Let the Breeze Lead You

I love sort of middle-of-the-road weather. I hate the heat, because I have a short snout. And I hate the frigid cold, because, well, I weigh like 12 lbs and I can't get into it. BUT, on days like today, I have learned to take time to let the breeze whistle through my ears.

Both of my mommies work from home now! Wooty woot and a root toot toot. Today, one of my mommies asked to open the windows, and I thought "Oh no, wait a minute, I'm used to the air conditioner, I don't think I like that change you very much.."...but then, I remembered, "Oh wait, you learned sometime ago that if you change is where your comfort zone ends.." and that is when I said, "Rock on. Open that window mommy."

And guess what?  Now I get to feel the sun on my face and canoodle with my doggie sister all day..to the sound of a cool breeze.

Today's Challenge:  Don't stick with your comfort zone. If you do, you will never know what it's like to enjoy a good old-fashioned cross breeze tingling on your nose.

Resting is so crucial to my happiness, yet it is the one thing I ALWAYS forget to do. I'm always "on," if you know what I mean. Sound familiar? For example, I was just settling down to rest last night and I heard a jingle in the other room-I ran off barking, but also to make sure I wasnt' missing out on something-like a treat, say....and guess, what, not only was there no treat or secret to be had in the other room, I got all my feathers in a ruffle and missed out on some valued relaxation and cuddling-with-mom time. 

Today's Challenge: Stop worrying about what everyone else is doing. Relax. If you relax, you will get what you need, if you don't, you will end up losing sleep.

Well, my mom was out of the country for two weeks and, now that she is back, I'm a little mad at her, you know. I don't like not being the center of her universe. I mean, attention matters to me, because I am, after all just a dog.......but....what I notice is that my pouting only makes one person miserable....guess who?

Today's Challenge:  Recognize two things: attention IS NOT love and that pouting hurts nobody but yourself.  For today, I will practice knowing that my mom still loves me even when she lives her life and that my happiness is directly correlated to my ability to let go of my expectations and take that which is readily available to me.

Attention. What a topic, huh?  I love attention. So much so that I'll bark and talk and run around town to get it. And, then, all it does is make my mommy mad. Well, shoot. All I wanted was a little kiss or throw of a ball. But, I noticed something today. When I'm quiet and gentle, I end up getting attention that I want without even trying.  Note to self...forcing attention my way only makes people move further away from me...and that hurts. Letting people come to me requires a whole lot less work AND it makes me feel good. Who would have thought it could be that easy!  Well, I'm gonna go and cuddle next to my mom now and take a nap....knowing that all good is coming my way if I only sit still long enough to let it...

Today's Challenge:  Sit still. Stop moving so quickly that people can't get close enough to you to give you the attention you both desire and deserve.

So much time, so little to do!  Sound like a luxury? Think again! I don't know about you, but I really have to work in life to find a balance between sleeping in my little comfy dog pillow bed and playing it up with some of my canine friends. Lately, I've been grazing a little too much. Not only has this been a negative for my usually sassy waistline, but it also leaves my head open to take me off to the emotional races.

Today's Challenge:  Get out into the world and live. Your brain did not win the job of keeping you sober in the first place, so how could being alone with it for long periods of time possibly keep you sane!?

Holy Moly, what a week. So, we moved this week, and I have had some HUGE territorial issues in the new hood. I'd gotten pretty comfortable in the old neighborhood and when sounds popped up, I felt safe and knew what they were. As a lot of us already know, with change comes anxiety, and I've kind of gotten scolded a few times for my incessant barking:( Doesn't Mom know I'm just trying to be on high alert and keep her safe?!

Soooo......then, when I start getting in trouble for doing something that isn't working, I need to look inside...and when I look, I realize that my anxiety about the new and the unknown is spewing out and making my mom and the rest of our clan crazy and, thus, it isn't keeping them safe or protected at all.  Time to go look for ways to channel my own anxiety instead of taking it out on the rest of the family.....and the new neighbors!

Today's Challenge:  If you find yourself "protecting" your surroundings as a cover-up for anxiety, take a breathe, walk away and look inside to find out what it really is you are thinking and feeling. As sober pups, we are responsible for our own feelings, not for taking out our anxiety soup on those who love us most.

I'm Baaaack

So, today I had an amazing experience. Mom was at work and this wonderful young woman came up to her and told her she liked our blog! Well, you bet your bottom dollar she came home to me and asked me why I'd been slacking in my posts..for, well, an embarrassing length of time..So, that little kick in the head gave me the motivation I needed to get back on track and talk about staying sober with me..well, Sam.

Last time I posted I was thinking about what it would be like to have a new sister...well, we did, in fact adopt that new sister and, let's just say that sibling rivalry has pretty much got me stuck in a challenging cycle these days....like, I try to fight with my sister because she gets attention or I try to boss her around when she wants to get up on the bed with mom too...I keep getting in trouble, but I can't seem to stop..kind of like that old, "doing the same thing and expecting different results" thing...

You'd think as a sober pup I'd know better, but writing this now I realized that one of the things that can happen, especially when you've been sober for a while, is that you can forget that fighting isn't the answer and wanting all the attention never leads to any right...it is hard having another animal in the house, because I'm no longer the QUEEN (but I really still am:) and I'm being territorial and jealous, which, as all my readers know, leads to nothing but heartache..

I think this week I'm gonna start focusing on how I can find the similarities with my sister, rather than the differences (like she has big ears and I don't...) and try to find the closeness with her that I really want...because, in my little shih tzu heart, that is what I really want....

Today's Challenge: Let the person in your life you love but keep butting heads with get close to you...look for what you do have in common to share rather than what you don't....