Horses, Unicorns, and Why a Positive Mindset Requires More Than Rainbows

Celebrate National Unicorn Day with a positive mindset! Use the “Yes, And” trick from Unicorn (and Horse) to find magic in the mundane.

We often think of a positive mindset as a sky full of rainbows—all sparkles and unicorns. But as any fan of Unicorn (and Horse) can tell you, a truly resilient heart needs the sturdy, four-feet-on-the-ground reliability of a horse, too.

April 9th is National Unicorn Day, which usually means a mountain of glitter and enough pastel frosting to cover a small city. It’s a day for the “extra,” the magical, and the whimsical. But if you’ve ever felt a little more like Horse—maybe a bit grumpy, a bit plain, or just plain tired—you might feel like the party isn’t for you.

The truth? A real positive mindset isn’t about being a unicorn 100% of the time. It’s about realizing that life is a mix of mud and magic, and we need both to get through the day.

The “Yes, And” Way to Live

Think about Horse and Unicorn. At first glance, they seem like total opposites who have nothing in common. Horse is all about the hay and the grumbling; Unicorn is all about the glitter and the prancing.

But the “Yes, And” secret is that we don’t have to choose a side. We don’t have to be The Fun One or The Serious One. We can be both. Using “Yes, And” is a simple way to help our kids (and ourselves) navigate those days that feel a little more like a dusty trail than a rainbow bridge.

It works like this: You accept the reality of the moment (Yes), and you add a little sparkle of your own (And).

Take the morning scramble, for example:

“Yes, I have a math test today (that’s the Horse reality), and I’m going to wear my favorite bright socks to feel like a Unicorn (that’s the Sparkle attitude).”

The test is still happening—we aren’t pretending it isn’t. That’s the Horse part of us being responsible and prepared. But the socks? That’s the Unicorn part reminding us that we can bring our own joy to a tough situation.

Why We Need Both

If we try to be “all Unicorn, all the time,” we get exhausted. It’s hard work keeping those sparkles polished! We need our Horse side for the heavy lifting. We need the grit to finish our chores, the loyalty to stick by a friend when they’re being difficult, and the honesty to admit when we’re just having a bad day.

On the flip side, if we’re “all Horse,” things get a little gray. We might get the job done, but we forget to enjoy the view. We need our Unicorn side to remind us to find the humor in a mess, to see the beauty in a cupcake, and to believe that something wonderful is just around the corner.

In Unicorn (and Horse), the magic doesn’t happen because Horse gets a horn. It happens because Horse uses his steady, sturdy strength to help Unicorn when he’s in a jam. And Unicorn? He reminds Horse that life is a lot more fun when you have a friend to share the sparkles (and mud) with.

Putting “Yes, and” into Practice

The next time things feel a little “Horse-ish,” don’t sweat it. Just look for the “And.” What’s one tiny way you can add a little sparkle to a plain moment? Whether it’s a silly song, a favorite snack, or just a deep breath, that “And” is where the magic lives.

You can start using this positive mindset tool today. It’s not a big lesson or a lecture; it’s just a way of looking at the world.

• Never-Ending Laundry: “Yes, I have four baskets of laundry to fold before bed, and I’m going to do it while watching that show I love and eating the ‘good’ chocolate I hid in the pantry.”
• A Rainy Commute: “Yes, traffic is a nightmare and I’m going to be late, and I’m going to use this extra time to listen to my favorite podcast and have a solo car-concert.”
• The Failed Dinner Experiment: “Yes, this new recipe tastes like cardboard and we’re having cereal instead, and now I don’t have any pans to scrub, so we have more time for a family board game.”
• The Early Wake-Up Call: “Yes, the kids were up at 5:30 AM on a Saturday, and that means we have time to make those ‘unicorn’ pancakes with the extra sprinkles before the rest of the world is even awake.”

More Than Just Rainbows

This National Unicorn Day, and beyond, let’s celebrate the whole picture. Let’s celebrate the days that are 10% glitter and 90% “just getting it done.”

Having a positive mindset doesn’t mean you have to ignore the mud. It just means you know how to find the magic in it. So, go ahead—be like Horse who gets the work done, and like Unicorn who finds the fun in the process.

Because when you embrace the “Yes, And,” you realize that being “plain” old you is actually the most magical thing of all.

Add a Little Sparkle with Unicorn and Horse

^{Shaelyn Topolovec earned a BA in Editing and Publishing from BYU, worked on several online publications, and joined the Familius family. Shae is currently an editor and copywriter who lives in California’s Central Valley.}