Clean Run - November 2015 - 9

the jackpot if it can make you focus
on how you are a bad handler/failure/
waste of space (or whatever words
it uses for you), rather than having
handled something "badly." Do you
see the difference?
Imagine as well that you knowingly
stepped into the ring each time to
prove you are a worthwhile person
who deserves respect and to have
friends. How much pressure would
that put on you? Can you feel how
that would raise the stakes? Yet all
too often, when I work with someone
and start peeling away the subterfuge, there is an element of this gremlin lurking. You are not your results!
Those are just a couple of examples
to illustrate things that can cause us
disappointment. Yet, when we deal
with those at their roots as we've
seen above, we become much more
capable of avoiding those disappointments in the first place, because we
can see them for the defeatist gremlin lies they are.

Who and what you believe you are
matters. Your beliefs will feed or
starve your gremlins accordingly.
Ask yourself:

· What is it about this scenario
that leaves you feeling bad?
· What were you hoping for that
didn't turn out as planned?
· Where does this situation fit in
the bigger picture of what you
want to achieve?

· What can you learn from this
experience?

And, to return to my previous months'
articles and my encouragement to
you to recognize and build on what's
already going well:

· What did go well, even in the
midst of disappointment?
· How can you turn this to your advantage in the longer term?
· What might your dog be trying
to tell you that you've perhaps
missed?

Win.
Never
tie!

Disappointments Come
to All of Us
Experiencing disappointment doesn't
mean you're a failure or a bad person.
It doesn't mean you'll never achieve
what you were hoping for. It's just part
of the journey. Even writing that I want
to grind my teeth because I know it is
not a satisfying answer. Life would be
much easier if we could just do x, y,
and z and have everything work out.
But let's be honest, it is those downtimes that help us to appreciate and
savour the up times all the more. Galling as that fact is, we gain our strength
and appreciation-not to mention experience and wisdom-through those
rough times. And, for those of you
who are instructors, you are in a particularly good place to not only model
recovery from disappointment, but to
share your experiences with others
so you can normalise it for them too.
We have to choose not to let disappointments eat away at us. So
whether you need to take a long walk,

Mind to Win
Build calm confidence
to compete at your best!

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www.cleanrun.com
November 15 | Clean Run

Dr. Kathrine McAleese uses proven
mindset principles in simple,
effective, and fun ways, so you
can increase your confidence and
focus and achieve your goals
with your canine teammate.
Online classes: www.mindtowin.co.uk
Free tips and information:
www.facebook.com/MindtoWin
9

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Clean Run - November 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - November 2015