Sometimes you just have to take a step back and look at life through the bigger picture. As team SWPH was getting ready for the 2018 POA National Congress, things got a little chaotic around the barn. It seemed like we were (ok let’s be honest, usually always ARE) always one step behind. As if preparing to travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for team SWPH’s biggest show of the year wasn’t enough to plan and organize on its own, adding in needing a new trailer last minute, having client horses leave, and all of life’s ordinary challenges, contributed a whole other level to keep on top of. In the midst of the crazy, it can be easy to get lost in a cloud of stress, planning, and just trying to stay afloat. On my own end, after I leave work I’m not responsible for all that Sam must deal with, but I have horses at home under my care to manage as well. After dealing with horsey health scares and juggling responsibilities, work, and family obligations, I often find myself getting lost in a whirlwind. Even though now we have a slower few weeks to catch up after the big bustle, life continually goes on, and horses entrusted to us need care every. Single. Day. All of this said because the last couple of weeks have gotten me thinking about joy. Life will always have complications and business and stress. We will always be thinking about the next thing. I feel like human nature is always on to the next thing before we’ve even stopped to enjoy what we have now. Yes, as responsible horse owners we have to plan ahead and be prepared, but it’s also important not to lose sight of what’s right in front of us. We get to enjoy a life with horses and do what we love. We get to work hard for our horses and live our passions. Most of us sacrifice a lot to live this life because it means the world to us. It’s a privilege to do this and it’s a blessing we can begin to take for granted.
Sometimes when life gets busy and complicated we turn on “survival mode” and stop truly LIVING. We live when we look at what we do have and stop to be thankful for it. We live when we take time to appreciate the big and little things in life. We live when we are joyful. We can have crazy lives and difficult times and still find joy in so many things.
Sometimes we must pause for a moment and appreciate how far we’ve come. We have to change our way of thinking… not just seeing the setbacks, but the victories. If we focus only on our to-do lists and what we feel like we aren’t doing, then we miss the joys of the little accomplishments each day. In the end, it’s really all the little victories spread throughout time that add up to comprise our biggest accomplishments. The cliché, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” couldn’t be more accurate in the horse world. Learning new things, honing old skills, improving timing and horsemanship all take endless patience and repetition. Sometimes we can forget to appreciate the joy of each little new thing we improve each day.
So take a moment and find joy in the early morning sunrise. Appreciate the friend who adventures with you. Love every moment you GET to be with your horse. Even if you are in a season of difficult days, there are always silver linings if you look for them. Find them. Appreciate them. Every day I remind myself how lucky am I that I get to be outside moving, learning, living a passion and pursuing my dream every day. I don’t take that opportunity for granted. My challenge for you is to notice the small things, be thankful, and find JOY.
See you around the barn!
-Rebekah Bukowski