Lessons from Dog Sitting

This handsome fella kept me company all of last week while his mom & dad (my bro and sis-in-law) were away.

I’m a huge dog person… but I don’t actually have a fur-baby of my own (yet!).

And while the company and snuggles were  nice, having this guy in my small one bedroom apartment for a week has also had its challenges. And being I am who I am…. I can’t help but see the lessons and analogies to life and biz.

So here are some of the top things I’ve learned and observed through Dexter The Dog.

  1. What goes in must come out
    This guy is a poop machine. (I swear, I’ve had to use 3 bags in one outing!) That’s how he stays healthy and full of energy. He’s 9 years old with the energy of a puppy, and I can’t help but think his digestive system is at least partly to thank. 

    We all need to consume - we need to feed our minds and our souls with all sorts of nourishing things as well as not so nourishing things (hello, treats!) - but if we’re not putting out as much as we’re taking in… well, we get constipated and lethargic. So pay attention to your output as much as your input.
     

  2. Love is everything
    All he wants is love. ALL THE TIME. If he’s not at my feet, he’s on top of me asking for love and affection. But really, that’s all he needs. I was nervous he’d need so much attention and stimulation and would distract me from my work during the day - but as long as he knows I’m here and het gets a few pets and snuggles, he is a happy dog. That’s really all we ever need. Just to know we are loved, supported and safe. And those are always feelings we can give to ourselves first and foremost.
     

  3. Love can be messy
    I’m used to shedding (I have long dark hair that seems to end up everywhere)- but dog shedding is a whole other story. Not to mention the dirt from the dog park and our walks. At first, I was wiping his paws every time we came back inside, but I gave up on that after a couple of days. Let’s just say, my apartment needed a deep clean and 4 loads of laundry when he went home.

    And that’s the thing… all the love and all the snuggles, aka, the good parts of life, never come without the messy parts. Life is 50/50 and if we want to enjoy the ups, we have to embrace the downs as well.
     

  4. Limited short term memory can be a good thing
    Dexter gets angry and agitated from time to time. Usually when the Amazon delivery guy knocks at my door. But a minute later, he’s forgotten about it and is back to playing with a toy or snoozing on the couch. 

    We humans have a hard time letting go. We spend so much time and energy thinking about the things that agitate us that it takes our focus away from all of the things we could be doing or thinking about to make our lives and the world better.

 So embrace the mess, feel the love, let things go... and go create what you're meant to create!

Civia Caroline