The Core
The famous jockey,
Tony McCoy said, “Horses are like people – they have different personalities. They
can be nice, friendly and hard-working, or awkward, difficult and lazy. If
horses were people some would be entrepreneurs and others would be on the dole.”
I have 4 quarter horses on Keyhole Ranch: Sun Dunn Diamond Wolf, Tall Man, Trigger and
Dark Meat. It is a working cattle ranch,
so at least weekly during the summer and fall, my horses are ridden or used to
pack salt or equipment and tools for clearing trail, improving springs for
water, etc. Plus, when gathering cows in
the fall, we always have a fresh horse each day to ride. Our range is big and has some rough country, so
on the days we go, we ride several miles.
Sun Dunn Diamond Wolf is the smallest of the 4 but is
tough. He has a smooth, fast walk and
goes all day, but he is a little high spirited and tough to catch and put a
halter on. Tall Man is tall and has an
easy gate. He walks fast and is
gentle. Trigger is a big horse and is
tough. You can rope off him all
day. He has a big heart and always gives
you his best. Dark Meat is gentle and
easy to control in thick oaks, pines or mahogany. He is a good roping horse and has a nice
instant loop when urged to go faster but he has a slow walk.
Like Tony McCoy, I have also found horses are like people
and no two are alike. Out of all the
attributes I want in a horse, I have found one thing very important. I would rather pull back on the reins (slow
him down) once in a while during a long day on the mountain, than to spend all
day spurring the horse to keep him going or to keep up. I prefer this in people who I work with too.
A horse is a pleasure to ride with his ears up, that walks
fast and is interested in what is going on as compared to a horse that is a
dead beat, unmotivated animal that requires constant prodding. With people, you see the same difference. Some get out the door early, stride out and
make things happen. Others, need to be
dragged around or spurred all day.
The human equivalent to a good horse is a confident,
cheerful, energetic, enthusiastic, optimistic, and upbeat person. This should be at the root of who you are; your
personal driving force. Cultivate the
habit of seeing the positive side of situations, look for the good, make it fun
and look for the blessing in there when times are tough. When you feel this way you will get out the
door early and make things happen all day and people will be attracted to
you. Just like the horse, you will not
be hanging back needing someone to spur you.
We spend a great deal of time finding in this mission. Finding is really just talking to everyone,
testifying of the message of the restoration and inviting people to learn more. Think about the people you meet while looking
up referrals, on the street, on the doors, in public transportation, etc. They are real people with problems, worries
and responsibilities, just like you and me.
“…All of them are children of God,
your brothers and sisters. God loves them just as He loves you. Many of these
people are searching for purpose in life. They are concerned for their
families. They need the sense of belonging that comes from the knowledge that
they are children of God, members of His eternal family. They want to feel secure
in a world of changing values. They want “peace in this world, and eternal life
in the world to come” (D&C
59:23), but they are “kept from the truth because they know not where to
find it” (D&C
123:12). (PMG p.1)
They will be much more inclined to invite you into their
home if you are interesting, fun, and friendly.
If they feel uplifted in your presence they will want more of that in
their own life. If you are the opposite of
these things: not interesting, not fun, not friendly and they feel ‘down’ in
your presence, why would they want more of that by inviting you to come to
teach them?
All of these attributes: confident, cheerful, energetic,
enthusiastic, optimistic, upbeat, seeing the positive, look for the good, make
it fun, and look for the blessings are learned behavior. It is a choice by you to possess them and they
can be developed with practice and effort.
Someone once said, “Sprinters are born and long distant runners are
made.” You can make these attributes. If you are not born with them, you can still
develop them. Also, no one feels all these attributes 100% of the time, but
successful people press on anyway. You
must ‘fake it, until you make it.’ That
is not to say you need to be a big phony or put on a show that is over-the-top
but just in a quiet confident way, choose your upbeat attitude. It might feel artificial and forced at first
but will eventually feel more natural.
Studies have shown your body and brain do not know the difference
between acting enthusiastic and being enthusiastic. Take a critical look in the mirror at how you
come across. Your body language, eye
contact and smile are a good start to this transformation of your core.
Your confidence has a large effect on your performance. When events in your life or experiences at
the moment cause negative reaction, I hope all of us can avoid being a drag to
others, carry a cloud of sadness, and express negative views. Remember, you are not what happened to you; you
are what you choose to be.
The Lord has promised to those hastening the work of
salvation:
36 And now, verily I say unto
you, and what I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer, little
children; for I am in your midst, and I have
not forsaken you; (DC 61:36)
18 And ye
cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I
will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof
are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours. (DC 78:18)
We all want to be successful and to have good things happen
to us. I wrote this as a short reminder
of the core qualities of highly successful people. Nobody in this mission completely flunks out
and these qualities probably cycle from day to day for most of us. But, it is important to be aware of and develop
these qualities to consistently be the core of who you are not only for success
on a mission but also success in life.
President Robinson
PS.
I enjoy riding horses and love working with cattle on a
horse. I do not know everything about
horses and cattle but the business is intriguing to me. We calve each year between the 15th
of February and end of March. We run the
cow herd on pastures in East Millard County in May and June. Then the rest of the summer until the first
of October we run the cattle on the National Forest east of Fillmore on the
summer range. It is a great life-style
and has been a blessing to me and my family.
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