Are you a Dreamer or Goal Setter?
By Karen Pickering
Learning life skills that get you where and what you want is hard work—but it’s fun and rewarding. I encourage all of you to follow your dream by creating tangible goals.
I love the saying you can’t get to your destination if you don’t know where it is. Do you know where you’re going? Do you want to be a world-class horse trainer? Make the Olympic team? Own a training facility? Win the buckle? Whatever you dream, you can do it! How do I know?
When I worked in the customs brokerage industry many years ago, I developed a love and talent for working with computers and designing. When I started to plan my future, I was designing newsletters for the company I worked for. I loved to educate our customers about clearing their merchandise into the U.S. and I put that information together into a newsletter. It dawned on me one day to capture my love of horses and do the same!
I started the Northwest Horse Source Magazine in December of 1995. I knew very little about graphic design and had no background in journalism. I had a very humble beginning but turned my dream into a lifetime business that I love. It’s not easy having your own business but my dream led me to meet some of the greatest trainers, authors and horsemen of our time. Best of all I get to connect with horse people every day.
It’s all about creating a vision for yourself and creating a plan to get there. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how; it matters that you know why. I had the privilege of meeting Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul books, at a recent seminar. Pursuing my dreams is a continuous process throughout my life and learning those skills through seminars and clinics is the best way. Start with a vision board and believe that you will reach your goals and realize your dreams.
One of my dreams is having a beautiful apartment/barn. Your dream may be to have a special barn or arena for teaching or hosting events. Check out the cover story on page 6. I met Todd Stern of Northwest Metal Supply at the Idaho Horse Expo in April. He may be able to help you meet one of your goals to have that dream facility.
And tell me your dreams. Sharing them gives people the opportunity to help you reach them. I look forward to hearing from you!
Quote: “Some people want it to happen, some people wish it would happen, others make it happen.” ~ Michael Jordan – American Basketball Player
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.
