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Lesson 1
Dogs Are Happy
"Dogs are obsessed with being happy" --James Thurber
Show me a dog, and I’ll show you a picture of happiness. Think about
it. Have you ever heard anyone say of a dog, “Well, he’s very
successful and lives in a beautiful house, but he’s not very happy”?
One reason most dogs are much happier than most people is that dogs aren’t
affected by external circumstances the way we are. I notice that even when
it’s pouring rain outside, my dogs Blue and Celeste are still excited
to go for a walk. As soon as I open the front door to look outside, they’re
beside me in a flash, standing expectantly, ready for an adventure. I usually
wait for a break in the downpour, and then we all dash out together. The
fact that the ground is soggy and there are mud puddles dotting the landscape
means nothing to the dogs. While I’m gingerly picking my way around
the wet spots, the dogs are joyfully splashing right through them. They
aren’t afraid to get their paws dirty.
Dogs have a wonderful ability to adapt to changes in their environment.
Sure, they love to snuggle up on the couch, but if the couch is taken, they’re
glad to lie down on the floor. Little things like a change in the weather
don’t seem to affect their happiness at all. The weather is sunny?
That’s great. It’s raining? That’s still great. Things
don’t have to be “just right” for dogs to be happy or
to feel good.
Our lives would be better if we realized that it’s not the circumstances
of our lives that make us happy or unhappy--- it’s the story we tell
ourselves about those circumstances. Our happiness can be independent of
whatever “blessings” or “catastrophes” are going
on in our lives because happiness is an inner state, not an outer one. Once
we realize that fact, then we don’t need an excuse to be happy or
unhappy. When our friends suspiciously ask us, “What are you so happy
about?” we can genuinely respond, “No reason!” Our happiness
doesn’t need an explanation. We can be happy no matter what is going
on.
Of course, my dogs are not happy and playful all the time. They have been
known to collapse by the door in a colossal show of disappointment when
I leave the house and say, “No! You can’t go. You stay here.
I’ll be back soon.” However, their disappointment and discontent
evidently passes quite quickly. One time after telling the dogs they had
to stay at home, I walked back through the door almost immediately because
I had forgotten my car keys. The dogs were already happily playing tug-of-war
with a towel they had discovered under the sofa.
Dogs are almost always happy. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for
most people. We humans are in a constant, obsessive search for that “special
something” that will make us feel good. We chase after money, possessions,
prestige, fame, or the perfect relationship, all in the hope that it will
bring us lasting happiness. We are chasing our tails, but for us it is not
about play. We discover that the things we run in circles pursuing give
us only brief feelings of outer happiness. This outer happiness does not
really nurture us or give us what we are truly seeking. Unlike our dogs,
whose discontent is fleeting, our happiness is fleeting, and we wonder why.
Happiness is not something that just happens to some people. Happiness is
really about making a choice. Being muddy and wet is a good excuse to feel
miserable about life. But as my dogs remind me every rainy day, feeling
upset is not the only option. It makes just as much sense to say, “I’m
all wet and muddy and I’m feeling great!”
Our dogs can be wonderful teachers in showing us the path to happiness.
Why be miserable when you can choose to be happy?
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