The Path Less Travel

The past few days we have spent down in Lethbridge for Brandon’s graduation as well as packing and moving him back home for the summer. Yay! It has been an extra-long weekend that has had moments of hectic as well as those of relaxing and laughs. Being that Lethbridge is a 5 1/2-6 hr drive (5 if you are male), there was a lot of time spent on the road with little to do than watch as each town and farm yard passed by.  This trip we chose a route off the beaten trail which led us through small communities, many you would miss if you blinked. Even though we had a schedule of sorts with places to be and things to do, I found the trip this go around much more relaxing and enjoyable.  Maybe it was the fact that I was belted into the passenger’s seat with nowhere to go, but I seemed to notice so much more without my mind racing back to the lists and schedules.  I enjoyed the sporadic weather systems coming and going (even though I would have chosen more sun), the leaves on trees starting to bud out, the glimpses of mountains and foothills, along with all the adorable baby calves who dotted the fields. 

In the quiet of these hours I was reminded that the environment I find myself surrounded with determines where I am mentally and how much I am able to enjoy each moment.  The drive on these empty, curving roads with my mountain view offered complete peacefulness.  For those moments I didn’t have to be anywhere or do anything other than simply enjoy the moment.

Yes life is crazy busy with the lists to complete and the places to be, however, I believe it is important to sometimes take the path less travelled, the slower more scenic trail that has a beauty and peace of its own, the path that will calm the soul and rejuvenate the spirit.

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

Horsemanship Seminar Round 2

Friday night I was fortunate to be able to attend Mr. McKee’s Horsemanship Seminar for the second year.  Last years’ experience revealed a bit of a control issue and a let’s get as much done as possible in the time we have character flaw in myself.  This year I found completely different.  Taking what I discovered about myself last year, I approached Friday with an adjustment in attitude and intent and was pleasantly surprised with the results. 

The evening started with picking a horse that I felt a connection with.  The first horse I approached walked away from me yawning, not the connection I was looking for.  The second, Shorty, I was immediately drawn to because of his eyes that reminded me of my dog’s kind and loving looks, this was the one.  This time around I went in more relaxed, with the desire to enjoy each moment and learn new things and at the same time work on what I had problems with last time.  As we went through the different exercises I found that my approach of working with my horse with a patient and caring touch rather than trying to force him into doing my plans my way and right away, was much more effective and enjoyable.  To work with an animal that is so sensitive and responsive to its surroundings is truly an experience that teaches you a lot about yourself.  These animals don’t lie.  They respond based on what they sense and can reveal things about the people working with them pretty blatantly.

This year was also a little different for me in respect to coming with intentions and specific things I wanted to work on.  Last year I didn’t only come without any idea of what to expect of the afternoon but I came in mom mode and that definitely made a difference for me.  I always have loved experiencing new things with my kids but I will admit that many times it changes the experience for me.  I find myself worrying and constantly turning to keep an eye on my kids, yes control issues, all the while missing out on some pretty cool parts for myself.  I wish I could say I’ll change but the truth is once a mom always a mom.  With that being said I am trying to work on letting go on some of the little things.  I know the importance of making mistakes and learning from them and from being given the opportunities to go out and try without mom holding your hand.  This I will continue to work on for a lifetime. So with that realization, I did let Kayden go on his own and trusted that if he needed me, he would holler and I was only a few meters away.  I believe this totally changed what we both walked away with.

So once again I would like to sincerely thank Mr. McKee for a wonderful evening.  You’re humble, witty and have a kind way of instruction and giving information that is truly a pleasure for those who are fortunate enough for the experience.  You are very good at what you do and I am very grateful for the opportunity to continue to learn from the lessons you teach.  I believe a person could come back every year and walk away learning something new and enlightening about themselves. Thank you again!

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

Confidence

For the past three weeks or so I have been paying a little more attention to people around me in respect to how they display confidence.    I am trying desperately to uncover the mystery to being able to perform and present without rushing through, remembering to breathe and actually feeling excitement and enjoyment from the experience. 

I have observed from my walks with our dog that people, mostly kids and teenagers, seem to be distracted with earbuds in their ears and looking down at their shoes or their eyes pasted to a phone or other hand held device, totally unaware of everything around them.   For the first couple of days I just watched, trying to read their body language as to whether they were just listening to a song they needed to get pumped up for the day or were responding to an urgent email that required their instant response.  Now I am no expert but it appeared to me that most were just going through the motions of a day without thought or truly being in the moment.  Then there were the other group who had shoulders hunched, heads down and appeared to be trying to blend in to the sidewalk not wanting to be seen, just trying to get from point A to B.  To be honest I found it more than a little disturbing.  So after a couple of days I started yelling over their music while jumping in their path just to say good morning, great way to make an impression in a new neighborhood I’m sure. The response has been a little shock perhaps but with a little bit of a smile and the start of a few words being exchanged as the days go on.

This whole idea was sparked by a young man in the Tuesday/Thursday classes.  Every time I see this young man, whether in class, at the Chinese New Year or in the Walmart parking lot, he seems to ooze with confidence.  When asked in class if anyone would like to show what they got, his hand is the first raised and sometimes the only. One cannot help but be drawn to him and secretly think, I want what he has.  The generations have changed and the acknowledgement and respect given to one another I believe has taken a kicking, however, this young fellow when asked ‘How are you?”, looks you in the eye and says with extreme confidence “Very well thank you, how are you?”  As I write this I have to giggle a little because it seems something so rare to see, especially from someone only 3 feet tall.

So I find myself trying to get what he’s got.  I don’t want to be the one looking down at my shoes, intimidated by those that I feel are superior or scared to look someone in the eye and voice my opinion.  I want to be able to hold my head high, believe in me and to carry myself with confidence.  I want to be able to take chances and to laugh at myself when required.  I want to be confident enough to express my thoughts and feelings without fear of feeling small or insignificant. I want to be like the young man from Tuesday/Thursday classes.

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

Hidden Battles

I should maybe begin by apologizing for the possibility that this blog may be hard to read and that I may not be able to express my feelings just perfect.  I have found myself thinking on last week’s meeting many times this past week.  I came out of the kwoon, sat down in the car, exhaled a deep breath and said out loud with confidence that I felt it was the best meeting we have had yet this year. I left feeling I knew a little more about some of my team mates and felt relief that I am not the only one with challenging things going on in life.  I would like to start by thanking the young lady, who by sharing her own story; got the ball rolling by giving others the courage to open up and share the different struggles they have been facing in their own training and lives (we miss you not being on the team this year). It made me more aware than ever that there are many battles being fought by people I am around on a regular basis, battles that for many are kept quietly to themselves.  I walked away Saturday with the lesson reinforced that when we have the courage to open up at the right time with the right people, we may be surprised we are not alone; empathy and help can come from surprising sources. 

I just wanted to share a few points from one of my readings this week as to the importance of relationships.

-         Your life is very different when you are alone vs. connected to others

-         We all face difficult challenges in life

-         When we are disconnected from the support and love of others we lose energy, become discouraged and tend to repeat old behaviours that don’t work

-         Accomplishing our dreams/goals will be accelerated or decelerated by whether we are working alone or are accompanied by support

-         Life is better when we are with others

-         Relationships are the fuel of our existence and path

-         To ‘be with’ means on the same side and signifies that someone is present with you, has your back and wants to help you

Just one more thank you to everyone that shared last meeting, you help encourage others to do the same at the same time allowing others the opportunity to possibly help.

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca