER, it didn't feel like work. If you want to be successful, get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Have a WHY that is more important to you than any discomfort. The more you can just be a rockstar and do things that make you uncomfortable all the time, the more invigorate you will feel. And isn't LIFE about feeling ALIVE??!?!?

Habit Changing in Horsemanship

I've been riding a lot lately and it's given me plenty of time to reflect. I think about horsemanship frequently because I believe a lot of training is done with a philosophy in mind. By this I mean that to get into a horse's head you can't just run the air out of them. Well you can... And then they get in shape.... Or they get turned out for awhile and the problem is still there when you crack them out again. I like to stick to the mentality of "make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult". You must be a problem solver willing to think outside the box and think like a horse. There is no overnight remedy to a lot of horse problems. All you can ask for is a little bit of improvement every day. And most horse problems are created by people anyways. A lot of horse issues aren't really issues at all. They are just habits that need to be changed. Let's say you have a horse that's really bad about walking away when you go to get on them. There's a few drills that can fix that but if you dig deeper into why a horse does it, you can find the solution. Horses walk away when you get on them because most people get on and away they go. If you change that habit by getting on, sitting for a minute or two and relaxing of flexing your horse and do this every single time, they will usually stop walking off. They do that in anticipation and you have just taken away that anticipation with no hassle.

I have a colt in who has a strong flight response. He started bolting when I'd ask for the first few steps and would stiffen up and not respond to a one rein stop. I was at a loss and talking to a trainer staying with us and he said to change the habit. Start by ponying him off another horse for the first few steps and then unhook, or put him in a smaller pen and get his feet moving. I could have kept doing the same thing over and over again (insanity right?), or change the habit. Today when I rode the colt, he didn't bolt. I changed the routine and set myself up for success. It's not giving in or giving up. You have to let go of human thought and create a new routine for the horse.

All horse behavior is habitual. Use your brain, not violence or force, to come to an answer that best benefits the partnership of you and your horse.

My Life is a String of Memories Horseback....

My life is a string of  memories horseback.  8 years old running around bareback in the mountains playing indian princesses....... 12, a pack trip with my dad getting rained on for 6 days straight.....16, a bag of franzia, four horses, four gals, and a campfire on top of a mountain...... 22, Riding into the arena carrying flags with a bunch of other queens as Miss Rodeo Montana........ 23, a wagon train ride with some ranchy chicks, warm beer, and more rain....... 24, spinning steers for my man............. 25, riding colts in the desert with my best friend......

When I was living in the city I could have had an insane partying social life, eaten at any fancy restaurant, gone to sporting events, pool parties, and pub crawls.  But in my four months there, I was like a fish out of water.  All I could think about was how I wanted to come back home and go rope with my boyfriend, or grab some girls and go ride.  I came to realize that all I needed to make me happy was good horses and good friends surrounding me. 

True happiness doesn't always have to be complicated.  It can be as simple as riding beside the person you love on a good horse.    It's starting a colt and seeing a fine horse evolve.  It's working cows and yelling at eachother. It's you and a special horse working as a team to get a job done.  This is it for me. Simple. Refreshing.  Cowgirl life.  Thanking God every day for it.

Good Vibrations!!!

Five years ago a friend and I were cruising the shelves of WalMart looking for a movie to watch and I randomly grabbed The Secret.  I had heard someone say a few kids on the rodeo team had watched it and I casually picked it up and decided to try it out. In the next few hours, my life was forever changed. The friend I was with fell asleep out of boredom, but I was captivated.  I always think how different my life would have been if I would have fallen asleep too!  Sure there were some corny parts, but I was intrigued by the concept of the law of attraction and I started to put it to work in my life.  I realized how the law of attraction had worked for me already and how much more I could do with it. 

As a young girl I always had a vision  of myself riding a paint horse into the mountains alone with a dog by my side.  I didn't have a horse but I wanted to be free and independent.  In seventh grade I started working for a colt starter and he paid me by giving me a three year old paint gelding.  I had him until I was 23 and he and I covered a lot of country together- out alone in the mountains just like my vision.

Visualization is a valuable tool in everyday life, and I have seen proof of it working in others life as well as my own.  It's simple and effective.  See things as you would like them to be.  Place yourself inside the picture and see things through your eyes.  Feel the feeling you want to feel when you have created what you want.  Visualization helps you to practice for the future because when you get there, you will already feel comfortable and confident.  A lot of professional athletes will visualize a perfect performance. 

