Happy, Healthy & Horsey: The 30-Day Challenge Results!

This week, we’re wrapping up our thirty-day challenge!  In our Facebook group, several challengers achieved amazing results in just thirty days. Read on to grab more pre-holiday fitness tools so you, too, can enhance your own abilities to be happy, healthy, and horsey.

Day 22: 25 Nails. Gratitude with specificity provides the “nails” that keep our mindset positive, even when we would rather slack off, laze around, or eat that second slice of pecan pie. So today’s challenge was to come up with 25 things for which you’re grateful. Do this exercise and you’ll be amazed at how much happier you feel.  #GlassAllFull

Enjoying a quick Sister Sabbatical at The Biltmore Estate with my sister, Frankie, and two lovely Belgians. Photo provided by Esther Roberts.

Photo by Esther Roberts

Day 25: Caterpillars! Caterpillars are leaf-eating worms, basically. But even if you don’t consider them “pretty” remember they morph into lovely butterflies! In your journey towards happy (butterfly), healthy (butterfly), and horsey (butterfly) invest some time reflecting on challenges you’ve faced in the past that have “morphed” you into a better, badder version of yourself. Those challenges, successfully navigated, are “pillars” on which to base your current growth and metamorphosis in the an even better, badder version of you!

Day 26: Her Royal Highness. My favorite equestrienne, world leader, and prime example of a lady is Queen Elizabeth. In my view, she is queen of the world, just based on her common sense and steady character. But here’s a secret: the queen of your universe is Y-O-U. If that is not the case, change whatever you have to in order to make it so. This is YOUR life and it’s a one-shot deal, so if you’re not happy with some aspects of your life, change them. Now. I may have been grounded from the saddle for a few months, but that did not stop me from making progress in other areas of my life! I am now a member of the volunteer Chaplain Corps for the Knoxville Police Department; some of that job is both dangerous and challenging, but some of it is pretty cool – including getting to hang out with some pretty amazing fighter pilots!

“Queen” (of her own life) Esther the Chaplain with United States Air Force pilots who flew over Neyland Stadium in their T-38s. Photo by KPD Chaplain Mike Patty.

Day 28: Woo Woo to Woo Hoo! Your thoughts create your reality. Positive attracts positive. Negative attracts negative. As much as possible, cut negative people, places, and events from your life. If you can’t nix the negative, then invest some diligent effort in learning how to shield yourself, mentally, from the negative onslaught, toss out the negatives that come your way, and replace them with positives. You’ll be happier and healthier, for sure.

Day 29: Long Lining! Reflect on the tools you’ve found helpful during this challenge, with the “long” view of utilizing those you found helpful over the long-term. When we transition a horse from the lunge line or round pen into long lines, we can quickly tell what fundamentals are solid and where we need to work. Same thing as we reflect on the tips and tools of this 30-day challenge.

Day 30: WOWZA! Those who participated in the 30-Day Challenge in the Happy, Healthy, & Horsey FB Group scored some MAJOR wins! Several folks lost FIVE POUNDS EACH! One person, whose 30-day challenge was to “ride every day” came away with 26 days in the saddle, despite the soggy weather in her region of the country! The list goes on, but you get the idea! Focused, structured goals are a sure-fire way to achieve your dreams!

Next week, Esther gives more of her “raw honest” insights into her own current goals with respect to returning to the saddle!

Current photo of me: the inches are changing, even if the scale isn’t! Photo by Frankie Holt.