too salty

I like salt on my food. However, too much salt and it ruins it. I was watching my granddaughter put salt on her potatoes the other day. She really didn't have good control of the shaker or didn't know how much salt was good enough. When she was done her taters looked like a snow capped mountain. She commenced to spreading it around and as I recall she ate the tater. The amount of salt she put would have made me spit out the tater faster than you can aagh!
Now, I realize she is just a kid and will learn that a little salt will do. But sometimes as an adult I too use too much salt.
Take for instance trying to help someone learn something new. I was teaching a person about horsemanship the other day. Now I know that with horses you have to take little steps and get them solid on the little steps before you can move on. For example, giving to pressure from the lead rope. This is so they learn to follow the 'feel' of the pressure in the direction you want them to go whether it is forward, back or sideways. But it has to be done in small doses. Too much will frustrate and confuse them. I had to learn this in my own horsemanship. I found that I wanted too much too soon, like wanting 3 or 4 steps when I was asking for the shoulder to move over rather than being satisfied with one. Eventually, I will want 3 or 4 steps or even a complete 360. But in the beginning it has to be small steps. I guess I have to learn this with people too. as with this person I was teaching the other day. It's like I want to pour as much as I can into the time I have with them, but I forget that most of the time less is more, otherwise it can overwhelm them and confusion and frustration sets in and you end up going backwards rather than forwards. With a horse you can tell this when by their body language, tail swishing, tenseness or stiffness in the neck and shoulders, head flailing. In a person, if they start crying or get angry its a pretty good bet they are on overload. I push too much sometimes thinking that I need to give more information when I really need to pay attention to the small things others tell me. In working with a horse, the lighter the feel that gets the requested response is the best. So if I can get the response I want with an ounce of pressure that is better than having to use a pound of pressure and it is easier for the horse and conducive to a more harmonious outcome. In the beginning though it might take more pressure to get the response you want. But start light, then keep upping the pressure til you get the desired response. Then start backing off the pressure from that point as they latch on to what you want. The same is true of people, as I am learning. It seems to me I am a little on the dense side because I should have known this a long time ago. It's odd that it has taken me working with horses to learn to be gentler with people.
It was actually my cousin Ken who helped me to see what I was doing. In my zeal to help people I pour on too much salt. That is my habit with anything. So I am learning that less is more in thise case. Maybe you are doing the same thing and that is why you are getting frustrated and wondering why things aren't working the way you would like. Try sprinkling less salt next time.

so until next time,
Please pass the salt.
God Bless and happy trails to you.