Unbridled Living

I can't believe we are on the 40th episode!  I took suggestions from the Rider's Mind Community on Facebook for this episode and then had community members vote for the topic they most wanted to hear about.  The winning suggestion came from Justine Berg, so she will receive a gift from Stride Wear!   Justine said "I'd like to hear more on affirmations and how to develop and maintain a strong belie...

I was recently asked to share some mindfulness and mindset tips with the Cloverleaf Connection Facebook group .  I wanted to make sure you got these tips too, so I'm sharing them with you in this episode.   I've got some tips and reminders to help you through this challenging time as we deal with restrictions due to COVID19.  Try some of these exercises and, when it's time to compete again, you'll...

If there is one mantra I hold near and dear to my heart, it is everything is figureoutable .  Marie Forleo coined that term and released an excellent book on it last year.  It's all about the inner knowing that you can figure something out.  Growing up, I had a similar belief.  My Mom always said " where there is a will, there is a way ".  If you combine that with everything is figureoutable , you...

If you've lost your mojo for riding, you're not alone.  We are in the midst of COVID19 and we are shut down for all horse events.  If you're used to setting goals and preparing to enter events, you might be lacking the motivation to ride.   Why do you ride? Part of my "why" is definitely a love of competition.  Competition is a way to measure and compare, which is ego-based, but often motivating. ...

It is said that there are only two true emotions: love and fear.    If we are in one, we can't be in the other. There is a lot of fear and uncertainty in the world right now, so this topic applies to both current events and to the arena.  Listen to this episode to find out how you can shift from fear to love. Until then, join the conversation in The Rider's Mind Community on Facebook.  As a member...

Question:  Michelle, how do you do it all? I have several businesses and I have two kids, plus I get to jackpots and rodeos.  I've got a lot on the go. So, my short answer to this question is: I don't do it all .  There are many things on my to do list that never get done, there are many things I'd like to do that aren't likely going to happen and there are many things I should do that I let slide...

Any time someone irritates us, hurts us, annoys us, makes us feel small or makes us feel worthless, we have allowed them to take some of our power.  In this episode, I'll share some tips on taking your power back. Join the conversation in The Rider's Mind Community on Facebook.  As a member of this community,  you'll get tips and videos from me! If you're looking to make changes to your mindset, b...

Special guest Cali Brown is joining us for this episode. She will tell us about her Gestalt healing methods and how horses can contribute to the growth and transformation of humans. Cali works with horses and humans.  She applies Gestalt therapy methods to help people work through pain and trauma to live a more joyful and peaceful life.  In her sessions, people have an opportunity to work with a h...

It's hard to know whether our competitive traits come from nature or nurture.  There are different perspectives on how we become competitive. Regardless of how it develops, we can beat ourselves by being competitive.  For example, if I'm at the barrel race and I see a barrel racer that won last time and I set my goal to outrun her and beat her, that sets me up to worry about what she's doing rathe...

You know the feeling when you have soooo much to do.  You don't know where to start. Or you've started, but you don't feel like you're getting anywhere so you get frustrated and quit.  Or you procrastinate because you have so much to do. This is a feeling of overwhelm. Overwhelm is a choice.    We choose to be stuck in that energy.  We don't have to be in that energy. We put so much energy into th...

In this episode, I'll help you think differently about hard work.  I'll tell you about how you can succeed without hard work.   In the western way of life, many of us have been conditioned and trained through the example of our parents to work hard for what you want.    Being a hard worker is a very honorable quality.   We might think that people who aren't hard workers are lazy and undeserving of...

In this episode, I'll be addressing a listener's question.  Question:   I typically seek advice from people I trust and respect, but what happens when their advice doesn't sit right with me?   For example: If I believe deep down I'm ready to enter a rodeo and my coach says I should jackpot more first... How do I handle that conflicting feeling between what I feel and what my trusted coach advises?...

