Ok, so most of us have been spending much more time at home than we would normally do. That’s a good thing, right?

Most people long to spend time at home, have a holiday, slow down, have more horse time and finally read that book that they have started months ago but somehow never found the time to finish.

For those who are lucky to be healthy and well, being sent home to lock down sounds like a blessing in disguise…

Yet somehow, there is still a lot of fear out there. Most of the fear is for the health of elderly loved ones or people with fragile health and that fear is understandable. There are also other fears out there, the fear of the unknown, fear of financial struggle, fear of uncertainty and fear of change.

And then, for many horse people, there is the fear of getting left behind. With no competitions and many clinics cancelled, riders lose momentum and drive, so the fear of getting left behind and of not improving is also real.

Let’s talk about those fears.

How do we manage to stay motivated at a time like this?

Motivation is easy when you can keep your dreams alive, whereas a lack of motivation happens when you are overcome by fears or disillusion derived from lacking in self-belief.

If you think that you are not good enough, that you can’t achieve your goals and you will struggle, then every situation you find yourself in might confirm this limiting belief, causing you to feel defeated and depressed!

When, on the other hand, you stay focused on your dreams and you believe that you will achieve your goals, nothing can stop you!

The same can be said for the fear of financial struggle. If you constantly worry about money then, at every given setback, you will become stressed and aggravate the problem.

If you are fearful of change, everything that is different from the norm will cause that fear to grow stronger.

But fears exist in our mind only, it is when we act on those fears that we create the experience that confirms them!

So, if fears only exist in our mind, changing the our way of thinking – our thought patterns – can reduce the feeling and even make the fear dissipate.

Today, I invite you to confront your fears by recognizing them first – becoming aware is the start!

It is within the awareness that we can find solutions.

If you are afraid that you will be left behind, that you are not good enough, that time will run out and you will never achieve your goals, I want you to stop and think about this. Is that really the case?

What is your goal exactly and how much time do you have left?

Step outside of yourself for a moment and attempt to look at the problem from the outside. If your best friend was to share that particular problem with you, what would you say to her/him?

Would you say: “Yes you are right, don’t even bother, just give up now because you will never get there anyway!”

If your answer is yes, then it’s possible you really do have a problem, but I suspect the answer would be: “No! Of course you wouldn’t say that!”

So, what would you tell your friend? What solutions would you offer?

The answer to your problem is already inside of you; you just have to allow it to come out.

Your fears are there because you somehow think you are not enough;

  • not good enough,
  • not smart enough,
  • not deserving enough.

I am here to tell you that you are good enough, smart and deserving.

We are so hard on ourselves and so quick to beat ourselves up. What if that would change today? What if, from now on, you decided to no longer be so hard on yourself but instead be positive and encouraging towards yourself.

If you find yourself with some extra time on your hands, use it wisely. Commit to achieving your goals and dreams, and finding ways to make them happen.

Under this pandemic, the world has changed but it has not stopped. There are still lessons being given, many great online training and learning programs, and there is over-the-phone mindset coaching available.

Make the next few months your best months yet. Be defined by your strengths and your desire to achieve, and let nothing get in your way.

Happy riding!