Helpful Thoughts and Thinking
Our minds are always busy thinking. We can have lots of different thoughts every day — some feel helpful, and some can feel tricky or even mean.
What Horses Can Teach Us
Horses don’t get stuck in their thoughts. They stay in the present moment — noticing what’s happening right now.
We can learn from them by:
focusing on what we are doing right now
taking a breath when things feel big
not holding onto thoughts that don’t help us
Thoughts Are Like Clouds
One way to understand thoughts is to imagine they are like clouds in the sky.
Some clouds are big and dark.
Some are light and fluffy.
Some move quickly, and some stay a little longer.
But no matter what, clouds always pass.
Your thoughts are the same. You can notice them, watch them, and let them move on — you don’t have to hold onto every thought or believe everything your mind says.
Helpful vs Tricky Thoughts
Sometimes our thoughts can help us:
“I can give this a go”
“I can ask for help”
“I’ve done hard things before”
Other times, thoughts can make things feel harder:
“I’m not good at this”
“I’ll fail”
“I should just give up”
When tricky thoughts show up, we don’t need to fight them — we can notice them and choose a helpful thought instead.
Try This: Notice Your Thoughts
Next time you have a tricky thought, you can try:
Pause and notice
“I’m having a thought that this is too hard.”Imagine it as a cloud
Picture the thought floating by in the sky.Take a breath
Let your body relax as the thought passes.Think of one helpful thought you can focus on instead, like:
“I can try one step at a time.”
