I'm going to Summer Camp!!

Oh my gosh... I can hardly believe it.  I have been dreaming about Horse Camp for 2 years now, trying to figure out how to make it work.  Well, apparently asking the universe is how to make it work!!

In this post I practiced the Law of Attraction: you know-asking the universe for what you want. And, by golly, it worked!

This is the chain of events that precipitated this most awesome outcome:

First- The Asking.   This was more difficult than you might think.  Even when it is completely clear to you what you want, it still feels selfish to ask.  You start second-guessing yourself, wondering if you really deserve "whatever it is".  All I can say, is if it is something you really want, put it out there.  and then prepare yourself to take the next step, which is:

Recognize the opportunities.  When I wrote my blog post about Horse Camp, Rother Horsemanship commented with ideas on how to decrease the cost- which was really my biggest obstacle challenge.  Since one of the reasons I want to go to camp is because I don't think I can do the basic exercises (more about that later...), I figured becoming a "club member" was my ticket to a discount!  Well, the universe provided again- (or really Rother Horsemanship did...) Club memberships were on sale!  I joined up (which has been totally fun in and of itself!) and now I qualified for a 20% discount!

Then I got a Christmas bonus, so I could put a deposit down for camp. Now, the key step:
Commitment. did I want to go enough to commit to it? This is where the Universe lays your wish at your feet and you have to decide if you are going to pick it up and run with it or turn your back on it.
For me, this step involved a lot of question asking- What are the available dates? Can I even make these dates work? Can I get time off?  Is my dear husband willing to take care of the ranch while I am gone?  If I choose a date and then later it doesn't work, what are my options? Once Brian and I hammered out all the details, the biggest question remained and only I could answer it:

Will this decision lead me in the direction I want to go?

Wow. Okay, that is a big question, mostly because then I have to figure out what is the direction I want to go.

Yes, camp would be fun.
Yes, I would get to spend quality time with other horsey people.
But, when it comes right down to it: am I willing to spend the money and time to just goof around? Maybe the answer is yes, and that's okay- we all deserve some play time. 

However, when I really, truly looked at it... what am I craving?, what direction do I most sincerely want to move in?  it is very clear that what I want is more confidence in me.  I am tired of being stuck in the front field due to my own fears.  I have tried on my own to move my horse out into the "big country", but never get farther than our neighbor's driveway. He dances and whinnies and we retreat to our safety zone.  Reading and watching videos, I know what needs to happen- we need to keep working at it, expanding that comfort zone.  However, I have done what I can do by myself- I am ready for professional intervention!

Decision made.  The rest is just...
Follow through.  I made the deposit.  I was committed (to camp, not "committed").  This is when the Universe truly opened up and provided.  I figured I would just pay a little off each month until July.  Well, Rother Horsemanship offered another deal (can you tell I love them?) that you could save yet another $200 by paying the full tuition by January 15th.  And, coincidentally (if you believe anything is a coincidence...), my dearest husband received a small windfall that allowed us to pay off the balance of tuition before the 15th!!

I am still a little bit in awe of this series of events... and I promise to make the best of my good fortune.  Cheyenne (that's my horse) and I are already working on "Level 1 groundwork" and he is so good at it! I am still trying to not hang myself with the excess lead rope...
I am totally enjoying the HorseBook club- always good advice, you can ask all sorts of questions and gain knowledge from the answers to other people's questions.  There are video clips and photos- it's awesome. 
And in addition to my free DVD (Series II), I pulled out our Series I DVDs and am enjoying them as well.

This whole experience has done two amazing things for me already (and I haven't even gone to summer camp yet!)

1. Totally confirmed my belief in asking the Universe and letting it provide.
2. Renewed my excitement about working with my horse.

 So thank you, all of you who showed an interest in my summer camp wishes.  I feel that making it a real request here, for all 6 of you to see, helped me believe in it.  And believing in it made it happen.

It's just like Brian says about anything we want to make happen:
Put it on the calendar.

Sage advice. I did it.  Now what do you want to put on your calendar?