Stacked Keys Podcast

Episode 170 -- Brantley Barrett -- Embracing Farm Life, Friendship, and Fearlessness

Stacked Keys Podcast Episode 170

In today's episode, we're joined by an extraordinary 11-year-old horse rider and pianist named Brantley Barrett. Brantley shares her remarkable journey of balancing her two passions: horse riding and piano playing, all while excelling in her homeschooling education.

We dive into Brantley's love for horse riding, particularly her experiences in barrel racing and pole bending. She eloquently explains the intricacies of pole bending and how she first got involved in horse riding and rodeo competitions through the guidance of family friends and local rodeo events.

Brantley opens up about the fears and challenges she faces while riding horses, emphasizing the importance of trust in her equine companions and the safety precautions she takes to ensure a positive riding experience.

We also get a glimpse into Brantley's typical day, which includes homeschooling sessions, horse riding practice, and cozy family movie nights where they enjoy discussing the themes and life lessons from their favorite movies like "The Lord of the Rings" series and "Star Wars."

As Brantley dreams of becoming a horse trainer in the future, she shares her insights on the virtues of mentorship, leadership, and the life lessons learned through her experiences with horses. She reflects on the delicate balance between logic and emotion, the importance of positive self-talk, and the empathy she feels towards her beloved horses. She encourages herself and sometimes she reminds herself that she's made in the image of God and she trys not to be self conscious. 

Brantley discusses the importance of time management as she juggles her various interests and responsibilities, highlighting the significance of making mindful choices about how to spend her time and the value of engaging in meaningful activities. You'll some insight on competiton and we talk about temper--it's humbling to hear her talk about self control.

The episode also explores Brantley's views on overcoming fear, building trust, and staying true to oneself in the face of challenges. She shares personal stories of perseverance and the satisfaction that comes from hard work and dedication. She talks about her relationship to God and her relationship with family makes her feel rich. 

Brantley's aspirations to become a horse trainer are deeply rooted in her respect for animals and her commitment to humane training methods. Her insights on leadership, mentorship, and maintaining a healthy self-image offer valuable lessons for listeners of all ages.

Join us as we delve into Brantley's inspiring journey filled with passion, determination, and a profound love for horses and music.

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Speaker 1:

I am super excited with today's guest. I have Randlee Barrett and I am so excited to talk to you today. You've got one fascinating life and I cannot wait to share it with the listeners, so welcome.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, I'm excited to be here today too, well we've got a lot to talk about.

Speaker 1:

So, randlee, if somebody were to tell me who you are, any of your personality and who you might be as a friend, what would they say?

Speaker 2:

I'm pretty energetic and I can be serious sometimes. I'm pretty athletic and I live on a farm Most of the time. People can trust me with stuff and they can just tell me anything if they need to.

Speaker 1:

So you're a people person.

Speaker 2:

Yes, so have you always been like that?

Speaker 1:

Have you always just liked to have lots of friends, or are you a one friend kind of person?

Speaker 2:

I always like to have lots of friends.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and do they do what you do? Do they have the same interests that you do, or do you kind of look for other people?

Speaker 2:

It can be difficult for me sometimes to always play what other people want to or something like that, but I try to include everybody and play what they want to as well. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Now you've got some really passionate interests. Tell me about that. Tell me about what your most favorite thing that you are involved in right now is.

Speaker 2:

Well, I live on a farm so I like to barrel, race and pole bend and compete in rodeos, and so I like to ride horses like three or four, maybe five or six times a week and practice and just look at the cows and stuff like that. That's pretty much what I'm most interested in right now, but I also like to play piano.

Speaker 1:

Oh wow, those are two ends of the spectrum. Yes, I can't expect that. Okay, I want to back up, because I know very little about horses, except that they live forever. That I learned when Tori wanted a horse that they could grow up to be 45 or 50 years old, and I was like, well, no, I'm not doing that. Yeah, so that's about all I know. I know that barrel racing can be dangerous and you got to know what you're doing, but you said something about pole bend. I don't know what that is.

Speaker 2:

So there's a pattern of six poles and you have to race down to the end and weave through them and weave back and then go back to the gate as fast as you can without knocking any poles down. Oh yes, that's cool.

