5 Lessons Learned from My Dog
This is Kota’s personality in a photo.
If you think I’m writing this as an excuse to post pictures of my dog… you’re right. And if you’re thinking, “I bet this dog even has a stupid Instagram”, (@kota_co) you’re 2 for 2!
Let’s get one thing straight right away. Dogs > than humans.
Kota is the best “person” I know. Michael and I honestly don’t deserve her, she’s way too good for us. But I want to share a few lessons she’s taught me, and why I want to be more like her. You can eye roll allllll you want, but if you’re a dog person, you get it!
Unconditional love. I could forget to feed her or let her outside, and she wouldn’t hold one ounce of anger or bitterness toward me. She lives to love us, expecting nothing in return.
Fierce loyalty. She is the sweetest, goofiest dog you’ve ever met. But she is also extremely protective of us. And once you’re in, you’re in for life.
Optimism. Kota believes the absolute best of everyone and everything. I want to be as good of a person as she thinks I am.
Contagious joy. Every. Single. Day. If I leave for 2 minutes and come back? Kota acts like it’s been a year. When I say, “Do you want to _______?” she has a freak attack of excitement that’s impossible not to smile at.
Contentment. As long as she has her humans, she’s happy! And everything else is just a bonus. She is present in every moment, not worrying about the future.
Now that you’re making gagging noises after reading all the sap about my dog, think about how much better this dang world would be if humans acted like this. Obviously dogs don’t have jobs and stress and human brains and whatnot, but I still think there is a lot we can learn from them.
As a believer, I know I’m called to all of these things, but I fail on the regs. One area I’m especially working on is being content and present. I’m a very driven person, so I’m constantly looking to what’s ahead.
What class will I take next? What new project can I work on? What can I do to prepare for _______?
And while sometimes that’s a good thing, it can really prevent me from being in the moment and enjoying the heck out of whatever stage I’m in. I know there is no “there”, no point at which I’ll be done learning and growing. So I’m not trying to stop that process, just my mindset around it. I want to fully enjoy the present and not just be thinking about what it’ll be like when this stage ends.
One practical way I do this is by practicing gratitude. My new planner has a place for me to write what I’m grateful for each day, and it’s been a big help in staying focused on the present. Another way is simply by saying it out loud. Michael and I frequently talk about how thankful we are for one another, our dog, our home, etc. It really just brings awareness to how amazingly blessed we are.
I definitely still have a lot of work to do in this area, and I want to know how you stay present and content even during the mundane tasks of life. Kota is content no matter what, and that’s something I’m striving for. If you’re a dog lover, you know what this is all about. If you’re not, you could probably learn a lesson from your cat... or maybe not? I’m allergic to cats, what do I know?
Thanks for listening (er.. reading?) to me ramble about dogs and life. Now go, be like Kota and enjoy every minute of today.
Vote Kota 2020
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