Have you ever stopped and considered that maybe you were made for more?   I know you are. In this episode, I'll tell you why. If "playing small" has never been an issue for you, it might be difficult to understand why someone would do that.  But for those of you who have been caught in the "playing small" trap, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. We might not understand it, but we know the...

Everyone gets stuck but I'm not sure everyone stops to think about the cost of staying stuck.  If you stop to think about it, that cost might be an incentive to dig deep and get going again. In this episode, I'll share some ideas that might help you get motivated to move forward and level up.  Not everyone is about growth and improving themselves to be more successful and that's okay.   But, I'm g...

Are you someone your horse wants to follow or does your horse consider you a liability?  In this episode, I'll be sharing ideas about being a good leader for your horse.   Horses are herd animals. They are very instinctual.  They look for leadership. They operate in a herd and protect each other.  They work together. When you think about your partnership with your horse, ask yourself am I always s...

We have a tendency to run from discomfort.   We don't like feeling uncomfortable, so we move.    The trouble with that is growth can sometimes feel uncomfortable.  What if we are avoiding growth because we don't like the feeling of it? In this episode, I'll talk about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.   You might just love what's on the other side of this discomfort.  Join the conversa...

In my area, having a barrel racing coach isn't very common.  In some western disciplines and in many English disciplines, having a coach is a given.  In some disciplines, it's common for coaches to come with you to your events. In barrel racing, that isn't typically the case.  In this episode, I will talk about whether or not you should consider getting a coach and how to know you're ready for a c...

Have you ever sat ready to compete and wondered, What is wrong with me?  Why am I so nervous?   I'm here to tell you that you're not alone.  There's nothing wrong with you. In this episode, I'll share my suggestions for handling those competition nerves.   As a mindset coach, I'm really big on detecting and clearing limiting beliefs.  One limiting belief that a lot of people have is there is somet...

It's a new year and it's time to write goals and make plans for the year.  Instead of working towards those goals, I suggest you work on becoming the person who achieves the goals you want to achieve.  In this episode, I'll talk about being who you need to be to get what you want to have.   I'm not one for making resolutions, but I do think this is a good time to reflect on the past year and to lo...

In this episode, I'll be answering a question from a listener.   I'll share some tips for connecting and bonding with your horse, even when you're not riding.  Question:  What are some things I can do with my horse that will help build our bond and our partnership when we're not spending as much time riding since it's winter? Hopefully, you get a few days off over the holiday season, the weather c...

Everyone carries a vibe.  What happens when we're traveling to events and our vibe doesn't jive with our traveling partner's vibe?  Things can get tricky! In this episode, I'll talk about your responsibility to protect your own vibe and how others' energy might be affecting your performance in the arena. Join the conversation!  Share your ideas in The Rider's Mind Community on Facebook.   Want to...

Whether you love the holiday season or you find it just a little too people-y, I've got some tips to help you with this season.   Christmas and the holiday season that goes along with it can feel stressful and overwhelming for some people.  We are all busy before the holiday season begins and then dealing with the holiday parties, shopping and food can add even more to our to-do lists.  With Chris...

We've all heard the expressions Good vibes only and Your vibe attracts your tribe or Raise your vibe.  But, what does it mean to raise your vibe?  In this episode, I'll talk about raising your vibe and how this idea applies to working with horses.  Join the conversation!  Share your ideas in The Rider's Mind Community on Facebook.   Want to connect?  Find me on Instagram or Facebook.

In this episode, I'll be answering a question from a listener.  I'll talk about how others' opinions can impact us and how our own vulnerabilities affect our interpretations of others' opinions.  The q uestion was: Other people don't think I need to be where I am or have what I should.  They say I'm spoiled by my husband, I don't work hard enough, I have too much going on with the kids... blah bla...

I have noticed that the more I judge myself and others, the more I worry about being judged.  As I work on letting go of judgment, I worry less about others' judgments. It is natural and human to make judgments. Every day, we are judging; we pick the best apples at the store, we assess whether or not we like a horse that's listed for sale, we like and comment on social media posts.   What has help...