Choices

A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her.
~David Brinkley

Okay, so I'm into the quotes right now. Seems like I've been stumbling on quite a few good ones lately and some I just can't help but share. 

In my youth, I used to show horses. It taught me so much about horsemanship and taking care of my horses on and off the road as well as good sportsmanship.  With the partnership with my wonderful gelding Cody, we excelled in the ranks of local and 4H shows bringing home many championships.  Horse showing is a very political sport. It is based on someone else's opinion and I grew tired of knowing we made a great run for instance in the reining class only to place lower than someone else due to someone's decision. I wasn't a sore loser, but I grew tired of the politics and wanted to compete in an event where I did not have to rely on a judge and the politics were never a factor of how I placed.

This is when barrel racing entered the picture. Although, I skipped the politics of determining my placings, it still unfortunately lingered. As I entered the high school rodeo scene a little unknown girl from Montana (I rodeoed in North Dakota), people didn't talk much at first.  Then at my first weekend of rodeoing, I placed a very solid 3rd and 4th in the barrels. I slowly became a victim of gossip.

This gossip was belittling and degrading to my hard work and partnership with my horse.  People saying I paid a very significant amount for my horse and how I would send my horse to the trainer during the week to keep him tuned up are just a few of the many that I remember. They are not a big deal to me now because the people that mattered know the truth, but I can't lie, I was bothered by it. I was so bothered by it that many times I over rode my horse trying to prove them wrong in one way or another.  Unfortunately, it backfired more than once and I shot myself in the foot every time I had that mentality.

As I've stepped out onto a ledge and took the plunge as a horse trainer, I've been criticized more than I'd like to even know.  Healthy criticism is never a bad thing and is welcomed by me, but many were down right cruel. Many times it was coming from people who had never rode a horse I trained.  It's disheartening and hurtful when those rumors make full circle and come back to me.  However, I've done my best to learn from my previous mistake and to just brush them off.  I won't lie, it still stings and I'm still bothered, which is only human.

I've learned that no matter what you do or where you're at, you'll always have critics somewhere.  You can either brush them off or let them bother you and tear you apart. I try to brush them off and let it fuel the fire to do better; not to show the critic wrong, but rather for myself.

You can let the bricks that are thrown at you pile up and become a wall between you and your goal. Or you could instead build them up into stairs to reach your goal. The choice is yours and only yours to make! People will talk and create rumors when they are insecure, threatened by you or jealous.  Don't give them the joy in seeing their words tear you apart.  Stand strong, be confident, and most of all enjoy what you're doing! 

Happy Trails!

Cody