Horse Hippie’s Morning Mantras

Morning Mantra: "You’re not your mistakes, you are the lessons you have learned from them."

Everyone makes mistakes, it's a part of life.  But remember, your mistakes don’t define your character.  Your character is more about what you choose to do after you have made the mistake. And that makes all the difference.

If you look at things a bit differently it helps.   Instead of judging and shaming yourself for the mistake, think of every setback as a lesson, every failure a stepping stone.  You are building the foundation of knowledge.

So don’t...

Morning Mantra: "Storms make trees take deeper roots."

I am heartbroken on learning of the passing of one of my heroes Dolly Pardon.  She was such a bright light of love, kindness, inclusion and generosity.

I remember reading this quote when I was going through a particularly difficult time. It made such sense to me.  Dolly had such sage advice and she learned much of it growing up poor, fighting for her rights as a woman in entertainment, and by watching and learning about the world throughout her career.

A storm can topple us...

Morning Mantra: "Good people bring out the good in people."  

Some people think that the best way to help other people is to criticize them and point out their flaws so they will change what we don't like.  This rarely works but definitely causes strain on the relationship and hurt feelings.

The truth is the best way to help others is to see the best in them, for when we seek to discover the best in others, we also bring out the best in ourselves.

Choose to see the best in people, but do...

Morning Mantra: "You cannot control everything that happens to you, the only thing you can control is how you react to it."

Becoming less reactive as a huge part of growth and decreasing stress. If you let everything get you worked up, you’re damaging your mind, body, and spirit.

The real success today is learning to be less reactive. When you stop letting every trigger take over, you create space to choose your response. That builds self trust and changes your life.

The difference between responding and reacting is the choice of wh...

Morning Mantra: "Making someone feel seen, heard and understood is the loudest way to love them."

When you have a disagreement it sometimes feel like all anyone wants is to be "right". But I believe that it's not that they want to be right, they just want to be understood from their point of view.

To be heard.
To be acknowledged.
To be seen.

When we diminish another person's feelings through criticism or by challenging the the way they see things, we close the door to true connection and communication.
<...

Morning Mantra: “ It’s not joy that makes us grateful. It’s gratitude that makes us joyful.”

You have two paths you can choose from every day. The first is to continue dwelling on what’s broken, the second is to notice what’s working.

To focus on loss, or to celebrate what remains. To see the world through lack or to see it through abundance.

Choosing gratitude isn’t naïve, it’s powerful. Choosing joy isn’t ignoring reality, it’s taking control of how you feel.

When you train your mind to se...

Morning Mantra: "The moment you take responsibility for everything in your life is the moment you can change anything in your life."

Taking responsibility for your life is difficult because then you have to change it if you aren't happy with it.  It's not something you can avoid, escape from or give to someone else.  It's up to you.  And that can be heavy.  Which is why so many people accept less than and stay stuck where they are.

If you are unhappy, unhealthy, or unmotivated, you can't look to someone else to fix it.  They...

Morning Mantra: "Everyone is free to choose but no one is free from the consequences of their choices."

As someone who feels deeply and tries to find the "good" in everyone, it's easy for me to overlook someone's actions and try to understand why they acted that way instead of calling them out.  This can create an imbalance in relationships. One where people take advantage.

One thing that helps me to not fall into this trap is to remember that actions have consequences and that THEY are the only one responsible for their actions.  It's ea...

Morning Mantra: "Let your faith be stronger than your fear."  

It's so easy to be consumed by fear, it's everywhere we look.
It fills our news feeds. It's in the shows we watch, the podcasts, the advertisements.

It's in our personal lives.
We fear rejection.
We fear failure.
We fear the unknown.

Fear can drive our beliefs and our behavior.  But what is fear really?  It's just our thoughts about these things. 

Why not replace those thoughts with ones of faith?
Faith in love.
Faith in f...

Morning Mantra: "Go with the flow of life."   

When you try to control everything, it actually controls you.  When you focus so much on controlling the outcome, you don't enjoy the process.   One of the biggest causes of stress is trying to force things to turn out the way you want to, or trying to get people to do or be what you want them to.

Going with the flow doesn’t mean you sit back passively and expect everything to work out on it's own. Going with the flow means you don’t cause yourself...

