Think about what you think about…no, really

So…life is just full of surprises and lots of opportunities to push our limits and expand, right?  It seems I am consistently finding opportunities (or they are finding me) to focus and grow in areas of the 8 Principles or other fabulous pieces of Parelli theory.  I’ve heard Pat say “think about what you think about” quite a few times and am really getting clear on how powerful that is.  You see, I own a business and have been gliding along loving all the time I have to focus on my Parelli studies and newly begun career path, as my business systems had begun to work smoothly without me needing to be there.  I employee a great team of incredible individuals who just take care of things.  Well…I was recently on the Big Island teaching and got a letter via my handy dandy iphone, from my property manager.  My lease is up and we had been negotiating terms.  I thought we’d find common ground, but no cigar.  So this was the letter that ended in the words, “vacate the premises by July 31, 2011”.  OMG!!  I was with a friend I hadn’t seen in a while when I got the email and tried to hold it together.  I didn’t sleep well and found myself focusing on the issue as I flew back home.  I got the flu as soon as I arrived home and was down for about 5 days.  Still worrying.  After about the first week I really started stepping back from the situation and hearing those words…think about what you think about.  Man, they started to resonate in a powerful way.  Here I am, dealing with a major choice that will affect my source of income and I have no choice but to take action.  Control has been taken away and I have to find a way to resolve the issue without losing everything.  I’m having lots of “okay, let’s take a deep breath” moments, I must admit, but have come to a place of strength and seeing the gifts in this.  This, along with all the challenges I’ve faced before have prepared me by giving me skills, experience, and knowledge that I need right now.  All these attributes are allowing me to think quickly in a time crunch and move toward a positive outcome.  I have now begun to create options that will likely be much more successful than my current business set up and I only have that ultimatum letter to thank for kicking me into action!  THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT has taken on a whole new meaning for me and once again I have relied on the Parelli program/organization and all the self awareness resources it provides to get me through a potentially scary time that has nothing to do with horses.  Though I don’t have a personal relationship with Linda or Pat, I hear their voices and see their words clearly and they have been key guidance for me; helping me stay on the path of progressiveness versus getting bogged down with worry or negative thoughts.  I only have so many hours and so much energy and I am processing in a new way how much my thoughts can use up that time and energy and zap me if I’m not very FOCUSED on keeping my thoughts on track.  MY REALITY IS WHAT I THINK ABOUT.  I’m sure there’s an even much deeper lesson that I’m not seeing yet, but I have been trying to use this opportunity to challenge myself to find peace through the storm as well as continue to enjoy the journey…even through the scary moments.  Writing about this makes it so real and, reflecting on the person I was 5 years ago when I opened this business, I am amazed at how far I’ve come as a human being.  This is why I am so passionate about representing Parelli to others and being a part of this program for the rest of my life.  Here’s an extreme situation where I could have gotten really depressed but I’m able to find the gifts and continue to enjoy my day to day life while I deal with this.  Do Pat and Linda truly get how deeply they affect us?  How they have given us the skills and growth to LOVE LIFE every day at times when we might otherwise find ourselves unwittingly headed down a negative path?  I am feeling powerful and finding that I naturally have the tools to cope with and resolve this situation & it’s due to this little self help program called Parelli:-)  Oh yeah, and it’s helping me with my horses too:-)