Focus on Today!

Lynn Baber and her horse, Beau

This week the women from the church I attend were invited as guests at a women’s group in a nearby town for a salad supper and program. The program was a horse trainer, Lynn Baber, and her horse. Years ago, one of our daughters had horses, so I know they are a big responsibility—no pun intended. Although I enjoy riding, I want no part of cleaning hooves, mucking stalls, and all the other details caring for a horse involves. In fact, I only went to this meeting because of the friendships involved. I certainly didn’t look forward to a program using a horse. What was with a horse at a women's meeting? Since my hero of THE TEXAN'S IRISH BRIDE trains horses, I admit I was mildly interested in Lynn's technique.


When we arrived, chairs were set up on the church lawn. The evening was lovely; cool and sunny, a perfect time to sit under the trees in the picturesque grounds of the stone church. Lynn Baber and her horse, Beau, were already there. Beau is a beautiful dappled gray stallion. Lynn is a horse trainer, and has done an incredible job with Beau. He responds to tongue clicks and hand gestures as if he were a mind reader. By the way, Lynn also trains dogs. Like the hero in my book, Lynn only uses kindness to train animals. Positive reinforcement to build trust.

 Lynn talking to Beau at the meeting

I won't go into Lynn's main message because it is religious and I avoid religion and politics here. But one of the things Lynn said that resonated with me was applicable to everyone: All we have is today. I’m the world’s greatest procrastinator. Sure, I’m going to clean out that closet, but not now. Yes, I’m going to finish that book I’m writing, but not today.

Lynn said there’s no point in worrying about yesterday because it’s gone. There’s no point in worrying about tomorrow, because when it comes, it’s today! All we really have is today, and we must use it to the best of our abilities. In my opinion, that is an important message! If others are like me, we get so caught up in plans and lists of things to do, and worry about "what ifs" that we lose sight of today.
That’s what I as a writer need for focus. Stop worrying about whether I’ll win that contest, whether my current work in progress will receive great reviews, and on and on. Focus on my goals for today! How many words do I need to write to reach my overall goal? How long can I spend on email and visiting the blogs of friends? Even how many loads of laundry do I need to get done today? As Lynn said, when tomorrow comes, it will be today. Write as if today is all you have. Let’s focus on utilizing today to the best of our ability.

If you’re interested in Lynn’s book, AMAZING GRAYS, AMAZING GRACE, it’s available from Amazon. Her website is http://www.amazinggraysministry.com/ You can visit her website to learn about her ministry and schedule her and Beau to speak.Well, Beau doesn't actually speak, but he accompanies Lynn when she speaks. Yes, I need to focus on what I'm writing.