Morning Mantra: "You have one life. Fit as many versions of yourself into it as you can."

Change is inevitable if you are learning and growing in life.  Which, to me, is the whole point.

Some people fear change so much that they accept a life that is less than their dreams, less than their potential, less than they deserve.

But what if we embrace change and adjust ourselves to meet the challenges?  You say, "But I'm not brave enough."  But what if being brave IS the challenge at that point of your lif...

Morning Mantra: "EGO. Three letters  that keep you from saying things that really matter like I Love You, I Miss You, and I'm Sorry .”

The ego is your your social mask. The roles you play. It seeks outward approval,
it wants control, and is fueled by power because it lives in fear.
Your ego judges, it criticizes and compares.  The ego constantly competes with your soul for control over your inner voice.

To become aware of when your ego is driving your thoughts and behavior, start by letting go of…
your need to be...

Morning Mantra: "Today may I remember the 5 S's"  

When I feel overwhelmed I repeat these five sentences until I feel better, calmer, more myself.
I am Safe.
I am Strong.
I am Seen.
I am Supported.
I am a Survivor.

It works for me.  So whenever you feel the need, say these to yourself over and over each day until you feel it.

You can also choose to start any day off with  these empowering words to remind yourself to your hold your head high, put a smile on...

Morning Mantra: "Stop blending in and stand out in your uniqueness."  

Isn't it awesome that the same God that created flowers, snowflakes, sunsets, and rainbows, created you?
Just like them, you are unique in every way.
From your story, your experiences, your opinions, your voice. 

No one else can be you, and no one can take away the many beautiful things that make up you.  Don't compare yourself to others and embrace who you are, flaws and all, because there is only one version of you that exists in this big world! 

...

Morning Mantra: "It doesn't have to make sense, it just has to make you happy."

Every now and then it's good to take a long look at your life.
Are you happy?   
Are you inspired?  
Are you making choices that bring you closer to the best version of you?  

Pay attention to who you're with when you feel your best. Then be with them.
The worst thing in life isn't ending up alone, it's ending up with people that make you feel alone.

Pay attention to what you are doin...

Morning Mantra: "If your path demands that you walk through hell, walk as if you own the place."  

Who among us has never faced adversity? Who among us has never seen life go horribly wrong? 
But it’s what happens after that truly matters. 
It’s how we pick ourselves up in the aftermath that builds character and makes us who we are. 

No one else knows what YOU how your truly feel right now. They are not dealing with the consequences of what you are going through.  Therefore, their opinions and judgements are secon...

Morning Mantra: "Everything we go through has a purpose."

I've experienced quite a bit of physical pain in the last few months.  It seems that as soon as I was over the pain from my kidney stone, my back went out.  But there was a few days in between and I remember thinking, "Wow, I'm not in pain."
Pain has taught me to appreciate the things that don't hurt.

How many days am I not in pain and don't really appreciate it? I take it for granted.
It's like that with everything.  You nee...

Morning Mantra: "Rise above the noise. Let your energy do the talking."  

You are your greatest asset for avoiding all the noisy confusion that causes stress. The negativity that pulls you down.  When you feel it get to you, rise above.  

Stand in your light. 
In your strength. 
In your power.

Don’t let yourself get pulled into conversations or other people’s business that doesn’t concern you.   Your time is better spent focusing on the light you can bring to the world, rather then getting sidetracked and bogged down.

Sta...

Morning Mantra: "If it's a priority you'll find a way. If it's not you'll find an excuse."

If someone watched your last 30 days, without hearing your thoughts, what would they say your priorities are?

You define what is important to you by what you dedicate your time to.  So if you are not including things that are good for you, things that bring you joy, and things that make you feel like yourself, you are wasting your time.

When you’re clear about your purpose and priorities, you can painlessly discard whatever does not...

Morning Mantra:  "If you're not living your truth you are living a lie."

Life teaches us that not every story we hear reflects the truth. After years of hearing all the gossip and false stories, many realize how quickly people believe without seeking the truth. Without knowing THEIR truth.

What matters most is staying focused on YOUR character and the values you choose to live by. 

Choose peace over conflict and growth over distraction.  
Seek what is meaningful and resonates with your soul.
Live your truth gently but boldly and bravely.

