I Quit!

At my barn I have a few students, most of them under the age of 13, some as young as 5.  While my overall focus is on becoming a sport psychology consultant, I have to admit that most of the time, these kids brighten up my day.  I don't have dreams of having a massive lesson operation, and I'm quite happy with my little group of go-getters, but I have a confession to make. 

On days like today, when I feel like this:

30 MPH wind gusts. Unnecessary.

I question my sanity.  Why on earth am I outside? Why am I subjecting myself to sore ears, a wind burnt face, and once again keeping Chapstick in business for another year with my poor cracked and dry lips.  

So I call my friend, who also happens to have questionable sanity, and the first thing I say is:

"I quit!"

"You don't quit."

"Nope, I quit.  This is ridiculous."

"Don't make me get the lunge whip after you."

We then go on to list all the reasons why we are insane for standing out in hurricane force winds.  We laugh at ourselves, and my friend reminds me that if I did quit, and got a "normal job" that I would hate life within six months.  She's totally right.  

I know what you're thinking right now. "GASP! Shannon, that is so negative! You always talk about being positive and thinking positively!" 

You're right, it does sound negative. However, I believe that venting, in moderation, is a healthy way to express emotions, as long as you put a cap on it, and you vent smartly.  So here are some tips for "Smart Venting!"

1.  Choose who you vent with wisely.  Choosing someone who is negative or loves negativity can send you down a rabbit hole.  Choose someone who will let you say your piece, but then will lift you up rather than pull you down.

2.  Don't dwell.  Get it out, then find the silver lining.  Find some way to appreciate the situation.  It's not easy, but every situation we encounter is a learning and growing opportunity.

3.  Venting is different than talking about a serious problem.  Save venting for the little stuff (like this awful weather!) Venting is when we can exaggerate and be dramatic.  If there is something honestly bothering you, or if you are dealing with a difficult situation and need to talk to someone, let them know that you need to talk.  Don't broadside them if you can help it.  

4.  Wrap it up.  In the case above, we grumbled for a few minutes about the weather, then we moved on and talked about more productive things.  

Getting back to my lesson students, I honestly wanted to just cancel lessons today, go home, and curl up with a book while listening to the rain and wind howl outside.  I knew that riding was going to be out, so we would have to do classroom lessons.  While I believe classroom lessons are an integral and necessary part of learning to become a good horse person, I will admit that it's much more fun to teach them in the saddle! However, knowing how excited my students were to come learn kept me going, and at the end of the day, when I see the light bulb come on as a new student puts together her first bridle and successfully identifies all the pieces of her tack, and when another student learns to pull a mane and does a beautiful job on her first try, I see that silver lining.  I see the exact reason that I am insane enough to spend all day outside in the howling wind, the rain, the thunderstorms, the freezing cold and the suffocating heat.  

If she's not careful she's going to be on permanent mane pulling duty! She caught on quick!

I see the silver lining, and at the end of the day, when I trudge into the house twelve hours after I left it, smelling like a barn, with hay in my hair, and rosy red cheeks, and I stare blankly at the man in my house (some people say he's my husband?) I smile inwardly and I think "I'll never quit."