listen.

I like Kyle Carter's motto "Living the dream".

I also like Phyllis Dawson's motto "Invest in the journey not the destination".

I can honestly say, I get it and I am doing it. Both motto's.

There are two special ladies that have helped me get to where I am right now, which is a pretty good place.

In fact, right now is probably the best place I have ever been. In my whole life, both professionally and personally.

I am truly happy.

There are obviously many other amazing people that have helped me tremendously. My husband is the number one person in my life but today I want to send a shout out to two of my instructors.

A truly heartfelt shout out.

I feel bad not talking about Stephen and Susan, but I will write about them another day. (Maybe Monday after my clinic with Stephen ;)

Today I want to write about my real adoration for Vanessa Swartz and Sharon White.

This week I had the best rides on both my mares.

Like the kind of rides that made me want to cry..........Cry like I do at the end of the movie "Homeward bound". (Which is close to hysterical)

I have never dreamed that my chestnut mare could do what she is doing.

I have also had many an instructor tell me she could never do what she is doing.

Beast moved in ways that were a dream come true.

I know that that sounds really cheesy and loopy, but it is true.

I really and truly feel this week like I am living a dream.

God knows working with horses can be full of extreme ups and downs.

It can be fleeting glimpses of comprehension and greatness.

Working with horses has the potential to be raw and draining. One can be burnt one too many times to return.

I am so thankful to have positive role models in my life like Vanessa and Sharon.

They make it easy to keep loving every good moment, to try to love the bad moments, and they demonstrate how to handle the really bad moments gracefully.

Vanessa is a little powerhouse, some one I am so glad to have in my corner. She has made my horses incredible and reassured me every step that I would get them there. I did, I have, and I will.

I am grateful.

Sharon White is some one I am grateful to ride with.

Sharon is inspirational, and real.

Vanessa teaches me on the flat where my emotional state has (thank god) stabilized, Sharon gets the pleasure of teaching me at my craziest.

Unfortunately in my lessons with Sharon, I often revert to toddler like behavior.

At first I was so horrified and embarrassed I thought about not taking more lessons with her, but I have succumb to the fact that I lack control of my emotions. If I don't fight it, it wont fight me.

I play dead.

I hear it works with Bears also.

Sharon not only doesn't react in embarrassment to my crazy, she keeps pushing.

How did she know I could do it, and I didn't? I mean I TRULY didn't. Like I was ADAMANT I couldn't.

But because of her, I did it, and I will continue to do it.

I heard of how a while ago Sharon had a bad injury. (This was before I was riding with her) While Sharon was recovering from that injury and once she was able to start riding again, she was not allowed to jump for awhile. I imagine this would be immensely frustrating.

I hear of how she turned that into something positive by doing intense dressage training.

I have the desire to be like that.

Every day is a choice. I hope I can choose to be positive.

Sharon's photograph is in the dictionary next to positive, a profile shot. I looked. .......I swear.

I see how Vanessa sets up a clinic for 7 girls. Then 10 minutes after it's done she has cleaned up the ring and set it for games practice. She watches her daughter ride, teaches a thousand lesson's (and GOOD quality lessons) answers a thousand questions and is still a super fun person.

Vanessa has a cape under her jacket and an "S" on her shirt.

I have been practicing what my ladies have taught me. It is paying off.

Callie got an 84% in a second level dressage test yesterday. The show was at my farm. I was the only competitor AND the judge.

Needless to say I won.

Thank you Vanessa.

I have been practicing on Beast.

I have one clear memory that shines like a beacon from the last lesson I had with Sharon. (The one where I was on Crack, oops I mean mass amounts of medicine)

The memory was of the perfect balance I held to an oxer. (It only happened once, maybe that's why it was so memorable) .

I did not mess up my horses balance.

She liked that.

I liked it also and it stuck with me.

I had a dream about it. I am not kidding here, I had a long dream about how it should feel.

I realize what Sharon has been telling me to do on Beast for months!

I am so excited to try to master this!

Like Sharon says, you won't hear things until you are ready to hear them.

I can not say enough positive things about both of these ladies.

They are not just AMAZING instructors, they are amazing people. They are different and they see things in a different way....actually a million different ways.

They are wonderful and refreshing and they are good.

In my career, I will continue to try to hear.

I will try not to let an ego get in my way.

I will try to keep my intentions pure.

I will try to do this all to be the best rider and teacher I can be.

I will try let people know how much they mean to me, and how special they are. They deserve it.

I will try to become who I am not in the shadow of some but in the light of those like Vanessa and Sharon.

This week, I am Thankful. I am happy, and I am Thankful to be happy.