Every time I visualize something and think about it a lot and it comes true, my faith in the process grows.  I just moved to Arizona for the winter to ride horses and help  my boyfriend put on team roping jackpots.  Lots of exciting things have been happening.  I got offered an awesome apprenticeship with an NFR barrel racer, I walked into a restaurant today and picked up a waitressing job a few nights a week, and everything is just effortless and flowing. 

Matt, my boyfriend, followed the principles of The Secret and it helped him clinch the Collegiate National Championship in team roping with his partner Cody a few years back.  He just believed that they were going to win and he imagined it and visualized it.  It didn't look like they were going to get it, then in a crazy series of events, they had the title.

When I was getting ready for Miss Rodeo Montana, I would visualize when I was doing my cardio workout.  I would just run and feel the feelings of winning.  I was super nervous about answering the impromptu question at the fashion show.  I felt like extemporaneous speaking was my weakness and so I visualized a question I wanted to get and my perfect answer for it.  I answered this one question perfectly over and over again.

The day of the fashion show came and I was standing up on the stage waiting for my turn to draw a question out of the bowl.  I felt confident and felt like it was my time to win.  I reached into the bowl and touched a piece of paper, but something in my head said to throw that one back and pick another one.  I even laughed to myself because of how ridiculous it was that I had not liked the piece of paper and didn't even know what was on it.  So I grab a new one, pull it out, and read it.  I was blown away when it was THE QUESTION I HAD BEEN PRACTICING FOR MONTHS.  Needless to say,  I nailed the question without a bobble.  As I was crowned Miss Rodeo Montana a few days later, I felt so excited and knew my visualization and preparation had worked. 

Imagine the life you want to lead.  Put out the good vibrations.  Know that great things are coming your way.  Believe that people are out there that you will magnetize into your life who will influence, inspire, and assist you.  Know that you are a powerful part in creating your life the way you want it.

7 Things I'm True Lovin' Right Now...

1.)

Tights wit yo kicks

No not just leggings... that's been done before.  The other day I came across a photo of black cowboy boots with fishnets.  It looked suprisingly not-trashy and I really liked it.  I like it because its fresh and hasn't been worn out yet.  Let's see if this fad sticks???

2.)

The Vignette photo app on my droid... the top is the original photo and the bottom is the photo after I manipulated it with the app.  It has the capability to make photos looks like old yearbook photos, to change and enhance colors and to make them a square shape with a border.  I have been playing with my pictures and its super fun!!! 

3.)

90 Proof by Panhandle Slim.  I have always loved button up shirts on a working cowgirl.  The sexiest I have ever felt is in one of these on the back of a horse:)  Panhandle Slim makes some awesome shirts.  My boyfriend just got me a Wrangler shirt from Teskeys that is plaid with a turqoise yoke.  Plaid is hot right now and I can't wait to wear it roping this winter in AZ!!

4.)

Giddy Up Flix-  I just joined and am OBSESSED.  It is like a netflix for horsetraining.  You pay ten dollars a month and can rent out any of their hundreds of instructional videos.  So far I have watched Judy and Rachel Myllymaki's and Martha Josey's Barrel Racing Videos.  When you're done you just send it back in the mailer and they'll send you the next one on your list.  Ten dollars a month is a cheap investment for long term knowledge.

5.)

GYPSY SOULE has some rockin accessories.  I love this necklace! 

6.)

Cowboy Junkie Handpainted Tack.  This gal has so many creative ideas and makes beautiful tacksets.  I've never seen a breast collar like this.  Check out all of her gear on Facebook!!!

7.)

6 weeks doing the workouts in this book and you won't recognize the body in the mirror.  After 14 days of a particular routine your body reaches homeostasis, which means your muscles and figure no longer improve.  This book changes up the routine and ensures kick ass results.  It's like having your own personal trainer and includes meal plans and recommended cardio.  I stayed consistent on this for about two months a few years ago and felt like I had a brand new body.  

Loss as A Catalyst for Growth and Enlightenment

"For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one"  -Khalil Gibran

Ahhh. The blog post I've been dreading but know that it has to happen.  This is about my perspective on love and loss, on the inevitable... which we will all experience. 

My first experience with loss happened when I was twelve years old.  I was an animal crazy kid who had a furry best friend named Duke.  Anyone that knows me, knows I really love and connect with my dogs.  Duke and I were best friends.  In the spring during high water of the creek I was playing fetch with Duke and threw a stick in the water for him.  A current  violently grabbed him and took him downstream and he got sucked underneath a dam and drowned.  I was helpless to do anything and it happened so fast that there was nothing I could have done.  Duke hit his head underneath the dam and drowned.  When the water lowered later that year we found his body and buried him.

