For those of you who don’t know I’m now 6 months pregnant and very much enjoying the journey towards motherhood. I’m sure it’s going to be one of the most challenging things I’ll ever do and I’m also sure it will be one of the most rewarding and loving.
Being an organised person, we have been working to get the house ready for a baby to join our family. Part of the preparation was finding a new home for our Rottweiler, Tali, and getting a very family friendly new puppy.
Tali, our Rotti landed on her feet with wonderful new parents that spoil their dogs and dote on them like children. She has another dog to play with and can be a rough as she likes, which suits her to bits. The house felt empty for a few weeks until we picked up our new puppy, a little golden cocker spaniel we named Benson.
Benson’s now been with us for a few weeks and I’ve already learnt a few pearls of wisdom from him that I’d like to share with you. I’m sure there are many more to come, both from Benson and when the baby comes along. I’m sure those of you with kids and dogs would agree. So here are some Thoughts from Benson:
1) Make new friends. It’s so easy to make new friends. In fact, Benson simply assumes that everyone is wonderful - cats, dogs, snails, people, anyone; he just assumes they are ready to give him all the love and affection he needs. What a beautiful outlook for the human race to adopt.
2) Stand your ground. When someone crosses you, don’t be afraid to tell them how you really feel. It’s much better than just laying down and accepting the situation.
3) Spend time in nature. Benson was born on a farm by a breeder, so he had plenty of fresh air, but very little space initially. Now he loves the outdoors. Sometimes he’ll just lie on the grass and fall fast asleep, like he’s completely at one with the world around him.
4) Know when it’s time to lay down and be submissive. You can’t win all the battles you go in to, and when it’s time to lay down do so graciously. It’s amazing just how quickly puppies learn and how slow we humans adapt to change. If Benson does something wrong and we raise our voice he quickly puts his tail between his legs and asks for forgiveness. It’s easy to move forward when we both agree on the rules.
5) When you’re happy, let the whole world know. Wag your tail, and your whole body for that matter, shout it from the roof tops and jump up and down with excitement. As you do, watch your happiness jump from face to face as it’s more contagious than anything else in the world.
6) Live with gusto. Do everything in life being fully engaged with what’s in front of you. Eat like it’s your last meal and savour every mouthfull, play with all your heart, and when someone gives you cuddles and kisses wriggle up to them and bask in the love they offer. *NOTE: Don’t be surprised when the energy runs out and take every opportunity to nap in the sun!
7) Show affection. There are people (and animals) all around you that just love you to bits. Begin to show them the affection they deserve and do it without reservation and without any attached expectations. Just love for the sake of loving.
8) Exercise often. It’s easy in our busy lives to forget how we were as youngsters and how much fun we had just running about. Benson loves to play and he gets a great amount of exercise just playing. Find something energetic that you love doing and stop calling it exercise and start calling it fun!
9) Relax. Recognise when you need to rest and sleep, and make it happen. When Benson’s tired you have about 33 seconds before he’s flat out asleep. When he rests, he rests. He doesn’t think about his share portfolio, the kids’ tennis game, or lunch with the family tomorrow. Rest and Relaxation is essential for proper growth and development of humans and puppies! (As I’m typing I can hear Benson snore, bless him!)
If you have children or animals I suggest you take a little time just noticing their behaviour, there is so much we can learn from the instinctual patterns about how to live a balanced and fulfilled life.
If you’re really ready to step up and start living life and need a little assistance to get started, please give me a call on 4296 9331 or email me and we can work on it together. If you like what I’m writing or would like to give me some feedback, I’d love to hear from you. Shoot me an email at jodie@advancedcoachingsolutions.com.au
This column was written by Jodie Cooper of Advanced Coaching Solutions. Jodie specialises in assisting people to find their own brilliance, tap into it and live their lives to their full potential. Her passion and enthusiasm for helping people show in everything she does, from helping teens understand their thought processes to assisting executives to make drastic changes. Check out her website at: www.advancedcoachingsolutions.com.au
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