Fake News

Dear Fake Forgiveness Human:

Fake news has become quite the topic of conversation. It has entered the conversation and tends to stir up strong and passionate feelings.

Did you know that there is also “fake forgiveness”? It’s been around a lot longer than fake news and is just as destructive.

Fake forgiveness is all about you – it circles back on itself. It never releases the hurt or upset; it only ties it up with a big bow so you can pull it out and show your friends.

Real forgiveness is also about you, but it springs from a yearning to learn from the experience, grow and expand into something bigger. It comes from a heartfelt desire to heal as quickly as possible.

Take a moment and look at this chart that shows the differences between fake forgiveness and real forgiveness.

Consider the times in your life where you thought you forgave the other person, but the hurt and resentment were still there. Can you see now that you were not really forgiving? Tomorrow I will share the secrets that dogs learn at the foot of their mothers.

Tail wagging furiously,

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P.S. Why not check out my book, Drop the Leash: Let Go of the Past and Love in the Present? It makes a great Valentine’s Day gift for the dog lovers in your life.

Everyone Has a Backstory

Dear Back Story Human:

No one knows the other person’s backstory 100%. And most of the time, we never know the details of that person’s perspective or how they perceive the present moment.

Dogs don’t have this problem because we see the best in the person and don’t worry about their past. Humans hang onto their past and don’t see the person, as they are in the present moment.

That is why forgiveness is so important. You never forgive because the other person deserves it. You forgive because it releases you from the past and allows you to be present, right here. When you don’t forgive, you remain anchored to that painful event, and you miss all of the beauty and grandeur of the present moment.

Humans have been called “meaning making machines.” When something happens, you will create a story about that event. A story is the meaning that you assign to a situation, person or event about what it means to you. That story becomes the filter for the next moment.

Dogs love unconditionally, in the here and now. Dogs don’t know forgiveness, because to a dog, there is nothing to forgive. To a human, everything is a call to forgiveness.

Dogs stepped into the light of the campfire all those centuries ago to remind humans of a grander vision of life. We know how to live in bliss, happiness, and joy. Humans have forgotten, but with our help, you can remember and join us in the Heart Dance.

You can be the person your dog thinks you are.

Love you tons,

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P.S.  If you have never started or been able to practice a daily meditation and journal ritual, I may have the solution. Click over to 21 Day Heart Dancing Challenge and join their email list. You will receive a daily email with a short lesson, a meditation, journaling prompts and intention setting tools. It could be the start of a life-long journey!

Here to Serve

Dear Ego-Based Human:

One of the significant differences between dogs and humans is the mental construct called “Ego.” Humans create their egos, and it is the single, most destructive psychological device that leads the most people away from themselves.

What is Your Ego?

Your ego is the image of you have yourself. It is your social mask, the face that you show to the world. Ego is concerned with the preservation of itself and causes separation and discord. You know when your ego is talking when:

• You are caught in circling thoughts;
• Your emotions are the lens through which you interpret and judge the world;
• Your worth is dependent on events, people or things outside of you; and
• Your attempt to control or manipulate events, people or things to validate yourself.

Dogs don’t have egos. We know we are love on four legs and we are here to love in every moment. Sounds so simple, doesn’t it? It is for us; you as a human have to end the war with your ego and reconnect with your soul.

What is Your Soul?

Your soul is the Source of Unconditional Love. It is the bridge between your humanness and your beingness. It never changes, cannot be destroyed and will always be part of who you are.

When you spend time in stillness, silence, meditation or journal writing, you are reconnecting with your soul. When you walk in nature and feel a presence surround you that flows through all living things, you are in touch with your soul. When you listen to your intuition and don’t question its advice, you are aligned with your soul.

The easiest way to tell if you are living from your ego or your soul is to check in with your feelings. Are you feeling constricted, limited, fearful or judgmental? You are listening too much to the seductive voice of your ego. When you only concentrate on what is good for you, it’s your ego.

