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What I learned from my dog

January 24, 2017 | Culture

By Suzy Rounce

How to Beat the Winter Blues

It’s the end of January and they say this is usually when everyone falls off their resolutions, gets their visa bills and overall feels down in the dumps. Don’t fall into that ‘poor me’ trap. The message I keep hearing over and over again is that our mind controls everything else in our life: body, health, mood, luck and drive. If we let those negative thoughts run our mind they will run wild. This couldn’t be more true than when I look at our 16 month old, newly adopted, Weimaraner puppy.

Blue came swiftly into our life and arrived with a splash teaching us a million lessons in an instant but here are a few of the best that might ring true to you too:

There is no such thing as a bad day if you take a minute to get some fresh air and take in your neighbourhood.

There is always an opportunity for an adventure: that hill, path, person or object you always took for granted could be the start of an adventure, if you let it.

Food is there to fuel you, we might crave food all the time but a simple diet served up in consistent intervals is all we need.

Never miss a chance to show people how excited you are to see them and to really be with them.

If something is getting under your skin, just shake it off, literally, then find a snack.

Know who your pack is. Having a tribe of people that get you and want to be around you is critical to happiness.

Sometimes when the sunlight is just right, stop what you are doing and take a nap in the sun. It solves almost all of life’s problems.

Stay focused on the goal. Think of what the reward will be and keep trying different things until you get it right (and get the treat)

Being stubborn and persistent means you will eventually get what you want, just keep trying.

Love and kindness goes a long way. We don’t always understand each other but if we do everything with kindness we all win.

What lessons have you learnt from you dog? Please share!!!
Also if you are interested in seeing what Blue is up to she has her own Instagram account, check it out.