Speaker 1:

All right. How'd you get into this? I mean you're young. Tell me how old you are 11. 11 years old and you're doing things that take a lot of skill, so how'd you get into it?

Speaker 2:

Well, I've always had horses my entire life and it was kind of just like a far off, like dream, or I didn't really ever expect to do it because I didn't think that there were any organizations or anything like that around us. But so we have some friends and they kind of taught us and showed us how to do it, and then we found a little rodeo thing that we can go to and compete in. So it was. I never thought I would do it, you know, I thought it'd be something that I would do, like in high school or, you know, when I got older. But it's been pretty cool to do it. Are you scared?

Speaker 2:

sometimes Is it a scary thing it can be sometimes when you have a horse you can't trust. I had a horse that would try to buck or throw me off or do something like just do something silly, and so that kind of was pretty nerve wracking because I never knew what he was going to do. But I have a horse now that I can trust pretty much. But mainly it's just nerves, like okay, I'm going to go in here and do this, but what if this happens? But I have a helmet, so I feel pretty safe. But I have to remind myself every now and then. Like you know, it's a big animal and I have to be mindful of what I do when I'm around them.

Speaker 1:

Well, that's a good lesson for life. And you've mentioned trust. You've now mentioned trust twice, so trust must be something pretty important to you.

Speaker 2:

Yes, it's I really like when I can trust people, when you can tell them anything you can. You know, like my mom or my dad, also like a horse that you can not worry about, that you can just ride and just feel safe on. Yeah Also. Yeah also trust in Jesus and God.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so you're pretty grounded. That's where your grounding starts. So tell me, what a typical day might be like for Bradley, and you got some siblings in there too, so you might have a plan and it just go well because there's a younger one.

Speaker 2:

Well, I like to get up at seven. It doesn't always happen, though, because I stay up late sometimes and my mom takes my littlest brother, hardy, he's four. She takes him to a little preschool thing and then, when she comes back, about 830, we do our school at the house, and then we get finished about lunchtime and we eat lunch, and then, if it's warm or, you know, it's not raining, I will try to ride one of my horses for practice or something like that, and then we eat supper and we like to watch movies as a family when I get on, I mean when it gets later in the day, yeah, so yeah.

Speaker 1:

All right, favorite movie. What is it?

Speaker 2:

We watched the Lord of the Rings series oh wow so you watched the movies, yeah, yeah, we're now just getting into Star.

Speaker 1:

Wars.

Speaker 2:

Oh good, that's gracious so we've watched several hours of that. Yeah, that's been fun.

Speaker 1:

That is fun. So then do you talk about them and do you talk about some of the things that maybe you're in, some life lessons that come out of these movies?

Speaker 2:

Yes, yeah, I think it's fun with their stuff. We can pick out of there that kind of… it's kind of like represents things or something to do with something like that my family. When we watch movies, we have to understand everything. So, there's all research and who's this person and how do you get here?

Speaker 1:

Oh goodness, now when you say research. So how do you go about that?

Speaker 2:

Sometimes we say, like, say this person like we don't know who's dad is or how he came to be, yeah, so we just kind of, we try to kind of look back on the movies and then, you know, research on the internet or something like that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, kind of put them in order. Yeah, some of those movies have their stories not in order and so you kind of go back and figure out they do these preludes and all of that kind of thing.

Speaker 2:

The one that came out first was like episode four, and it's not really episode, that's just what they call it. But then, you know, after a couple of movies they did a prequel, so we're going to watch those, and now we're going back and we're just going to go all the way through. So that's fun.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's fun. Okay now, how do you do that with a four year old in the mix?

Speaker 2:

Normally, like there's not really a. He's not super into movies, so normally we're having to kind of normally, sometimes he'll go play by himself or you can go back on him.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so he's just kind of in the mix, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, normally we're telling him to be quiet.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, all right. So you said you school at home. So you guys are home schoolers? Yes, they are. Now a lot of people go to home school and they're either kind of envious of that, because they think you're not doing anything, or they're just amazed by it. So tell me your hate on home schooling and what it might mean to you.