Your soul work is the exact opposite. Feelings of expansiveness, abundance, love, and light always accompany soul work. Putting the welfare of others before yourself and serving others are beacons of soul work.

Remember that you are love on two legs. See the world from your love perspective, and your life will change forever. When you are love, you freely share your energy with others, serving them instead of your ego. When you share your soul place (the home of love), you open yourself to receive. It’s a never-ending cycle of love energy that you choose in every moment.

And as a last resort, spend time with your dog. He can help you restore your relationship with your soul.

You can be the person your dog thinks you are.

Love you to the moon and back!

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P.S.  If you have never started or been able to practice a daily meditation and journal ritual, I may have the solution. Click over to 21 Day Heart Dancing Challenge and join their email list. You will receive a daily email with a short lesson, a meditation, journaling prompts and intention setting tools. It could be the start of a life-long journey!

From Head to Heart

Dear Head-Based Human:

When was the last time you spent 10 minutes outside, just enjoying nature’s activity around you? That thing you always carry with you was left inside, and all you had to do was to sit and watch the show. The more you paid attention, the more you noticed the bee buzzing around the flowers, or the caterpillar inching his way across a blade of grass.

Can you remember the last time you allowed yourself to just be, in the moment?

That, my friend, is the difference between dogs and humans. Dogs don’t think about being in the moment, we just are. You tend to think about your past or future so much that there is no present moment in your experience.

Staying in your head 100% of the time is something that humans get very good at, and are even encouraged to develop as a useful skill. The costs of head living are never discussed, only noticed when loneliness, frustration and a sense of worthlessness rise to unacceptable levels.

To be fully embodied, your head and your heart must be used. Each domain has its own language, and are part of a balanced and centered human.

Dogs know this instinctively. Humans forget.

That is when its time to just be in nature. Take several deep breaths and let go of your frustrations, doubt, and shame. You are a marvelous creation of nature; celebrate it!

Then go spend time with your dog. He will open up your heart again.

You can become the person your dog knows you are.

Tail wagging,

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P.S.  Why not check out my book, Drop the Leash: Let Go of the Past and Love in the Present? It makes a great Valentine’s Day gift for the dog lovers in your life.

Call Me Forgiveness

Dear Has-To-Be-Right Human:

Have you ever thought about the cost you incur when you insist that your position or story is the right one, without any regard to the pain it may cause someone else?

No, I didn’t think so. Otherwise, why would you insist that you are right, even when it’s hurting the other person?

Because you have made being right more important than seeing with love.

The need to be right is what prevents you from forgiving in the moment. Dogs do this instinctively; humans…not so much.

Over my many lifetimes, I have collected a list of questions that will help you make a different choice. When you are in an argument or situation, and you know that you are pushing the “have-to-be-right” envelope, ask yourself these questions:

• What am I feeling right now? It is love or fear?
• If I am feeling fear (or any of its cousins, anger, sarcasm, arrogance, etc.), why am I afraid?
• What if I chose to love in this situation instead?

Your natural state is love. You knew this as a baby. Babies don’t hold grudges or fail to fall back in love once their immediate needs are met. Babies don’t have a need to be right (dogs don’t either). Then why do most adult humans forget how to fall back in love?

Because of their need to be right. It’s ego-based and separates you from everyone. Think about it – then use the questions to drop back in love.

Your dog can show you how.

In these days leading up to your big Heart day, I asked some friends of mine to help me remind you that you came from love, you are love, and you are seen.

You can be the person your dog thinks you are.

Hang in there,

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P.S. Why not check out my book, Drop the Leash: Let Go of the Past and Love in the Present? It makes a great Valentine’s Day gift for the dog lovers in your life.

You can be the person your dog thinks you are.

Dear Amazing Human:

We are now on Day 7 of this 14 Days of Doggie Love – half-way through. Of course, if you have made it this far, you must either have a close relationship with your dog or remember a time when that was true.

