I am a dog person.
Some people love cats, I love dogs.
Do you know that the great Winston Churchill of England did not have dogs or cats as pets but he raised pigs? One day a reporter asked him: “Mr. Churchill, some people have dogs and some people prefer cats but why do you raise pigs for pets instead?” And the wily and witty statesman replied, “Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us and only pigs treat us as equals.”
I heard somebody said that constant stress and anxiety leads to defective eyesight and tooth decay. It blurs the vision and causes dryness of mouth. Maybe this is the reason why dogs do not wear eye glasses and dentures because they know how to deal with stress.
Every time I get home, my dogs are there to welcome me and no matter how tired I am, when I see how excited they are to see me with their tails wagging and all that, somehow they make me feel relaxed. There are lessons we can learn from dogs if they were to be our teachers.
Here is a list of them:
- Let others know when they’ve invaded your territory.
- When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
- Let fresh air and wind in your face be pure ecstasy.
- When it’s in your best interest, practice obedience.
- Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you’re not.
- Take naps. Stretch upon rising.
- Run, romp, and play daily.
- Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
- Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
- On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
- On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
- When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
- No matter how often you’re scolded, don’t buy into the guilt thing or pout…run right back and make friends.
- Delight in the simple joy of a good walk.
- Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.
- If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
- When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close and nuzzle them gently.
Dogs are faithful friends. They don’t concern themselves with how much money you’re making or how much you have accomplished in life. They may be depressed from time to time but they do not keep score.
Don’t let dogs have a monopoly on stress management. Learn to manage your stress. Here are some ideas that would help.
- Exercise – Best way to relieve stress. Physical activity is a civil way to release pent-up frustration without risk of causing harm to yourself or others.
- Decompress – Schedule a brief decompression session each day. Learn to be quiet. Pray. Read an inspirational book. Study the Bible. Go somewhere calm and peaceful where you can simply relax with no further demands on yourself. Take a few deep breaths and calm yourself, this is when you’ll renew your dedication to your goals, your uniqueness, your purpose, and your faith in your ability to perform at peak levels.
- Take up a hobby – If you’re a parent of young children, I suggest a hobby that you might be able to share with your children. Or even better, make your children (not girls…) your hobby. Find out about something they’d like to learn, and learn it together. This method serves two purposes: you learn something new, and you create wonderful memories with your child.
- Resist change. In business, you need to embrace change but when it comes to your personal life, hold on to your old-fashioned values and principles. Do not be trendy just to keep up. You’ll find it easier to run at the front of the pack if you keep your life simple if you keep in touch with who you are and where you’ve come, rather than what you do or what you own.
- Make friends with time. Consider time as a precious resource rather than a merciless taskmaster. Enjoy life while conducting business but don’t fill in every gap in your calendar with a meeting or project that will get you further ahead.
- Hang out with friends. Have fun and make friends with people who accept and affirm your worth as a person.
- Accept your human nature. You don’t have the answer to every question. Make a habit of searching for challenging new concepts and opinions contrary to your own to help you develop a better understanding of your world and how to live well in it.
Life is short and some days are really long.
But life is meant to be lived to the full as the Author of Life meant it to be.