Speaker 2:

Well, I like it because it is not. You know we do not have as much to do as public schools, but we still. We go deeper into it and you know we could have as much as public schools, but we also it's just freedom, like if we have to be somewhere one day, or like one of our family members needs us or we have to take somebody to the doctor or something like that, we can always be there to help them, you know, and so my mom's not a job and it's just easier. Also, some people say that you don't get like socialization, but we have like a home school group thing and so we go there once a week and we have several subjects and we memorize those facts and it's pretty cool.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and you also get to try them some, so you get to see, and you all are researchers, so you try and figure out where you are and what you do.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so that's kind of cool. My dad does. He travels a lot with the power company and so he, you know he goes different states and stuff and so we always research, if we do go, what we can do there and what are about the state, so we just understand it better.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and you kind of get to talk to a lot of different people. So you might hang out with kids some, but you hang out with adults too. What's that like?

Speaker 2:

It's pretty cool. It's pretty cool to hear about their jobs and stuff like what they do every day. I enjoy listening to that.

Speaker 1:

So I went with you one time and we were at a restaurant I guess maybe it was Nashville, or we went and you ended up going down and talking to the girl that was managing the band.

Speaker 2:

Yes, she played piano and she was really good, like she could pretty much just make up anything or just look it up and play it. So it was fun to talk to her and just I mean just hear how she got there and how long she'd been doing that kind of stuff. So you're pretty inquisitive. Yes, I like to talk to people and figure stuff out and stuff like that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah well, tell me about piano, because I remember taking piano as a kid and I'm not sure I liked it.

Speaker 2:

Well, I have a very awesome teacher. She's super nice and she helps me and she that's a big part of it. I feel like if I had a teacher that I didn't love or something like that, it would be less fun. She also. She pushes me, but she doesn't force me to do anything. But I started taking piano when I was I think it was about six years ago and so I've just it's been pretty cool to. I've been able to play at church and places like that, so it's pretty cool.

Speaker 1:

Oh wow, so you're pretty dedicated to it.

Speaker 2:

Yes, ma'am, so recently I've kind of not done it a whole lot because of the horse stuff, but I still go to piano and learn new things and stuff like that.

Speaker 1:

So how do you figure out your schedule so that you have horse time, friend time, just pure play time and piano?

Speaker 2:

Well, I definitely have time. It's just how I use it. Like sometimes I'm like, well, I don't want to go do this. Or, you know, like sometimes I have a horse that I don't want to ride but I need to If they're kind of bad or they just don't like to listen to you. So I'm like mm I also. You know we do have a TV screen time limit, but I just so I try and I've been trying to kind of it's difficult but there's definitely time for everything. It's just, you know, do we want to use it in that way? And I definitely can't fit it all. I can do piano and horse stuff in one day, but you know it's hard to. It's not always that easy. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Sometimes you have to not do horses or not do piano one day, or something like that, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Now, really, you're learning time management at a very young age and your priorities of what you like, what you don't like, where you want to invest your time. What would be your advice to somebody both your age and maybe somebody older? That's just a time wasted.

Speaker 2:

Just figure out what's most important to you, like if you have a passion like sports, but you also play an instrument or something like that. Like I, probably do watch a little bit too much TV, so you know it's harder to stop those things. But if you stop doing it's a lot easier To not do it anymore. So if you just keep trying and just push yourself, I mean it gets easier.

Speaker 1:

Wow, what would you say is a big waste of time.

Speaker 2:

Screens, screens, really. Yeah, it's not always a big waste of time, you know, it's a treat and fun, but that's why we have screen time is because it's just it. Like your attention span is shorter sometimes, like if you watch shorter videos, and like if it just they're more important. Things like, instead of watching TV, could you read the Bible or practice in sports, or something like that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

What about the relationships with friends on screen? I mean that you're kind of young, so I don't know if that's something that plays in, where you get to chat with your friends online, or lots of issues.

Speaker 2:

Well, I have a friend that's a couple hours away and so I have to. Sometimes I talk to her, but you know she likes to talk for a super long time, but it's sometimes it's hard to like. Not, I have to make sure that I don't spend too much time, but as much time as I can without using too much. Yeah, I find that balance there.

Speaker 2:

But it's definitely screen can be a blessing and a waste sometimes because, like, I'm so glad I have a screen so I can stay in touch with her, because she's like one of my best friends and but it's also, you know, not in that scenario, but like if you do too much of it, that's when it becomes a problem yeah, so it sounds like just time management.

Speaker 1:

Boundaries, yeah, or a biggie. So describe a best friend to me. What is a best friend?

Speaker 2:

One that you can trust and that will just a good friend that will be there for you and that they they like they. Just that you can trust them, you can tell them anything and you can just, if you know, if they're going through a hard time, you can help them, and if they're going through a hard time, you, they can help you. That you can do. You talk to them about everything and you just can Be very open and free with them and not be like, ooh, but what I'm supposed to say that you know it doesn't really. You know you can just be open to talk to them about anything.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, do you get advice from them and give advice?

Speaker 2:

Mm-hmm. Yeah, it definitely makes you a better person. If you have a good friend, you know they can like. Sometimes you just get too much, like myself, like I sometimes like I want to do something that I want to do that nobody else does and I, you know. They just help me like Think about, just think about it better, about what I'm doing, like, and they also have different points of view and that's easier for me is sometimes I'm like I want to do this and that's my point of view, that's what I think, and they help me open up a little bit more to have a broader spectrum.

Speaker 1:

Oh, wow, wow, All right. So if you know there's so much talk about Liking yourself and becoming a whole person and I don't know if you're too young for the boy Age or if you're just kind of on the verge of that but what do you think about being fully Brantley and knowing who Brantley is and how she stands? What do you, what do you feel about that, before you get into any kind of friendship or any kind of relationship?

Speaker 2:

Well, I always I'm very much care what people think about, like, I don't want them to think that I'm weird or something like that. So sometimes I get in and I'm like, well, you need to do this. But eventually I'm like, well, I don't need to Try to always impress people, I just need to be myself. And if what they think about that I can't change that, you know, eventually my true colors are gonna come out. So you know, you just have to. I Just have a problem with that sometimes because I'm like I just I want people to think I'm nice and Athletic and I just I can't. Sometimes it's hard to Just Be yourself, but it's definitely worth it if you, if you can. You know people that Some people may not want to be friends with you or you know they may think you're weird, but it's not a that shouldn't affect you and the way you treat yourself and think about yourself.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, kind of grounds, yourself and yourself, yeah, and all those principles you were talking about earlier you know, if you are a trust worthy friend, then you know you just stayed proved. Yeah you said your true colors will stay true to your friends.

Speaker 2:

You know they will, they will show you know, whether at first you're just completely not yourself, eventually you're. It's gonna come out like you can't hide yourself from other people.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, have you ever been around me, girls?

Speaker 2:

Yes, sometimes, what do you do? What do you do when you're? Around me girls you have to try to just Be nice. I get and Try to. I Guess if you just be friends with them and then you know what's your comfort and stuff like that, you can just tell them like hey, I'm probably not me doing that and stuff like that. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Kind of at a safe distance.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you don't want to. You want to help them without Becoming that.

Speaker 1:

Excuse me, I'm gonna have to edit that. Oh. What's the scariest thing that you have ever done?

Speaker 2:

Oh, my goodness, um I Don't know, um Probably just Um, maybe oh.

Speaker 1:

Really. Yeah, I'm walking into a new place. Is that scary? Not scary at all, Not always yeah normally not.

Speaker 2:

Maybe like this is not the scariest thing I've ever done. But going back to kind of like when it Be like impressed people just like, like you said, walking in a new place, not necessarily be afraid of the Place or something like that, but the people like you don't know what's gonna. You know, I always like if I walk in a new church or you know A new person is there or something like that like I'm like it's kind of I feel like it all depends on me, if, like what they think about me, but it's really not so that's kind of. It's not really scary, but it's kind of I have to kind of like, okay, I need to do this and once again, that's I kind of struggle with that. I need to be myself. But the scariest thing I've probably done is Um.

Speaker 2:

Maybe, maybe, like I had the horse I was talking about, that he would try to throw me off sometimes when we did barrels. I had not ridden him in a while and I got on him and that was kind of scary because I didn't know what he was going to do. But I don't know what the scariest thing I've ever done is. It's probably been like a like I really like a couple month, maybe last year, I wanted, or two years ago I want, to give my ears pierced and I ended up didn't. But that was pretty scary. Yeah, why I just I'm afraid of like, like I don't want to get hurt, like that's what I'm pretty like, that's what big mom and mom and daddy you're like. When you ride a thousand panning and molding you're running full speed on. Yeah, but I'm I just it's more like, yeah, it's just I'm afraid of breaking an arm or something like that.

Speaker 1:

But you're not so afraid that you don't do. Yeah, that's kind of a tight rope to walk where, so it doesn't stop you and that is kind of interesting.

Speaker 2:

Sometimes it does. Sometimes I'm just not, you know, I don't want to do that, but normally, like one time, like we were getting in the lake and it was like November, like it was very cold, you know, and I was kind of afraid like it's going to be really cold. I don't want to do this. So we got in and we're swimming in it, but that stuff like that kind of I don't know scares me or something like that it's really it shouldn't, but it just anticipation. I guess.

Speaker 1:

So anticipation, the unknown kind of, might intimidate just a little bit, but yet you conquer it and I'm with your parents. I mean you are on a thousand pound animal to my knowledge they don't all so you really have to be intuitive with them and kind of one in the same. And some of these shows that I've watched, you know that have the little girls that are at a horse camp or whatever. They romanticize quite a bit of the horse racing, taking care of the horses, barrel racing. I can remember Tori, my youngest, did some helping out at a farm and the very first morning that she woke up and it was pouring rain and she was like well, I guess I don't go today.

Speaker 2:

You always have to do it. We don't have a. I'm lucky that I don't have to. My mom does some of it because I can't always do it, but if it normally can't, like we don't have a barn yet, but if it was to pour down rain and we did have a barn, like you would still have to go there and clean out solid home feed and you know it's basically. A better example is with cattle, like no matter if it's pouring down rain or five degrees or a hundred degrees, you know you got to feed them and you got to take care of them and you got to doctor them and you know you always have to. Just it's not it's not always easier fun. I was wondering if that was the word you were going to use.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's not easy or fun, but it's it's worth it. So why is it worth it?

Speaker 2:

Because when you go out there and it is sunny and it is good weather and you ride them and you're like, well, I'm glad I did feed them or give them a shot that day, or give them hay that day or put the blanket on them or something like that, because it may not be fun then but you know in the end you'll appreciate, like that time.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, the results of the work you both put in, and I guess the animals put as much work in as you do.

Speaker 2:

Oh, yeah, yeah, you have to try to exercise them because they are going to run like they have to go fast, but they it's a physical workout for them. Yeah well and you too. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

So do you have a mentor or somebody that you kind of looked up to that's been in the horse racing?

Speaker 2:

My in the horse world or just in general how?

Speaker 1:

about just in general.

Speaker 2:

My parents in general are my mentors. Why they just? They've always helped me and supported me and helped me get through things that have been tough and stuff like that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and you see your parents kind of in relation to others and how they treat others. Does it translate the same way for you of they're no different to somebody else than they are with you?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, because sometimes they, like my mom is always positive and like sometimes I have a horrible day and I can be pretty moody sometimes with my brothers and stuff, and you know, then I look at her and like I want to be more like her because she, you know, she's, you know, the majority of the time she's always happy, no matter what has happened, you know.

Speaker 1:

and then yeah, I think that's pretty good. It puts when you look towards somebody. It puts them kind of in a position where they have to kind of check themselves too, and that's not always easy. All right, so what if you went mountain climbing? Who would you take with you?

Speaker 2:

Probably like one person or.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, just one person you can take one person, probably my dad, why?

Speaker 2:

Well, he likes outdoor activities and he's strong, so it would be fun. And then just always enjoy having you know, because he has to. He goes to work every day and so always enjoy having you know spending time with him.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, someone on one time. Yeah, so would you describe your dad as a leader? Mm-hmm. Oh yeah, all right, tell me what you think a good leader is.

Speaker 2:

A one that is does the right thing, no matter what people think about him, also that they are doing the right thing, but also explaining to people why it's the right thing, so that they do not think, well, he's just doing this without you know, telling us, or something like that. Explain to them why it is the right thing to do, because you know that's just not I mean, it's just not right to not do what they. You have to be mindful of other people and yourself.

Speaker 1:

Well that does make a good leader. Yeah. Be able to do all of that into one yeah, so if you have what chore you have to do a lot of chores. You have a lot of tasks that you have to do. What chore would you happily do the rest of your life?

Speaker 2:

Feed the horses. Feed the horses. My mom doesn't force us to do chores, which I'm very glad. You know she. You know she, most of the time she feeds the horses early in the morning or late at night or something you know like that. But she, I'm glad that she doesn't force us to do it and she shows us how to do it. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And that makes it a whole lot better because we're not being forced to do it Like. She may give us one or two easy chores, you know, but she never like forces us to do a hard chore. She always helps us do it or shows us how to do it. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Well, I've seen you bebop in the little cart to go feed or to go check on some cows. Mm-hmm. So is that what you mean by your mom's show? Do some of these things. So you really do kind of On the norm. You know how to do some of this stuff.

Speaker 2:

Well, she, normally it's house chores that she helps us with. Yeah. Like phone, clothes or dust in or vacuum in Like one time I vacuumed and it didn't really do anything. She's like you have to go slow and blah, blah, blah, blah, but she never. She's like why didn't you do that right? She's like okay, I never showed you how to do this, so let me show you so you can do it right. Oh, wow so.

Speaker 1:

That's pretty good. Yes, so are you responsible for some of your own things, like your own clothes or your own bedroom?

Speaker 2:

or Like I said, we're not really forced to do it, but she Sometimes she tells us okay, you know, fold your clothes, clean up your room. You know, clean up the living room. You know something like that.

Speaker 1:

But you're particular, aren't you? You kind of like things done the way you like them to right, yeah. So you probably take on some of that, just as who you are, yeah.

Speaker 2:

But I also am kind of a. I don't love cleaning up my room Not either. So my room is kind of a mess, but my mom's there to push me and tell me okay, you need to clean this up. And when I do clean it up I feel better. Do you. Yeah, you kind of think better.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's part of time management too. I always If you're not having a dig for that sweatshirt you know you cannot get out the door faster. Yes. You know, so there's some pros to that. So if you could succeed at one thing in life, I mean, what do you think you want to be? What do you think you want to succeed at?

Speaker 2:

I want to be a horse trainer when I grow up. So I want to be able to do that correctly and humanely, I guess, and I want to be able to also just be like. I feel like I'm kind of a natural leader, so be a good leader if I do a Sunday school class or a small group or something like that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so really give it back. At the same time you mentioned humanely. Talk to me about that. What do you mean? The horse trainer, that's you.

Speaker 2:

Sometimes not everybody is. They do it. Not everybody does it humanely, sometimes Like they make, like Horses don't always learn off of punishment. They don't learn off of punishment. So just learn how to do that correctly and more of the quote-unquote punishment being pressure, yeah that. Learn how to do it that way, not the wrong way.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, wow, that's interesting because a lot of that's kind of like life too isn't it yeah? And it sounds like it's kind of the approach your mom and dad might take in teaching you lessons, so kind of the same pattern. That's pretty cool. So when you have to solve a problem, how do you approach a problem?

Speaker 2:

A lot of times I look at it and I think about it. I'm like, okay, what is the correct way or the best way to solve this problem? Well, I keep in most everybody happy, you know, and I try to fix it. And I'm not I can't always fix it, but you know, like I said, my mom or dad is always there to help me do it or show me the right way to do it, and then if I am in that situation again, I can do it. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so you learn as you go. Yeah. All right. So do you kind of think and feel with your heart or your head?

Speaker 2:

I definitely have a big heart, but I think a lot of times with my head and I feel with my heart, so kind of a little bit of both.

Speaker 1:

Oh, that's kind of a good combination, but does it ever kind of?

