National Puppy Day is the time to celebrate the magic and
unconditional love that puppies bring into our lives.
This special day was founded in 2006 by home
lifestyle expert and author, Colleen Paige, and it is celebrated each year on
the 23rd of March.
It's a day to help
save orphan puppies around the globe and educate the public on the value of adoption.
Puppies share so much with us...why wouldn't
we want to share our hearts and homes with them too!
Precious puppies bring us so much joy, not only when things
are going well, but also when we are feeling pain.
They are our faithful companions through thick
and thin.
We look to our pups when we
are ready to laugh and play, but they also somehow instinctively know when we
need their support.
We all have
struggles and challenges in our lives, and it’s during these times that our puppies
can really help us find joy once again.
If
we take the time to watch our dogs go through their days, we would probably
realize the lessons are right there in front
of us if we care enough to pay attention.
Here are some of the ways we can be the kind of people our dogs want us
to be as well as who we want to be.
Whatever
life brings us, joy is still there...we just need to reach out and grab it.
1.
Connect With Others:
Our relationships with others nurture our
soul.
We may neglect our friends because
of our work or other interests or we may just get busy and forget to stay in
touch.
When we look to our dogs, they
need our connection on a daily basis.
They
need our love, time, and attention.
When
we stay connected with others, it feeds our soul and leads us to a long full life.
2.
Live For Today:
We can spend time regretting the past and
worrying about the future, but solutions will not be found that way.
Spinning our wheels thinking about things that
we cannot change is not productive.
Dogs live for today and so should we.
We need to appreciate every moment and be
grateful for what we have.
Like our
pooches, when we live in the present, we
will have more enthusiasm, joy for life, and
less worry.
3.
Forgive:
Forgiveness may be something we consider but often
find it difficult to really feel and carry out.
By not forgiving, we continue to blame others
for how we feel and remain the victim.
/with
animal packs, there is rarely a conflict as the members of the pack solve their
problems and move on.
They don’t hold a
grudge or worry about what happened yesterday.
Forgiveness gives us back our sense of wholeness, peace, and the ability
to move on.
4.
Trust Our Intuition:
Many of us have either not developed or have
lost touch with our intuition.
We listen
to words but neglect our true feelings.
We may feel uneasy about a certain situation
but ignore what our body is telling us.
Dogs
understand what is going on beneath the surface as they are led by their
instincts and rely on their gut reactions. We have these clues as well.
When we learn to listen to our intuition, it
will guide us to a life of peace and serenity.
5.
Find Balance:
When we have a traumatic situation in our
lives, we can sometimes spend too much time focussing on the situation and neglecting
the other areas of our lives.
We worry so
much about the problems of others that we wind up shortchanging ourselves as
well as those around us.
Ever notice how
well a dog does when their life is balanced:?
Dogs need their exercise, plenty of love, and
structure in their daily routine just as we all do.
When we balance our lives, the stress suddenly
fades away and we enjoy life that much more.
6.
Set
Clear Boundaries:
Many of us have a hard time setting
boundaries that are clear and believable.
We can waver and be indecisive, and those
close to us may not know where our boundaries begin or end.
Close, connected relationships start with
clear and consistent communication.
Our
relationship with our dogs is a perfect example. When the rules are clear and consistently
reenforced, our pups do very well; otherwise, they are confused about what is expected
and acceptable behavior.
7.
Find A Purpose:
Sometimes we lose our way and are not sure
about our true purpose in this world.
The same is true for puppies.
When dogs are given a job and contribute in
some way to the well being of others, they feel a sense of satisfaction.
As humans, we need to find our purpose as
well.
When we take the time to discover
our purpose in life, we feel more fulfilled and our life feels more
meaningful.
8.
Make Every Day Special:
Sometimes we let days go by and just get
swallowed up in our routine.
Every day
is the same and we lack enthusiasm for life.
On the other hand, pups find everyday life exciting and can’t wait to
eat, go for their walk, see us come home, or greet a visitor.
We can learn a great deal by observing how our
dogs have so much enthusiasm for the simple joys of everyday life.
This everyday life can be special for us too.
When we take the time to look, we'll
find that our joy is still there waiting to be rediscovered.
Puppies are the most trusting and joyous creatures on the
planet.
They understand our moods, comfort
our sorrows, and never judge us.
Unlike most
of our human friends, our pups never outgrow us, never tire of us, and never
disappoint us.
No matter how badly we
might feel about ourselves or our lives, our cuddly canine companions always see
us as the best thing on two legs and they're always thrilled to see us.
Life just doesn't
get much better than that!
I encourage all of you to consider adopting an adorable and
playful puppy from a shelter or rescue group in honor of National Puppy Day
and, if you can't, please make a donation to Pet Pal or an animal shelter near
you.
The puppies thank you for your
support!
Happy tails to you until we meet again!