What Can We Learn From Dogs About Life?
A dog’s life seems simple from the outside. All they really need are companions, food, and exercise.
The same is true for us human beings. We also need the basics. However, we have a dreadful habit of making everything more complicated than it should be. We worry endlessly about things that just aren’t important.
Dogs, on the other hand, are content practically all the time. You rarely see a pup moping around because of something another dog did or because they are worried about their mortality. It simply doesn’t occur to them.
Okay, with the preamble out of the way, what can we actually learn from dogs about life? Let’s take a look.
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Follow Your Nose
Dogs follow their noses. It’s their main sense. If something smells right, they’ll go for it.
Naturally, humans’ sense of smell isn’t quite as advanced. However, we can copy dogs metaphorically. Curiosity might have hurt the cat, but it need not harm us.
If you think an opportunity is worth exploring, follow it and see what happens. Don’t let fear get in your way. See life as an adventure or a quest, not an exercise in wrapping yourself in cotton wool.
Enjoy Life To The Fullest
Life is a passing pleasure, so enjoy it while you can – that’s the lesson dogs have for us. Things won’t last forever, so indulge in your passions and find out what makes you tick. Look for ways to get into the race and make things happen in your life. Don’t sit on the sidelines. Experience it all.
You don’t have to be grandiose, either, even small things can have a massive impact on your health and happiness. A simple walk in the park or game of frisbee is all dogs need to keep themselves joyful, and the same applies to you.
Be Yourself
You never see dogs apologizing for who they are, and you shouldn’t, either. Just be yourself and do what feels right. Don’t try to conform to society’s straight jacket. People will always tell you who you are and what you should do, but the trick is to ignore them all and follow your heart. Dogs do this unapologetically, and so should you.
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Avoid Grudges
Did you ever see a dog hold a grudge? It never happens. Dogs live and let live. If another dog or person harms them, they let it go and just continue with their lives as normal.
Pups won’t hold injustices against you. If you get something wrong, don’t worry: they will forgive you. They show you how nurturing relationships with your enemies can allow great friendships to develop.
Be Enthusiastic With Everyone
Dogs are enthusiastic about everyone they meet. It doesn’t matter whether they are a new acquaintance or an old friend, everyone gets the same treatment.
Dogs are also incredibly enthusiastic about life in general. A walk in the park is just as exciting as going abroad. Dogs don’t care. There are always opportunities to have fun and enjoy oneself.
You can see this enthusiasm from a young age. As sites like
https://chocolatelabradorretriever.ca/lab-retrievers-london/ point out, dogs are always looking for ways to enjoy their lives more. Their energy is infectious.
Be Loyal To People
Dogs are possibly the most loyal animals on the planet. It doesn’t matter if you are the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or a homeless bum, they’re always by your side. They never judge and they are happy to be in your company.
Dogs teach us the value of good friends. They want people who are there to feed them when they are hungry and keep them warm when it is cold outside. They also want companions they can grow together with for years to come.
Being as loyal as a dog is hard, but not impossible. Being dog-like in your relationships with others builds trust, connection, and intimacy. We can absolutely learn from dogs when it comes to loyalty in our own lives.
Make Your Love Unconditional
Loving unconditionally is tough for people. However, for dogs, it’s second nature. They don’t mind how hard things are for you or what you do with your life, just so long as you are with them.
Dogs help people through rough patches, even when they are self-inflicted. Dogs understand that people aren’t perfect and that they always make mistakes. They don’t mind that. Even if they mess up, they are still there to help them.
As people, we can often find it hard to ignore the faults of others, but that’s what unconditional love is all about. Being patient with friends and families, even in their weakest moments, are opportunities to be dog-like.
Run And Play
Dogs love to move around, run and play. They don’t vegetate in front of Netflix every day, watching entire seasons of Korean zombie dramas.
Humans could learn a thing or two from this. We tend to spend the majority of our free time sitting on our butts, not doing a great deal. But dogs are always moving, and it gives them a level of energy we simply don’t have.
When you move more, it improves the hormonal balance of your body. You feel better about life and more able to take on the challenges of the world. Feel-good chemicals flood your system, and you feel more like a dog at the park, not a gray-suited worker at the office.
Don’t Think About The Past Or The Future. Be Present
The last, and perhaps most important lesson we can learn from dogs is to be present. According to https://bestlifeonline.com/life-lessons-from-dogs/, they don’t think about the past or future. Instead, they live entirely and exclusively in the present. Fretting about what’s happening to their 401(k) simply isn’t on their radar.
If you find yourself living at any other time than the present, bring yourself back to the center. Focus on what’s important right now and accept it for what it is. You can make any moment in your life blissful if you take this approach.
If you struggle to stay in the present because of your devices, simply switch them off.
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