Winning Streaks Don’t Last, Neither Do Losing Streaks.
Share
I used to get mad when I’d mess up in the show pen. Really, really mad. At myself mainly, sometimes upset at my horse. And then I went through a time where I would get sad if I messed up. Really, really sad. I would forget all the wins, focus on the losses, and tear myself apart. I’m very competitive and I put myself into a position where losing wasn’t an option for me.
My dad is big on celebrating each win, even if you didn’t technically win in the show pen. You finally got your horse around 3 barrels and didn’t knock? Go to dinner. You beat your personal fast time? Treat yourself. You walked into that show pen and didn’t let anxiety get the best of you? Go get a massage. Holding onto small victories (and big ones!) will help you get through the dry spells.
Winning streaks don’t last. But then again, neither do losing streaks. For a long time, I thought being a winner meant winning everything all the time. But being a winner is a mindset, and it’s the way that you act and carry yourself. It’s waking up an hour earlier than you have to, working an hour later, and doing it all over again the next day. Mental mindset is everything. Being a winner is a choice. Every day you wake up and have the opportunity to be a winner, or to be a loser. Choose the first.
I stopped setting goals this year, and started making plans. I stopped hoping I’d go somewhere, and started to focus only on doing things that would get me where I wanted to be. When the Lord closed one door for me, I stopped camping outside of it and whining to be let in, and instead picked myself up and walked to another door.
I’m still learning how to be a winner, but I no longer cry after a bad round and I definitely don’t throw a fit. I pat my horse, thank the Lord for keeping us safe, and get my mind ready for the next one. While we get caught up in this life and take it for granted as humans usually do, there is a little girl in the stands wishing she could be us, and a little boy using a kinked up kid rope to try and imitate the cowboys. Remember that. Thank your horse because he doesn’t do this for him, he does it for you. Thank your supporters, it takes a village. Thank the Lord, for we are so blessed. And above all, always remember to smile. Life is better when you’re smiling.
