Amy's Reflections

"The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails." ~ John Maxwell

We participated in the Iowa Horse Fair in Des Moines at the end of March, and Maleigha participated in the queen contest. They are required to take a written test, perform a pattern, and then complete their queen salute. She did pretty well on the written test, but her horse was hot for the pattern, didn't want to complete his pivot, and then did great on the queen salute. She didn't place in the queen contest. However, Maleigha approaches each opportunity with a positive perspective, and win or lose, she is grateful for the opportunity to build her skills. She has been so fortunate to have amazing people who have allowed her to explore different riding styles and develop her skills. 

The quote I picked for this week is a perfect summary of perspective. Much of what happens in life depends on your perspective. I had the privilege of listening to Quint Studer present at the conference I attended last week. His presentation was about changing our perspectives, and instead of approaching our day with the thought of I have to do this, this, and this we should flip the script and approach our day with the thought of I get to do this, this, and this. Not only does it change how you think about your day, but it also significantly changes how you communicate with others about it. I challenge you all to work on this for April. It is incredible what changing that one word can do.