Morning Mantra: "The amount of good things in your life is directly related to if you notice them."

Take time to reflect on abundance in your life. Instead of focusing on what you lack, count your blessing, and acknowledge the many gifts and privileges you have. 

Recognize the blessings, both big and small, and instill a sense of contentment and gratitude in your soul. When you count your blessings, you realize you’re actually doing just fine. 

In a society that has you counting money, pounds, calories, and steps, be a rebel and coun...

Morning Mantra: "A flower doesn't think of competing with the flower next to it, it just blooms."

Life gave you another sunrise. Don’t waste it comparing your life to someone else’s. The fastest way to diminish yourself is to compare yourself to someone else. Their path was never meant to be yours.

If you are feeling down after looking on social media, remember you’re comparing your bloopers to their highlights.  If you continue to do this, over time you might feel ashamed of your life because you will never stack up in your ow...

Morning mantra: “You can seek the superficial, or the meaningful. Choose wisely.”

The older you become, the more you realize that life was never asking you to become perfect. It was asking you to become patient during uncertainty, humble during success, brave during failure, and grateful through every season. 

Those quiet qualities become the foundation of a truly meaningful life.

A meaningful life is not being rich, being popular, being highly educated, or being perfect. It’s about being real, being humble, being able to share ourselves and touch the lives of others.

Morning Mantra: "Those mountains you are carrying you were only supposed to climb."

Why is it that when we are dealing with a heavy load, we are so reluctant to ask for help?

Sometimes asking for help or support is the strongest thing you can do.  It requires you to be vulnerable.  To open your heart to the possibility of rejection.

Just remember, YOU are not a burden.  You HAVE a burden which by definition is too heavy to carry on your own.

So let others in, no one can help if...

Morning Mantra: "The person that made the map, had no map."

Let that sink in.  The unknown.  

The big scary unknown will only be known if it is explored.  Until you step into the unknown you will never know what you are made of.  Until you go where you've never been it will stay a mystery.

So whether it's a career, traveling, learning, training your horse, exploring your past, or whatever is unknown to you, do it now.  Explore as much as you can, as far as you can, for as long as you c...

Morning Mantra: "Life has a way of working out just when you start to believe it won't."

It’s going to work out, probably more beautifully than you’re expecting, and with a lot more magic than you knew was even possible. But, you have to be willing to LET Go just a little bit. 

Be willing to let go of your pre-conceived ideas about what’s supposed to happen. Let your vision grow a little wider with room for unknown possibilities. 

Accept that while you may only see one path right now, there ar...

Morning Mantra: “If you don’t take the reins, it’s going to stay the same. Nothin’s gonna change if you don’t change it.” 

This quote by Dolly Parton perfectly describes how WE must help ourselves, take action, and do something to move ourselves in a better direction. 

I have known a few people that complain about their lives, jobs, relationship, fitness, health and so on, but they rarely DO anything to change it. They have a problem for every solution.

It’s helpful to recognize where things need to change, but that needs t...

Morning Mantra: "Normalize saying 'I'm Sorry." 

Let's change the script. 
Let's normalize apologizing after we are wrong instead of being defensive and disrespectful because we are embarrassed. 

When a person tells you that you hurt them, you don't get to decide that you didn't.
Let's hear other people from where they are, instead of from where we are.  Let's not negate their feelings so we can feel okay.

Let's listen with the intent of understanding, not with the intent of responding, defending or projecting.  Don't gas light and make it about how t...

Morning Mantra:  "Embrace the unknown in life, for it is there you will discover your true potential."

See if you can view the unknown not as something to fear, but as something to love.  Try to see it as a blank canvas of possibilities and get excited about the infinite potential in not knowing what comes next. 

If you are really serious about change then you must go through the uncomfortable process of not knowing.  Because growth lives in the unknown.  Changing jobs and not sure you will like it?  Only way to find out is to...

Morning Mantra: "Maybe you didn't get what you wanted because you deserve more."

Some of us have a tendency to settle for less because we don't think we deserve more.   But the moment you believe you deserve more, you’ll stop settling for less. You’ll stop chasing what doesn’t align. You’ll move different differently, choose differently, and show up as someone who is already living the life they only dreamed of.

