Good Book

I'm reading "how good riders get good" by Denny Emerson and finding it very apropros.

Here's a quote quoted in the book:
"Nothing in the world can take the palce of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost always a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, 'press on' has solved, and always will solve, the problems of the human race." And riding. - President Calvin Coolidge

Here's some other gems from it:
Gina Miles says her latest philosophy is "I plan to be a better rider in five years than I am now."

The Plateau Concept
Just because you can't see grass growing doesn't mean it isn't. "[P]rogress is so slow and imperceptible that we are too close to see it on a day-to-day basis, often leading to the misconception that there isn't any progress."

Jane Savoie's "Flea Jar Factor"
Fleas learn the height of their jar and jump so their heads don't hit the top. Make sure that your fences build self-confidence, scare yourself a little, but not too much. Jump at home so that your "flea jar height" at a show seems so much shorter.

Performance Anxiety
"The euphoria I experienced on successful completion was directly proportional to the fear I experienced beforehand."
"The credit belongs to the man who ... if he wins, knows the thrill of high achievement, and if he fails, at least fails daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt