Marianne read the list: 'Susanne rides Moro, Daisy rides Boy, Renate rides Billy...' My thoughts started to wander, I would ride Diamond, and all my effort would be compensated at last. 'Charlotte rides Patsy...' I could not believe my ears. I looked in despair to Marianne, but she just carried on with the to-do list: 'White socks will have to be washed with water and a little bit of bleach, make sure your boots are polished....'

My eyes were filled with tears, I started walking away. Suddenly I felt a big hand on my shoulder, and the deep voice of Mr. Kingsley sounded far away: 'Where are you going to?' I didn't answer; I just looked up to him. The 70 year old horse trainer, who taught me to ride, who had always had so much patience with me, who tried to help me get rid of my inexplicable fear for horses and even more inexplicable urge to learn riding.

'I understand how you feel' he whispered. Minutes before, I had just suffered the biggest disappointment I could imagine. The owner of the riding stables was going to get married, and we, the kids were going to ride behind the carriage on all the riding school ponies. I had been assigned the task to groom Diamond, a big beautiful gray gelding, with long full manes and a long silvery tail. Today the list was announced who would ride which pony, and I was sure that I would ride Diamond. I knew that he was a handful to ride out, but I was sure that I could handle him, especially after having spent weeks grooming him until his coat was shiny as a mirror.

And now they made me ride Patsy... The little brown pony, maybe 12 hands high, gray on her face because of her age. Patsy with her dull brown hair, her matted tail, and the weird white patches on her neck and left hind leg. I had tried in vain to make her look shiny too because I felt pity for her, but her winter fur did not allow much brushing, and her tail was beyond hope. My mind was racing. I was going to look ridiculous. Why had I spend so many hours on the riding school, fighting my fear? I had never heard of personal development, and it just did not make any sense.

Mr. Kingsley looked at me, and wiped my tears from my cheek with his hand. 'Patsy will be so proud' he whispered. 'You don't understand' I gulped, but he talked again. 'I know how you feel' he said again, but I couldn't contain my anger and frustration. 'Why did they make me do all that work, for nothing? Why did I put so much effort in to learn riding, to try to overcome my fear, to groom Diamond....? I am going home, and I will never be back here.'

Mr. Kingsley just looked at me, probably wondering how he could explain this vital part of every single person's personal development plan to this little girl. His soft voice hit me like a knife: 'Why did I put so much effort in teaching you, if you quit at the first disappointment you suffer? Everything worthwhile has a phase in which you think about quitting. I call this "The Dip". Clever people don't even start on something new when they think they will not conquer the dip. Brave people start and struggle through the dip. Stupid people quit every time they hit a dip. Every one should have a plan, a personal development plan: What is it you want to reach and what are you willing to pay.'

I did ride Patsy, and I brushed, washed and rubbed her until she was shiny too. Because she was the smallest and the calmest pony, she and I were allowed to ride in front of the carriage, and my white dress as a bridesmaid matched beautifully with the pearly white laces in Patsy's manes and tail. I had never felt more proud when the waiting guests cheered at our sight.