Day 44

 I’ve had my water this morning. Yay, me! I’ve been thinking a lot about changing habits lately. We all know change isn’t easy. We also know it gets harder as we get older. Those old, comfortable routines are hard to let go of even if they don’t serve our best interest. And then, I, for one, want to make huge changes that rarely stick. Yesterday, I talked about undivided attention and how modern life has conditioned us to desire instant gratification. I think I might be abl to use that need and my short attention span to my advantage. Small changes, like drinking the water every morning, build up to huge changes but they are much easier to swallow in the short term. I realize now that I’ve been doing this wrong and I think that realization might just bring about the changes I want in my life. I need to take my goals and break them down into small bites. I was thinking about my horses and how my relationship with them has changed. For far more years than I want to admit, I’ve been strictly a food and water supplier to them. I don’t know why it surprises me, when I jump right back in wanting them to do something for me...sometimes something as simple as halter easily...that there is resistance. I noticed, a few months ago, that just a small amount of extra attention could make the process easier. Then, a few days ago, a friend of mine, who is an amazingly talented horse trainer, said, your horse should want to be with you, you shouldn’t have to force it and that forcing simply led to more resistance from the horse. That awareness coupled with the small changes epiphany made me see that I need to start slowly, make my time with the horses as enjoyable for them as it is for me and accept the fact that it will take as long as it takes so I need to be patient with them and myself. Horses are creatures of habit, they seem to find comfort in habit and routine and it makes them feel secure. The same can be said for humans. I think that habit and routine are the keys to all change and if we want positive change in our lives and relationships, it doesn’t happen with huge leaps but with tiny positive steps and patience.