Lessons from a Puppy

About 4 months ago I decided to get a puppy. My life has been forever altered as a result. Who knew!?!? I had been thinking about getting one for well over a year and just never was able to take the plunge.....until I did!

In January and February I was making some big changes in my life and spending a lot of time evaluating where I am and where I want to go. I came to the conclusion that there were some things that just had to be changed in order for me to move forward. This was not an easy decision to come to, as letting go of some commitments that were not working for me was scary and at the same time freeing (funny how both can be true!).

Through a series of events and conversations, my friend Robin (who lives in CT) found my puppy for me (I live in MN). I saw this puppy and knew that she was mine and made plans in less than a day to drive 4 hours each way to get her on Valentine’s Day. I was in love (she was the best Valentine I have ever received by the way and I bought her myself-I think there is a lesson there too!). Along with the excitement there were nerves too, I had never been the sole responsible adult for another living being before. (And to be perfectly honest, I used to think my plants were a little needy, you know, wanting water every month or so!) This was one of those times where I just knew that I was making a choice that was right for me. My intuition was speaking to me, louder than the fear that was telling me I didn’t know what I was doing and that I would regret the decision. Thank God for intuition, and the strength to move through the fear!

So it is now 4 months later and Muki and I are adjusting to life together just fine (don’t worry I feed and water her every single day!). In fact I can’t imagine my life without her at this point, she has filled my days with so much joy, her little puppy ways crack me up, way better entertainment than TV most of the time! What a gift she has been for me, during a time when I was in great transition she brought me a sense of stability and balance, she grounds me and reminds me to be present in each moment in a way that I have not experienced before. Being present in the moment has often been a challenge for me in the past. Staying busy was a way to escape my life and not take stock and evaluate if things were actually working for me. I am now slowing down and enjoying the moments in my life rather than focusing only on completeing the next thing on my to do list.

How present are you in your days? Do you rush through each day from task to task just working to get it all done? What will it take to slow you down? What if you were to look for the joy in the little things?

Muki and I dare you to slow down and enjoy all of the moments in your days!

~Sheri