SURVIVING SOCIAL DISTANCING
People around the world are experiencing many changes due to the pandemic, quarantines, and all of the necessary steps to stay healthy and safe. We have two choices, dwell in misery, complain, get upset, be fearful, and stop living life. Or we can choose to seek opportunities to bring joy into our life, build positive relationships, stay engaged, participate safely, and seek possibilities.
For those of you who are already a pet parent, you could be starting from a place of advantage. No other pet has the reputation of being a “best friend” like a dog. If you are open to it, you may feel an epiphany has come to you regardless of these trying times! You may recognize the opportunity to reinvent yourself because of the challenges. A good starting point is the relationship with your pooch.
Dogs are such giving creatures, always wanting to please. Your pooch helps you to stay engaged, keeps you moving, and can even calm your fears. Seek creative connections, especially with nature, like sitting down to absorb a sunset together.
YOUR DOG KNOWS
Many people are morning in many ways for a number of reasons. Grieving over the loss of a love one, loss of a job, loss of a lifestyle, etc. Your dog is sensitive to your feelings and your changes in behavior. Dogs know when something is different, and unusual. Your pooch will detect any changes in the way you smell. Dogs have an amazing sense of smell, they can detect one spoonful of sugar in a swimming pool!
Your feelings can cause changes in your body, to your hormones, your digestion, your breath and even your urine. Dogs have shown scientists that they can detect diseases in humans by their sense of smell long before even a diagnosis may already be given. So bottom-line, if you are sad, grieving, fearful, and upset you probably can’t hide it from your dog, they know!
No doubt about it, the world is in a huge transition determined phase by phase. For most of us alive today, it is the first time in our lifespan that we experienced a world pandemic. There is cause to be concerned and to follow all health and safety protocols. Let’s tap into the magic of possibilities that often come when there is profound changes in our life.
We can look for critical windows that may open up for us during this trying time and initiating our own transformation to bear wonderful fruit! Maybe just getting our old pre-pandemic life back isn’t really the best idea. Look for ways to reinvent yourself, maybe that job is no longer there, and this is an opportunity to do something different.
Add more loving kindness into your life, it’s amazingly calming to the heart. Perhaps it’s time to revisit forgiveness and move towards it, very healing to the soul. Your dog will literally smell the calming of your heart, and your positive and engaging outlook.
Your dog can smell your joy make it a magnificent new normal with your dog!