There are no words to describe how horrible I felt as a child, feeling so guilty for the death of my beloved friend.  I feel like God used this experience to prepare me for what was to come in my life.

I'm not going to go into too much detail, but when I was 18 I lost my boyfriend in a freak truck rollover accident in the mountains.  I was riding my horse behind the truck and found him dead.  I was miles out in the middle of nowhere and found a man camping in the woods who brought me to a camp to call 911.  Me and this complete stranger waited 8 hours for help to arrive.  After that day began the hell on earth that we all know as grief.  Anyone who has experienced it knows it is the most draining, terrible, horrific thing you can go through. 

But this isn't a story about sadness and negativity.  This is a story about hope.  On the day of the funeral, it poured down rain. And after that the clouds opened up and there were beautiful rainbows in the sky.  I looked up to the sky in my oilskin duster, and despite having just buried someone I loved, I knew that  a rainbow was a promise from God.  It was a visual reminder of hope for me.  I knew my life would change, but one day I would understand the Plan. 

A few weeks after the funeral, I went to church and I felt like the  pastor spoke right to me.  He said we all start out as a block of wood.  The hard times are like sandpaper, that are shaping us to be who we are.  In the end we become God's beautiful carving. I held on to that thought- that my adversity was shaping me.  I tried to read books on grieving and I hated them.  So I started reading self help and inspirational books.  I filled my mind with stories of hope and success and love.  I got a new puppy named Gus, who helped teach me how to love something again.  I set a goal for myself to be Miss Rodeo Montana.  I started a degree in Natural Horsemanship and decided I was going to be a horse trainer.  I let a new boyfriend into my heart.  I gained perspective on life and decided to live my dream.

These things never would have happened without the loss I endured.  I am certain you can choose how you let loss affect you.  It can either debilitate and crush you, or it can be a catalyst for growth and enlightenment.  I am blessed with my experiences because I APPRECIATE OTHERS IN MY LIFE DEEPLY.... I KNOW THAT WHAT WE LOVE CAN BE GONE IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.... I AM MORE SPIRITUAL AND HAVE FAITH IN WHAT IS TO COME AFTER I DIE.... I REALIZED IF I CAN GET THROUGH THIS, I CAN DO ANYTHING.

Life is not always fuzzy and cute and perfect.  Sometimes it sucks. But I can promise you this.  You can heal your heart.  It may take awhile, but our souls are very resilient. And know that if you have had loss in your life, all it takes is the decision to move on and live and love fully,  and you will live a life you never before could have dreamed of.  And I believe with all of my heart I will see Duke and Dusty again.



Take 100% Responsibility for Your Own Life

There is only one person responsible for the quality of the the life that you live.

That person is you.

To be truly successful, you must take 100% responsibility for your own life. Every failure, every success, your friendships, your physical fitness, your debts, your feelings, your current work situation.  It is so easy to blame... the weather, your childhood, the people around you, your spouse, your lack of money, the list goes on and on. 

Dare I say, the real problem is usually you.  This means that you create what happens to you.  If you are constantly negative and feeling like others are hating on you and taking advantage of you, it will soon become the story you're writing for your life.  The life you are living now is the result of all of your past thoughts and actions.  Change yourself today for your future. 

I believe in surrounding yourself with positivity- positive people, images, books, ideas... If a really negative person comes into my life I really can feel them sucking out my energy.  Granted, people need help at times and everyone has rough patches.  But there are some people who are chronically negative and I don't think they want to change.  I choose not to be around those people. 

Pursue your passion.  I have always known I wasn't going to fit in the 9-5 mold.  I was never going to wear heels and a business suit.  I just would feel my soul dying if I had to be working at a job I disliked every single day.  Following your passion is not easy at times, however.  I have lived a gypsy life and don't have a house or a huge savings account.  But I know that will come.  I am glad to have the experiences of being a cowgirl and traveling and meeting people that invigorate and inspire me.  If you love something so much that it doesn't even feel like work, you can make it pay.  There is a niche for you.  I just feel like life is super short and the time is flying and I can't take all the material possessions with me anyways.  I am going to learn about horsemanship, rope, ride colts, and travel.  Your inner guidance system is your joy, and I have always felt the most alive on the back of a horse. 

We get one chance.  One life to live.  One story to write.  You are the captain of your ship.  Are you going to sit back and read about other people's lives on facebook and wish you were doing what they did?  Or are you going to take 100% responsibility for your own life and make it something incredible...