Zen and the Art of Petting A Puppy
Recently, a new spiritual teacher came into my life.
He shows me mindfulness, demands I stay centered in the present moment, and creates constant opportunities to give up my attachment to my ego.
For a teacher, he doesn’t say much.
Most of his lessons are communicated through a loud, booming bark and a talent for chewing through my most prized possessions.
In 6 weeks, he’s chomped through two pairs of shoes, a 5 pound platter of ground turkey, my favorite hat, the kitchen apron, and a motivational book on cultivating a positive mindset.
My new spiritual guru is my rescue dog, Louie.
Unless I want something ripped to shreds, and scattered around the yard, I’ve learned to hide it far from the reach of Louie’s chomp.
Shoes are now stored safely on a high shelf.
The kitchen apron are stashed in kitchen drawers.
The sofa pillows are locked away in a closet.
I go over my already organized house with a hyper vigilant eye.
Anything that Louie can fit in his mouth, he will drag outside, and destroy.
The most important lesson my new spiritual guide has presented me was a new opportunity to practice my new mantra:
“Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had asked for it”,
from Eckhart Tolle’s “The Power of Now”.
Guilt
I used to get irritated when my furry friend barreled into my lap, wriggling enthusiastically, covering my face with slobber, stepping all over my shoes, making me late for work.
Before my latest spiritual revelation, I would angrily push him off, shouting, “Get down!!”
Even worse, this action only resulted in exciting him more.
I would push him away harder, raising my voice more sternly, until he retreated.
With his copper red tail tucked between his legs, he’d sulk away, his amber colored eyes big and sad like an abandoned puppy in a Sarah McLaughlin commercial.
In the aftermath of this aggressive approach, with my clothes covered in soft fur and Louie cowering in the corner, I would feel racked with guilt and shame for losing my temper at an innocent, playful puppy, again.
Empathy and Epiphany
At just a year old, Louie is not only new to my household, he’s new to the whole world.
He lives in a happy world of chasing squirrels and rolling in the grass.
He doesn’t understand human concepts like work, time, stress, responsibilities, or laundry.
His heart is full of love, affection, and energy.
He just wants to play!
After weeks of feeling stressed by the cycle of thwarted shoe tying, shouting, then shame and guilt, I experienced an epiphany.
Reflecting on my Eckhart Tolle quote, I considered, “…What if I accepted the dog jumping in my lap, like I promised I would accept everything the present moment placed in front of me?
The solution was right in front of my face, yet I’d been missing it.
When Life (my plans/ the way I want things to happen), gets interrupted by The Present Moment (a furry, wriggling, pawing puppy, or any unexpected outcome), instead of Resisting (getting irritated, shouting, pushing away, making the moment unpleasant),
…I have the option of simply Petting the Dog.
Shift
This perspective shift transformed a tense, angry moment into a pleasurable, affectionate encounter.
Every morning, I start my day by cuddling a warm, frisky puppy, which research, and anyone who has ever done it, confirms is an automatic way to increase happiness and reduce stress.
As a result, I feel happier.
I don’t feel mired in shame for yelling at my unassuming, innocent dog.
Most importantly, the dog is happier.
His demeanor is noticeably calmer and more relaxed- because he’s not getting scolded every minute of the day.
Instead of running at me full force, bracing to be pushed away, he’s now more gentle in his approach as well.
He understands that I’m going to calmly pet and reassure him, so he is less anxious.
Nothing about the situation changed.
But because I changed, everything changed.