Have you ever felt that are pets are showing us the way?

Showing us how to create a lifestyle where we are balanced in all areas of our lives?

One where we are living and loving each and every day.

A little while ago, a school friend of my husband retired one week, then

went on a holiday to Singapore with his wife, and whilst snorkeling passed

away due to an aneurysm.

Once we all got over the shock, I began to contemplate how sad it was

that he had worked and played hard all his life, probably to the detriment

of his health & family and then he never had the chance to spend quality

time he had planned with his wife, children and grandchildren.

Many of us live as our friend did, waiting for a certain time in the future to

balance our lives, even though we all know that there is no expiry date on

our birth certificate.

Looking at my dog’s daily habits for guidance

As I walked over the past couple of weeks with my male spoodle, Sirius

(dog star), I began to notice his habits and contemplated that as we are

on a quest to being our own best friend and creating a balanced life, we

could all learn a couple of things from “Man’s (woman’s / child’s) best

friend!!”

1. Stretch upon rising:

Every morning as Sirius gets out of bed, he

does three big body stretches. When we sleep our heart rate drops.

Blood does not flow freely to the muscles, which in turn leaves them

oxygen deprived and with waste to be disposed of. Our muscles and

joints might also be stiff from lack of activity. Stretching – elongating

and contracting muscles all around your body – makes the stiffness

go away, the blood flow quicker again, blood pressure to rise, which

results in more oxygen to the brain. A great way to start each day.

2. Walk a meandering path:

As we walk on the beach most

mornings, I noticed Sirius’ footprints – how they are all over the

place, certainly not in a straight line like mine. This highlighted a

couple of things. Firstly, that he walked many more steps than I did,

getting his heart rate up, so even though we walked for the same

time he received more physically than I did. Secondly, I received the

analogy, that this is what our journey in life is all about…. It’s when

we stray away from the straight path that we receive all the many

gems and unknown experiences. This could be as simple as us

taking a different way to work, or us not worrying about what is up

ahead just enjoy the present or that we allow our life to unfold and

not stress when things turn out differently than we expected on our

linear path.

3. Having people pick up after us:

Every time I pick up Sirius’

droppings on our walk, I always have a chuckle “who’s the master?”

Though seriously, we spend a lot of time doing things that we really

do not enjoy doing, when we could engage other people to do these

things/chores. This then frees up our time and energy so we can be

doing the quality things we would like to do, like spending time on

ourselves, with family and friends. The more you delegate the more

you create extra time and energy. The best thing about this is that

you’ll employ other people to do these tasks, which assists them

and their family to live their fulfilled life.

4. Greeting people:

When my husband and I come home, Sirius

greets us like he has not seen us for months. Sometimes you can go

outside to put the rubbish in the bin and when you come back, he is

wagging his whole body, jumping up and placing his paw on you so

you can say hi and give him a pat. He greets guests just as

affectionately and settles once they have said hello and patted him.

Now, would not it be nice if we all greeted each other that way?

Instead of a quick hello, a handshake and a half-hearted “how are

you?” not really wanting an answer. Take the time to genuinely greet

people and find out how they really are. Remember everyone knows

something and someone you don’t know, so take the time to chat

with them. Who knows where it will take you or what doors will be

opened?

5. Just listening:

Sirius is the best listener. Sometimes it is great to

just talk out your perceived problems or new ideas. Through talking

you can find the answer to anything that has been welling around in

your mind & body. We really do not want the other person to solve

our problems we just want someone to sit and listen. Remember this

when someone is talking, listen, nod occasionally as they will ask if

they would like your opinion.

6. Looking for the signs:

In our house we have a doggy door that

leads to the balcony, though we would prefer Sirius to do his

business on the front lawn. When the front door is closed, he will

give us many signs for us to open the front door so he can go out

and if we miss the signs he has no choice but to do it on the

balcony. Every day everyone is given many signs or opportunities

that will enhance their lives, though most of the time we are

unconscious to these signs as we’re living what I like to call a

ground-hog daze existence. Open your eyes and your perspective,

there are multiple ways to do anything. Be open to all possibilities.

It’s from this space that you can germinate a seed into a blossoming

garden.

7. Eat when only hungry:

Sirius is given a bowl of food each morning

and more than likely he will still have a little left when we go to bed

that night. Most of us eat when the clock tells us to as oppose to

when we are hungry. Be conscious of what you are eating and drinking, the portion size and when your stomach is full. Digesting a huge meal is a real energy drainer. Graze small portions and you will

have extra energy to complete your daily plans…. You’ll tap dance

to and from work!!

Wow, seven awesome little gems just from observing Sirius’ habits. I am

sure there are many more.

Have you learned healthier habits from watching your pets?

#beyondloss

#giftofloss

#loveyourlife