Speaker 2:

get you. Yeah, sometimes I overthink it in my head or and you know, like, also like, if I feel in my heart like I didn't always make the right choice. You know, maybe it felt like the right choice but it wasn't. Yeah. So that's all. I have to be mindful of my choices.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yeah, yeah, Mindful of choices. That kind of goes back to the trust and the. You got to trust yourself. You've got intuition, but at the same time you're learning as you go. So what would you tell adult, frankly? What does she have to look forward to? What should she stay away from? What are my mornings there?

Speaker 2:

Just like, don't Like think about what you do before you do it, I guess. So that kind of covers the whole like, if you do, like, if you think about like, okay, should I do this? I know it's bad, so I probably shouldn't do it, you know. So just think about things before you do it, I guess, is what I would say.

Speaker 1:

That's probably very good advice and would keep you out of a very long lessons hard learned, yeah. So talk to me about your perfect day. What's a perfect day for Brantley? If you wake up and you got the perfect day?

Speaker 2:

My perfect day would be waking up early but being well rested, cool. I don't go to bed sometimes till like 11, just because I can't go to sleep. I don't know why, but my brain is like it won't shut down and so. But I would wake up and get my school done quick and be able to focus really well and then be able to just ride horses for the rest of the day. The rest of the day with the horses.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I got a couple more questions, and one of them is you know, you hear about people trying to go for money and being rich, and rich can mean a whole lot of different things. In what ways do you feel like you're rich, right?

Speaker 2:

now. Well, blessings from God. It doesn't. Rich doesn't necessarily mean money, you know.

Speaker 2:

I am fortunate to have live on a farm and have horses and a good relationship with God and Jesus, and that, you know, we're healthy, Our family is healthy and we don't have any like serious problems or anything like that, so that that makes me feel rich. I feel like some days I'm like, well, I don't have, you know, I can't do this or I can't do this, and then I just have to think and tell myself, well, we do have this, you know, and this and that. Just that covers up what we don't have.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, grant, you do a lot of self-talk. You kind of talk yourself through different situations or encourage yourself.

Speaker 2:

How'd you come?

Speaker 1:

up with that.

Speaker 2:

I just I don't know honestly, I just I kind of I guess I just started doing it and didn't realize it and just figured out that's the best thing for me to encourage myself, because sometimes you know, I just, yeah, I guess that's well a lot of girls especially, will sometimes look in the mirror and say horrible things to themselves and really I mean they would never say it to their best friend.

Speaker 1:

but you don't seem to do that.

Speaker 2:

Sometimes I'll be self-conscious. I can be like, okay, do I mean? Like, do I like the shirt or clothes and hair and stuff like that. But I always have to think, well, god made me, so it doesn't. I am beautiful because I made an image of God and so that makes me not worry about it as much, you know. And then I just kind of can walk in and not worry about myself or how I look.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's a big lesson. That really is, because it gets tough out there and sometimes if you practice good self-talk, then it you can live it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, but still I have it Sometimes. I still am self-conscious about stuff. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, I can understand that and you are in the competitive world a bit. You know you're not sheltered from trying to go out there and be the best at something. Yeah. So when you hear the word competition, how does that make you feel?

Speaker 2:

Nervous.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, like, okay, that puts on the nerves.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's like okay, all right, brantley, this is. It makes me think like all right, we're going to go out here and do this. You know it's sometimes it's hard for me to have fun in competition, but as I can. Just, you know I'm very, I'm competitive I would say so, you know, if I mess up or do something like that, sometimes I get angry or mad at myself or something. You know, something like that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, that I can see that. When's the last time you had to apologize to somebody? Oh, whether it's in competition or you know if you kind of drop the ball or drop the horse.

Speaker 2:

It was probably a month or so ago. Sometimes I just I don't. I like I don't like it when you know people cheat or don't do it right, or just sometimes, like when I have to explain something to somebody, when they do something wrong or don't understand it. Like I kind of have a little bit of a temper, so sometimes I might say it through yelling or just can't control myself, like I don't have great self-control. You know, sometimes I have to go up and say I didn't mean that, I just it was I. You know I have to explain to them why sometimes I do that.