And remember: there is no shortcut here. You’ll have to be there for yourself. 

Fully.

Fiercely. 
Every sin...

Morning Mantra: "People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime."

Every once in awhile it's good to appreciate all those that have come into your life- even those that hurt you or are no longer in it for whatever reason.  Because without those experiences you would not be who you are.

Thanks to those who hurt me, you made me a stronger person. 

Thanks to those who loved me, you made my heart bigger. 

Thanks to those who listened, you made me feel important. 

Than...

Morning Mantra: "Love the life you live. Live the life you love."

Get excited by small things.  For those small things make up your life.

Be the person who yells, "Come look at this!" when you see a beautiful sunset. 

Be the one who stops to watch the horses run or pulls over because the sky looks unreal. 

Be a person who notices their life. Who wants to share the world with everyone and make it feel softer, lighter, and a little more alive.

You don't need a perfect lif...

Morning Mantra: "Every season of your life will be an opportunity for you to grow and learn."

There will always be highs and lows.  There will be seasons when everything flows, and seasons when nothing makes sense. Times you feel deeply aligned, and times you question it all. 

But that’s growth. It’s not a straight line, it’s a spiral. You return to old lessons with new eyes. You outgrow versions of yourself you once fought to become. 

You won’t ever have it all figured out. But even in the mess, even...

Morning Mantra: "A different version of you exist in the minds of everyone who knows you."

Every person who has ever met you carries their own version of you and none of them have it quite right. 

There are people who remember a very specific version of you. The version who is just starting out, the version figuring life out as they went, the version before certain experiences changed you.  The version that was dealing with something really difficult or the version that was having a great phase in life.

Someone out there re...

Morning Mantra: "The quiet habits that keep your energy clear and protected are very important."

Protect the first moments of your morning. Before the phone, before the noise, give yourself a little stillness. How you begin the day sets the energy you carry through all of it.

Throughout the day, notice who or what leaves you drained and who or what leaves you light. Your body always knows.  You are allowed to gently create distance from what consistently depletes you, without guilt.

Return to nature often. A few moments among the trees, water, o...

Morning Mantra: "The words I AM are statements to the Universe."  

 Affirmations do not work if they are merely statements of what you WANT to be true.  They only work when they are statements of something you already KNOW to be true.

For example, "I want to be healthy" puts you in a state of wanting. But "I AM going to get healthy" puts you in charge.  You now can follow up your statement with action.

"I am so sad and I want to feel better." is telling the Universe that YOU are sad...

Morning Mantra:  "When you truly understand that everything could change in a moment, you stop taking life for granted."

Nothing lasts forever and that’s precisely what makes it also meaningful. When we forget how fleeting life is, we rushed through conversations, scroll through sunsets and treat time as if it’s limitless. 

But when we remember that nothing is permanent, everything starts to matter more. You hold your loved ones a little tighter, look up instead of down and stop waiting for the perfect moment and start realizing THIS is the moment. 

So appr...

Morning Mantra: "When you let things slide to 'keep the peace' around you, make sure you are not ignoring the peace within you."

Keeping the peace does not mean keeping secrets, walking on eggshells,
pretending things are healthy when they are not, ignoring their poor choices,
tip toeing around the truth, or making yourself small.

Agreeing to things just to keep the peace is actually a trauma response. When you do this you are disrespecting YOUR inner peace, your boundaries, your needs. 

I understand it can appear that this is the e...

Morning Mantra: "Trust that you will know what you need to know when you need to know it. "  

I posted this one a few years ago and after a conversation with my daughter felt moved to reshare it.
Sometimes we feel like we need to force a decision. That life is handing us options and we need to DO something NOW.  But, that is just your anxiety talking.  Anxiety created by fear of the unknown.  
When this happens, slow down and trust.

Trust yourself. 
Trust your inner voice. 
Trust that you have w...

Morning Mantra: "I don't need everyone to understand my path.  I just need them to stop standing in it."

People generally have good intentions when they give you unsolicited advice.  They think they know more than you and are trying to help you avoid failure.  I call these people Dreamshitters.

No one knows what you know, what you think, what you are capable of- except you.  If you allow them to influence you then YOU are the one making a choice to quit.  You are the one standing in your path.

Sometimes the Unive...