I think the word 'even' is number 1 in the list of most used words. I don't know what it is, but I use it practically for every activity: having breakfast, putting the horses outside, calling back so and so, doing the laundry (that often doesn't happen yet) and I could go on and on .
Now, with our horse company, shop, family and the recently opened Equestrian Safety Center, that may not come as such a surprise, but I'm finding out more and more that 'just' doesn't actually work that well at all.
My most recent 'evens' resulted in a big dent in my new car, a 'rope burn' from a running horse, a forgotten box of ice cream in the car, wrong messages to the wrong people and a missing debit card. All this within a period of less than two weeks. In my case, 'even' often results in extra work, embarrassing situations and injuries.
I think horses (and children!) feel this attitude very well and often this does not benefit what should happen. Not because they deliberately want to be annoying, but because with the intention of 'just a moment' and in my case often 'mentally switched off' they simply can't do anything.
I also think that you can do many things very well at a high pace, as long as you are really there at that moment. I got a real eye opener, as often, during my daily morning mood routine. Putting the horses out in the morning is now routine work for me. But when I became aware of the way I put the halter on them in the morning, I caught myself not actually making contact with them at all. I did, but my mind was already on a hundred other things.
Only when I became aware of this did I see the horses as they are again. I thought, today I'll take the time to put the halter on them instead of getting them out as quickly as possible. Just an extra pat, a pat and I'm amazed again at how beautiful horses can see right through you. Call me a penny girl but it really made that much of a difference. Maybe even more for me than for them! It felt so much nicer to give them all sincere attention. The horse that usually looks so sour, now let himself be hugged and the horse that always pulls away got an extra nugget from me when letting go. Result: horses calmer, I less frustrated and no burnt hands.
My mission for this week is therefore to keep the word 'even' to a minimum. Although I think it's best to let the laundry sit for a while. You have to be realistic of course.