PAULO Coelho said "A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires."
The same can be said about our dogs.
Dogs are in our lives for many reasons besides being a faithful companion, a family pet or an exercise buddy. Their lessons are more spiritual than simply those of commitment and responsibility. Take the time to acknowledge every emotion our dogs bring forth in you, and learn to be a more compassionate human being.
One of the biggest lessons is how to be fearless. I'm not talking about things like fear of thunder, or fear of being left alone, and fears of men. To a dog, those fears - which are more often than not human creations - keep them safe in situations when they feel they are not. I'm talking about human-held fears that are illusions, such as fear of being judged, fear of rejection, fear of the future, fear of the past, and fear of the unknown.
Dogs are magnificently carefree; they have no need for irrational fears. If we took their lead and let go of those fears, doubts and regrets; of all the things that only create anxiety and worry, we would be able to find the inner peace that our souls crave.
Dogs live life fully whether chasing a ball, going for a walk or sleeping. They do the best they can with what they have in every moment. We spend most of our lives chasing happiness. If we get bored at our job or with our relationship, we go find something new to keep us entertained . . . until we become uninspired with that as well. But give a dog a bone and he will chew that bone until he is tired. The next day he will go back and gnaw on that bone again; even if there is barely anything left he'll give that bone his best effort until it's all gone. We humans talk a big talk: affirming that we want to live our lives fully, yet have no idea how to do it. We think acquiring more stuff, bigger homes, faster cars will show we're living a full life. Instead, observe your dog in action as it gives its best effort in every thing it does, big or small. This simple act will inspire you to master the lesson of truly living life fully.
Finally, everyone wants to be happy. There are shelves of books with tips on how to achieve happiness. Yet most of us put on a mask when a friend asks how we are and we say, "Good, good everything is going great." Deep down inside though, we feel sad, disconnected from happiness. Do we know what real happiness is anymore? One way to find that happy place is to watch your dog. Dogs are inherently happy. You can almost hear them say: "It's dinner time? I love dinner time. It's walk time? I love walking. It's nap time?, I love napping!"
They are grateful for every single thing they participate in and gleefully express that joy and gratitude. Begin to express gratitude for everything in your life, as your dog would - for the cream for your coffee, for the socks on your feet, for the air that you breathe. When you start to express your gratitude, true happiness will find its place within you and when you feel it, thank your dog for that lesson, too.