Speaker 1:

So that's humbling.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it definitely.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, wow, we've talked about a bunch, bunch of different things. I'm gonna ask you a silly question and then I want to know if there's anything else you want to make sure that we cover or talk about. But if McDonald's changed the color of their arches, you know what color their arches are. Right, I think it's yellow. Okay, do you think that people would still eat there?

Speaker 2:

Probably Some people might be like well, some people would be well, why'd you do that? You know I like the yellow and red or you know whatever. But I feel like some people would just be like I don't care, you know, I'm still gonna eat there. I would still eat there it wouldn't bother you one bit. Unless it was like, unless they kept like the red part, and then it was like green or something. It would just be like. It would just not be good.

Speaker 1:

So colors do kind of invoke a feeling or a thought yeah.

Speaker 2:

That's funny. I definitely, I like bright colors. Yeah. So that kind of shows my personality and you know, in the horse world.

Speaker 1:

Can't you kind of decorate your horses with coloring, with braids, and or is that?

Speaker 2:

not a thing. It is a thing in barrel racing, is it? You can kind of just be, I mean, like we were gonna have a show Saturday but it was gonna be freezing, so they canceled it. But I was like we have some, like clearly, I was like we're gonna write his name on his bottom. I ran out of time. So, yeah, I like I don't always do it because, like I said, sometimes I'm like okay, what are people gonna think of me if I do this? But then I, you know, I've kind of learned to just let go and just be like, well, I don't really care, I like the way it looks, I'm gonna do it, yeah. So there you go.

Speaker 1:

Like I said, brantley, we've talked about so much. Is there something you want to make sure that you maybe say to your peers, your friends, girls your age or adults who might need to be listening differently? Anything you want to make sure we cover.

Speaker 2:

Maybe just like like sometimes how people have a temper, or like I have a temper, like learning to control that is a huge tool, like I have not mastered that anyway at all, but it's definitely like with my brothers. I've had to learn to just kind of breathe for a second and then talk to them and be like, okay, can we do this or can we work something out. But I've definitely gotten better at sorting stuff out and solving problems, and so on.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's big. That's big Taking a chance to breathe. That's a pretty good. And you mentioned tools, so you think there's tools for them.

Speaker 2:

Just God definitely is a big one. That never, I mean. That's definitely a biggest tool, and but also just being a like the people that you're around is a big thing because it can change you and the way you think about things in a good or a bad way, in a seriously bad way or extremely good way. So you have to just be mindful of the things you do and who you're around. That's one of the biggest lessons that my parents taught me Just always be mindful of who you're around and who you trust and talk to and take advice from.

Speaker 1:

Oh wow, that is a biggie. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Through your around and who you take advice from. You can be in the proximity of somebody and you best not listen to what they say Wow, that's good, that's good. One more question Okay, if you had a superpower, you had it for one day, so you have it for 24 hours. You can do anything with it. You can do good. You can do for your family, you can do for others, you can do anything. What would your superpower be? How would you use it and why would you choose it?

Speaker 2:

I think it would be the top 10. Why? Because I love animals and sometimes I'm like why'd you do that? Or why'd you act so silly, or are you hurting or something wrong with you? And then you know like sometimes my dad rides his horse and he's kind of nutheaded, he's just kind of silly. That's crazy stuff. I would be able to. I would like to be able to just walk up to that horse and say why can you be a nut? Why do you have to be a nut sometimes? Why do you have to be so silly? But also I would like to go on a big horse ride with my family and maybe be able to get a horse to cooperate, because they never cooperate perfectly. So, yeah, that would probably be one of the most or healing.

Speaker 2:

It would be one of those Healing Like wound or something like that.

Speaker 1:

Oh well, because that's probably hard to see. Yeah, I like some of these movies sometimes when you have the voices of the animals, because you kind of know that whoever's writing it, they get it right on what that animal must be thinking. Yeah so well, that's great. Well, Bradley, I thank you very much. This has been so fun.

Speaker 2:

You're welcome. I've enjoyed it too. I love talking to people and yeah.

Speaker 1:

That's great. Well, thank you, ma'am, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.