Читать книгу Leashes and Lovers - What Your Dog Can Teach You About Love, Life, and Happiness - Sheryl Matthys - Страница 12

In my time as The Dog Expert, I have never known a dog to gloat, brag, or boast. Dogs may be the most humble creatures on earth, while humans may be the vainest.

Too often, this human vanity gets in the way of our human relationships. Think to yourself how easy it is for you to blow off a friend because you have “more important things to do.” Really?

What’s more important than friendship?

To a dog, nothing is more important than friendship, and yet we humans treat our friends – even our family, and especially our spouses – as if they’ll always be there at the ready, like man-servants or handmaidens.

If we were to practice as much humility as dogs are inherently graced with, I can guarantee you that every human relationship we have would be immediately improved a hundred-fold. Humility ripples positively through every relationship we have. It makes us better listeners, more available friends, more compassionate spouses, and more attentive children.

It may mean only a few minutes out of your day to initiate more humility; a few minutes a day reflecting, sitting with your dog, observing his breathing, gently patting him, clearing your mind, and just taking in the moment.

Call it a type of prayer, if you will, with an informal structure. Commit to five minutes of this daily ritual with your dog – thinking only positive thoughts, if any – for yourself, your dog, and all others. You’ll notice how good, sincere thoughts give you energy rather than depleting it, and lead you to solving an issue rather than just fretting about it. These thoughts will attract what you put forth, and what you want out of life.

To a dog, nothing is more important than friendship, and yet we humans treat our friends – even our family, and especially our spouses – as if they’ll always be there at the ready, like man-servants or handmaidens.