Until last night, I had never heard of John Legend. An award winning singer, songwriter and musical genius he is making the rounds as an Oscar nominee for a recent collaboration with rapper Common for the song “Glory”. His list of accolades is long and his success evidenced by his popularity.

But a statement made by Legend stopped me in my dinner table setting tracks and made me listen. In a talk show appearance he told the hosts that as a kid he watched Michael Jackson and Prince on stage during the Grammy’s and thought one day he ought to be up there too. He has now won nine Grammy’s.

Success is owed in part to the ability to see yourself as the person you want to be. You have to be able to let go of the past, look beyond who you were yesterday and concentrate on the future. You must focus on where you want to be instead of where you are if you are ever to achieve your goals.

Nowhere is this more important than in the show ring. Each of us has blown a class by not letting go of a mistake made in a prior competition. Riders must learn from their errors, move forward and continue to fulfill their vision of their success – a good ride. Riders incapable of leaving past mistakes in the past are doomed to repeat their errors.

By acknowledging and correcting mistakes you immediately reverse the negative course and put yourself on the correct path. Riders grow through mistakes. Understanding this concept means forgiving yourself for your mistakes and moving forward – mentally. Accomplished riders control their thoughts and like John Legend, envision themselves in a successful state of accomplishment. As with all great lessons, they apply it to every area of their life. This important lesson then becomes part of the good rider’s composition.

Unconstructive criticism rolls off their shoulders, mistakes become the path to better understanding and successful rides are more plentiful. All of this happens because the good rider knows they must stay focused on their future. They let go of the past and envision their forthcoming success.

On a side note, you never know where inspiration will come from. I never watch entertainment based talk shows. Yet last night one was playing in the background as I prepared dinner. I had never heard of the young talent, John Legend, but he inspired me to write this blog.

Focus on who you want to be and you will become that person.