Mindset Magic: The Power of Intention and Affirmations
Epiphany alert! 🚨 Today, I’ve got to share a revelation, mostly for my own sake so I remember it! 😅
Want the TD;LR version? In brief, it’s the power of intention with affirmations to achieve your riding goals!
If you’ve skimmed through my other musings, you’ve likely caught on to my firm belief in the power of thoughts, both the uplifting ones and the not-so-great ones, on your riding adventures (and life’s rollercoaster in general).
Over the years I’ve been in a battle with self-doubt and over-analysis, resulting in a decade-plus of wrestling with almost debilitating self-doubt, overthinking, and trying too hard when it comes to my riding. You know, the whole shebang. I’m sure some of you can relate to the struggle. 😭
So, yep, I’m a cheerleader for the affirmations and self-talk squad, recognizing their sway in shaping beliefs and expectations. As I’ve shared in other posts, I’ve come a long way because of them. I can’t imagine where I’d be if I hadn’t embraced the power of positive self-talk, and conversely, not listening to the opposite. Honestly, I may have even quit riding a long time ago!
But now I’ve discovered a way to take it to the next level.
Cue Émile Coué, a French psychologist and pharmacist who wrote the book, Self-Mastery Through Conscious Autosuggestion, in 1922, who opened my eyes to the realm of conscious autosuggestion – or the trendy term in LOA circles, “robotic affirmations.” No need for elaborate visualizations or that ‘feel it as real’ mantra; just chant your affirmations like you’re belting out the chorus of your favorite song throughout the day. A dream come true, especially for someone like me who never quite mastered the art of visualization – it tends to kick my overanalyzing, perfectionist mind into high gear. 😬😅
So, I’ve happily embraced conscious autosuggestion.
But, let’s get to the epiphany part.
While I’ve been a believer in all things affirmations for years, and have achieved many of my riding goals with their help, today’s revelation levels them up and dives into the powerhouse of using deliberate and strong intention behind those affirmations.
It’s not just about mindlessly chanting affirmations all day, which still packs a punch, but when you declare them with unwavering intention (whether you “believe” it or not), the impact is next-level. I can’t put a number on the difference it makes, lol, but the lightbulb moment came to me this morning, a few days after riding a horse I hadn’t been on in a couple of years (yep, the one playfully sticking his tongue out on my homepage 😆).
I adored this horse, but in the past, coaxing him to move forward was a full-on struggle. He, being an oh-so-clever school horse, had my number, especially during my timid newbie-like rider phase. Even as I gained more experience and skill and discovered the power of positive self-talk, focusing on what I wanted, not what I didn’t want, etc., etc., I still struggled and frustrated myself with my lack of progress (self-perceived, yes, but still very slow by any standard, lol 😉) to no end.
Why? For a myriad of reasons, but despite lesson after lesson, year after year, my self-belief was still shaky. Even though I was mentally uttering all the right things (granted not nearly often enough), I was timid and he knew it. Being the ever-so-efficient school horse, oftentimes he was like “Yeah, you don’t mean it. I’ll pass, thanks”. lol
Fast forward to the other day – after a couple of years on a very different horse and a substantial boost in my skill and confidence levels. The moment I hopped on him, he moved forward effortlessly (well, relatively speaking, haha). It was a stark contrast to how I had just seen him respond to a more novice rider, and how he used to be with me.
Why the magic transformation? My hypothesis: my intention was that he move forward, and he knew I meant business.
Of course, I also had the confidence of a couple more years in the saddle as well, but again, that speaks to the power of my intention then versus now. Now I meant it 100% when I asked him to move forward.
Could I have achieved that in the past as well? Surely not to the same degree as a couple more years of experience has given me, but if I’d been more persistent and intentional in my affirmations back then, my actions would also have been different, and I definitely could have progressed much faster. Not to mention, I’d have been far less frustrated with myself for letting my fears get the best of me for years.
This principle holds true with my current horse too, no doubt about it. We have an amazing connection, though still, when I waver with wishy-washiness, aiming to be relaxed and soft, he responds with a half-hearted effort. Of course he does, who wouldn’t when the option is to take it easy?! But when I ride with focused intention and clarity, he gives his all. I don’t mean at all that you can’t be relaxed and soft, but it’s a fine line between that and not being clear and intentional.
It seems obvious now what’s going on in those scenarios, but my ride the other day led me to my epiphany about the power of intention when using affirmations. It screamed loud and clear –
The magic lies in the intention behind affirmations.
When you genuinely mean it, you crank up their power.
And here’s the kicker – it doesn’t matter if full belief hasn’t blossomed yet.
Persistence in your affirmations – with intention – is the secret sauce.
Stick with it, and over time you’ll drown out those negative thoughts (because you can only think one thought at a time) and essentially rewire your brain to buy into what you’re telling yourself. Then, through the power of intention with affirmations (along with dedicated practice, of course, lol), you’ll be achieving goal after goal, riding or otherwise!
How great is that?!! It’s nothing short of magic! ✨
Do you use affirmations? Let me know in the comments what works for you and/or feel free to email me at kim@beginneradultrider.com if you want some suggestions on ones you can use for yourself!
Happy riding! ❤️🐴❤️
