Tip of the Week 12/17/12

We have discovered a couple of great little books written by David Niven, Ph.d. entitled “The 100 simple secrets of Happy People” and “The 100 simple secrets of Happy Families”. The most interesting thing about these “secrets” is that they are all based on research.  We will post a weekly tip at the ranch and here for you to consider…

SMILE.

Your smile makes other people happy, which in turn makes you happy.

This one is simple right? But it is amazing how many people get so caught up in things that are going on around them that they forget to smile. We know that children
learn by what they see, hear and experience. What do they learn if they never see a smile?

Work with horses can be challenging, but it also offers so many opportunities for a smile.  A nicker when you approach. A nuzzle while you are grooming. The moment of ‘join up’ when playing games on the ground.  And the joy of effective communication when you ask your horse for something and they respond effortlessly.  These are some of the moments bring a smile.

Our program offers social, emotional and behavioral growth and learning through work with horses. What’s more life changing than finding more reasons to smile?

In a study of adults of various ages, a tendency was found for subjects to mimic the expressions of those around them.  In other words, sad faces evoked more sad faces, and smiling faces evoked smiles and happiness.            Lundqvist and Dimberg 1995

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