Why a horse of course

Yesterday I got to breakup my routine and leave this house. I went on a road trip with my best friend, and we visited with her horses. I got to groom a horse for the first time. It was a relaxing experience, especially when I brushed The horses neck and she leaned into it for more. Knowing I was doing something the big beast liked was very satisfying.

I haven’t had a chance to be around horses. I’ve seen plenty from a distance, but up close their size is very intimidating. They are strong animals with a will of their own. To have the animals trust, and to comfort it through grooming was a very powerful experience. Her name was Lilac.

At home, my latest foster puppy, who is about 10 weeks old, was in a crate during the day for the first time. Despite the hours of confinement, he didn’t have an accident in the crate. I was sure I’d be hosing down the crate and giving him a bath when I got home. That was the worst-case scenario, and I’d convinced myself of its inevitability. I didn’t even allow myself to think of another possibility. And there were many. My default was to the negative, the more work, the I’m tired and I’m not going to want to, the this is the price of leaving a puppy alone for the day-you deserve the mess.

I’m sure by now you’ve heard of the negativity bias. I have, and I was not aware that I was stuck in the bias, I believed my thoughts to be a premonition of an inevitable future. I believed them to be fact. I was wrong, and I’m so glad I was. It was a moment for me to practice gratitude. I was so grateful for not having to bath a puppy, I was grateful for not having a reason to feel guilty for taking time with a friend. It was a reminder that the worst-case scenario doesn’t always happen and I really should think of three scenarios

Thinking of three scenarios is a good practice for the brain. Best case scenario, neutral or middle, and worse case scenario. Because our experiences, after-all, lie on a spectrum that isn’t always bad, always good or always neutral. Practice it with me. Give your mind some options. Free yourself from being stuck with only the negative.