Last January, the muscles in my left leg and groin tore while I was riding my horse, Okido. I ended up face planting in the dirt. I had to have help to get up and limp out of the arena as my poor horse stood there staring at me in total surprise. What happened? he seemed to be saying.

Needless to say, my leg and groin hurt like hell for about the next month. Riding was out of the question. Walking around was a huge chore. Finally, after a few months I was back riding again but I wasn't myself. I thought I'd never be me again.

My trainer recommended physical therapy after a second fall, due to lack of balance, landed me in the dirt again. (Even though I actually felt more normal after. The fall must have been the chiropractic adjustment I needed!)

Anyway, off to PT I went. I stayed with it for two months, and the therapist gave me a bunch of yoga-like exercises, as well as work with weights in the gym to do on my own when he determined I had graduated.

Throughout all this, I felt like my riding was sliding backward until I realized that we had gone back to the basics, and I started seeing the benefits. As a result, I'm more centered in the saddle, balance from my seat and legs instead of my hands (well, most of the time), and am more relaxed. I continue, to this day, and probably for the rest of my life, to do the exercises my therapist gave me. I'm also content to focus on the basics which is making me a much better rider and from which I will begin to advance at a faster pace in the future (one can only hope).

My point in sharing my little fiasco with you is that it never hurts to take a step back... no matter what it involves... riding, making a relationship work, perfecting your career, or just about anything.

"Pausing to refresh" comes to mind. So, take stock of the things you're hell-bent on accomplishing. Reflect a bit and make sure you aren't rushing it or going about it in the incorrect way. 

You'll be glad that you did.

Til Next Time,
​Carol

 Most of us hate to wait. It's frustrating. But, if you look at it from the perspective of what you get at the end of waiting, it's really terrific.

So, what do I mean? Let's look at the things we wait for most in our lives.

• We wait to fall in love. In the end, if it's the right person, it brings joy.
• We wait to finally pay off debt. When we do, we're free.
• We wait to get well. And when we recover, we are grateful for our lives.
• We wait to finish school. When we do, we have an entire new life to which to look forward.
• We wait for that all important interview. If it goes well, we're set to make money and live as we hope to.
• We wait for our friends to call, text, or meet us. When they do, we're happy.
• We wait for transportation. But we enjoy the destination.
• We wait for our computers to reboot. Once they do, we can get on with it!
• We wait for doctors, dentists, and therapists. Once seen, we hopefully feel better.
• We wait for a table at a restaurant. In the end, we are sustained with a great meal.
• We wait for vacations. What wonderful memories they bring in the end.
• We wait for special moments - birthdays, anniversaries, and special events. They leave us with great memories and time with those we love.

As for me, I wait for my first great-granddaughter to be born. You can only imagine the joy that will bring me. 

I hope my readers look forward in anticipation to the last book in my Moon Blood Series coming out in February 2020. I hope it gives them entertainment and satisfaction. In the meantime, if you haven't read all the books in the series,  you can catch up here: http://mybook.to/MoonBlood1 (I know. Shameless plug. Sorry.)

No matter what any of us await, focus on the end result, not the waiting. It will bring you satisfaction.

Til Next Time,
​Carol

Bad news seems to surround us these days. It's in the news and on social media, I get emails telling me I'm missing an opportunity or that this is my last chance or... you get the picture. 

That's why I'm focused on looking for the good news. It's amazing how it's as prevalent as the bad news if you are open to it. For instance, just yesterday I discovered:

• a man who has saved hundreds of dogs from hurricane and flood waters
• a girl with autism who explains what it's like to be inside her head and how she's learned to cope with it
• a premature baby's ultimate victory and survival
• a 13-year-old boy who created a school closet so his classmates will have nice clothes to wear
• a man who moved in with a shelter dog to help her get adopted
• the first female high school football coach who is blazing trails for women
• a woman who created custom dolls to match children's disabilities
• a Florida company that uses scrap wood to create guitars for sick children

The list goes on every day. One of my greatest sources is from Extraordinary Events and my friend Andrea Michaels. She got fed up with bad news years ago and began a weekly ePublication called the Good News-Letter. If you want to get on her list and receive it, just email  [email protected] and let them know.

Good news is a great way to fight the dark clouds of bad news depression that can ruin your day! I thought I'd share this nice resource with you so that you'll realize that love is really everywhere, and it's love that made all the good news above possible. Do be grateful for it. Gratitude really is the best attitude.

Til Next Time,
Carol