It All Begins With Gratitude
by Karen Pickering, NWHS Publisher
This time of year always puts me in the frame of mind to look back and remember the good stuff. How did I get lucky enough to ride my horse and meet all kinds of horse people while working in an industry I love? While it’s certainly not easy to make a living, it’s easy to enjoy what I do.
I believe in being thankful and continually taking stock of what is going well, not what’s wrong. This way, I create my dream lifestyle by conscience choice. Often the hardest part of getting what we want is knowing what we want. The connections I have made in this industry would not be possible if I stayed in my comfort zone. Interacting with positive, self-motivated individuals doesn’t hurt, either.
I enjoy taking pictures of what I want or clipping images out of a magazine and creating a dream book. If you focus on something long and hard enough you will usually find a way to make it happen. Our desires drive action, and our values show us the appropriate way to get there. For example, I saved up funds for over 10 years to be able to pay cash for a used living quarters horse trailer. Part of my value system is staying away from debt so I generated a savings plan to get the trailer I wanted. While things can change, if you stay the course you will usually get what you want.
Have you created a list of what you’re thankful for? It really changes your perception. Next, create that list of things you really want in life. Take pictures, create a dream book and look at it every day! I truly believe we bring into our lives what we think about. What you would do if you knew you couldn’t fail? I’d love to know. Send me an email: [email protected]. Meanwhile, enjoy the beautiful fall weather and remember to ride!
Quote: “Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.” – Farrah Gray
Originally Published November 2014 Issue
Owner/Publisher Karen’s lifelong love of horses began at a very early age when she wore out a couple of rocking horses before convincing her parents to get her the real thing. That ill-tempered bay gelding, Brandy, was a challenge for the young horsewoman, but it drove her ambition to become a horse trainer. After attending Canyonview Equestrian College’s Horsemanship Program, Karen realized she needed work that was a little more lucrative than training, so she took a job with Customs Brokerage to pay the bills. There, she discovered an affinity for computers and a talent for creating informative, entertaining newsletters. The Northwest Horse Source began as such a letter in December 1995, with a distribution of 1000 copies for its 12 black and white pages. Now 29 years later, it’s an online magazine and website with a reach of over 10,000 per month and growing! Not bad for the results of one woman’s dream to work with horses!
Today, Karen remains involved with every aspect of the magazine and treasures the community of thousands who share a common passion.
