LIFE CHALLENGES? LET DOGS DECIDE

We wake up to life challenges every day and ignore them.

Why?

Because we wake up like we always wake up.

Waking up is not the challenge.

We can disagree, but you know I’m right.

Until you find yourself saddled with chronic illness, medication schedule, and an overwhelming sense of fatigue about it all, you’re doing fine.

Why not wake up and do like dogs do?

Have a good yawn, a good stretch, a nice breath of fresh air. Go ahead, you’ll feel better.

How have dogs figured it all out?

Because they have us, you and me.

If you’re a dog owner, you know the drill.

You are the reason for a happy dog. You are also the reason for an unhappy dog.

Seems cruel to me, too.

How could an unhappy dog be my fault? No bad dogs, just bad dog owners.

Dogs are a reflection of us? More than kids? What’s up with that?

Life Challenges Hack

Dogs have you and I to depend on for their well being.

Who else has you and I to depend on?

We have the same support crew, starting with ourselves.

If you depend on someone else for your approach to life challenges you’re going to be unhappy.

Someone looks like they’d be a bad dog owner, and you depend on them? That’s your red flag.

Dogs can’t always choose, but you can.

Sure, it’s a challenge to face yourself and come clean.

Try pitching to yourself like you’d describe a movie, and you’re the hero.

Listen, it’s not always smooth sailing, as this shot shows:

Once you get used to the idea of overcoming life challenges that you inflict on yourself, you’re on the right track.

But who, pray tell, inflicts themselves?

Like you need to ask.

Our lives are defined by decisions we make, or don’t make.

Read any biography and you’ll see decisions made and the resulting consequences.

Maybe you’ll see yourself better and make better decisions.

Do you know who won’t read a biography and learn from it?

That’s right, your dog.

But their life improves with your added insights. Along with you and your dog, so will everyone else in your life circle.

Living The Best Life The Hard Way

Living life the hard way shows when you give your people a break from their own life challenges.

I’m not saying you need to shoulder the burden of the world for anyone else, but if you can carry it a little, it helps.

Go ahead and choke down your attitude and hold a door for a stranger, let someone into traffic ahead of you.

Mother Theresa said we don’t all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.

“The biggest disease today,” she once said, “is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted, uncared for and deserted by everybody.

“The greatest evil is the lack of love and charity, the terrible indifference toward one’s neighbor who lives at the roadside, assaulted by exploitation, corruption, poverty and disease.” 

If you feel unwanted, uncared for and deserted by everybody, find a dog to pet.

Doesn’t have to be your dog, but a dog you asked the owner about.

“Is your dog friendly?”

If the dog is friendly and give it a pet, you’ve made a friend in that moment.

But it’s more. The dog owner sees you as a caring person, whether you see yourself like that or not.

All you did was take a moment to show a common kindness to another living being.

The amazing part is you are also included in the ‘living being’ category and you feel less unwanted, uncared for and deserted by everyone by your kindness.

Kindness is a step in the right direction if you need one.

And who doesn’t?