Success and Failure - It's your decision.

Here is a short story (more like a report) I am working on to turn in for a Parelli book prototype that a group of Savvy Club members and I have created, may be coming out sometime next year if Sue Shoemark still likes the idea. Can't tell anymore, it's a secret!...

What is success? The proper definition of success is the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors. What is the opposite of success? Failure. Failure is an act or instance of failing or proving unsuccessful, a lack of success. Now that we know the correct definitions of these two perplexing terms, we have to decide whether we agree or disagree with the definitions we have been supplied with. I agree to a certain extent, because I have personally lived and experienced these two words. But, is success all it’s cut out to be? Is failure really something we want to avoid? Because just like life, it is all in how you view it. Success is something we all want with our horses and our journey in general; we all want to be that perfect partner. We all want to know where to be, when to be, why to be and what to do when you get there, at any given moment and in any situation with a horse. We all want to have the ultimate horsemanship; we all want to ride into the sunset bareback and bridle-less in perfect harmony just like Pat Parelli. We all also want it right now, and want it to stay like that forever. Mind that Pat Parelli took 25 years to get where he is now with horses, but we all still want it instantly. Where does that feeling come from? Your inner predatorial self. I want it and I want it now! What direct line thinkers we are. Horses are not direct line thinkers, but all predators are. Direct line thinking leads to perfectionism and goal orientation and we all know that that often leads to discourse in your partnership and contempt on your horse’s part. Goals cannot be reached without willingness on both parts, so we all have to swallow our pride in order to embark on this journey so we can succeed. On this journey we all will face success and failure, both necessary factors but not necessarily something negative. We all know success is something we all want, but do we want failure? We cannot avoid it, it is inevitably impossible to avoid failure some time in our journey. Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed. I've just found 300 ways how to not make a light bulb” But yet, there was success. In our journeys, we will and have learned “how to not make a light bulb” in many different ways and situations and that is how we learn. You can call it the process of elimination, our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. I personally have learned so much in my failures, and do not regret one instance of failure on my part. So it all goes back to the original questions, what is success? What is Failure? And how will you allow them to effect you in your journey?

How do you like it? What would you change or add?

The past few days with Sundance have been a perfect example of how you perceive success and failure and what a difference it makes in the way you view it. A couple of days ago I had a liberty session with Sundance that did not go very well, but I learned a lot about my energy and how much it effects the way he perceives my communication and aids. In another persons mind, the session was a failure. But in my mind, I have learned about a huge piece that fits in the puzzle! The 2 sessions after that was absolutely amazing, we danced literally! We had breakthroughs, our communication was changed and refined. We were in harmony. The day after the so called 'failed' session, our Liberty became a dance. I learned that through refining the cues for sideways towards me, we could do a spin like a couple does when dancing. The man twirls the woman under his finger whilst holder her hand, it was magic! And of course Sundance loved it, because he got treats. The next day, we performed a task I thought we wouldn't be able to do until the end of Level 3. I canter on the ground (kind of a skip-hop, and you have to be on the right lead too!) and Sundance canters right beside me at liberty in a tight circle. What a dream! It was beautiful, I have always wanted to be able to do that with Sundance. Is that what true unity feels like? Is that what can come from failure? If so, I don't mind failing at all.