Allow me to share from my book, Drop the Leash:

Dogs live in the space of gratitude and love. It’s who we are. Humans can also live in the same space, but you complicate your life by telling stories about your experience, instead of being the experience. It is precisely that ability to assign meaning to events, people and relationships that humans have to forgive before they can live in gratitude and love.

When you forgive your past, you see your present moment more clearly.

Dogs live in a cycle of love and don’t need to forgive. Humans forget to live inside this cycle. Instead, they think, speak and act from their egos, not their hearts. Ego-speak also creates separation. Love-speak always creates unity.

The love cycle looks like this. Stay in love, and it will return to you multiplied.  When you forget, go spend time with your dog 😊.

In these days leading up to your big Heart day, I asked some friends of mine to help me remind you that you came from love, you are love, and you are seen.

Love you lots,

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P.S.  Why not check out my book, Drop the Leash: Let Go of the Past and Love in the Present? It makes a great Valentine’s Day gift for the dog lovers in your life.

You can become the person your dog knows you are.

Dear Stubborn Human:

I am called the “Drop the Leash Dog” because I teach a simple concept to humans, that dogs know instinctively. And the leash is the metaphor that fits.

When you walk your dog, you have a physical connection with him. The leash is attached to his collar or harness and you are on the other end, holding on and directing the walk.

Humans don’t live with leashes around their necks. Instead, they place a leash on their minds. Habitual thinking about past events erupt in the present moment, coloring what is happening right now. When humans assign a meaning to the event or to themselves, that acts as a filter on the current moment.

Don’t believe me? When was the last time you thought to yourself, “Oh, there you go again! You are so clumsy (or stupid, fat, a waste, etc.).” A past memory was triggered and the meaning that you assigned to yourself was used in the present moment to confirm the meaning.

Are you starting to catch a glimpse of who is holding your leash?

Dogs don’t hold onto the past. If my master steps on my tail because she didn’t see me, I will let her know that it hurt, but not one second later, I will be loving her again. I am back in the present moment almost instantly.

Which approach is happier and more peaceful? The human trait of stubbornness holds the leash in a death grip, determined to prove that the meaning given is correct. Who does that hurt the most?

Take a look in the mirror for the answer.

I may sound as if I am berating you for being human. I know that humans and dogs are different in so many ways, but one thing I know for sure. Dogs are Masters at staying in love…in every moment. It’s why we’re here, living with you. To remind you that you can choose to do the same.

Love you tons,

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P.S.  Why not check out my book, Drop the Leash: Let Go of the Past and Love in the Present? It makes a great Valentine’s Day gift for the dog lovers in your life.

Stop Rolling Over and Playing Dead

Dear Beautiful Human:

I was called to write these messages because it’s time for you to stop rolling over and playing dead. When a dog takes this pose, it’s considered cute. When a human lives this way, it’s a tragedy.

Dogs are unique because our purpose is to show you how to live in love. How to be love. We may walk on four legs, instead of two, but any dog you ask will tell you that he knows more about love than any human he has ever met.

Have you been watching and listening? Or do you spend your time regretting decisions you have made or worrying about what may happen?

When your inner world is calm, you see your life differently, you speak more thoughtfully, and you act with integrity. You show up more authentically and respond, instead of react, to your outside world.

And that makes all the difference.

In these days leading up to your big Heart day, I asked some friends of mine to help me remind you that you came from love, you are love, and you are seen.

You can be the person your dog thinks you are.

Love you loads,

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P.S. Why not check out my book, Drop the Leash: Let Go of the Past and Love in the Present? It makes a great Valentine’s Day gift for the dog lovers in your life.

Be Here Now

Dear Beautiful Human:

Are you happy? Right now, as you read these words, are you happy?

No? That is why I am sharing these insights about how dogs live in the world, happy in every moment. You can do that too, but you have forgotten. Or you have allowed regrets about the past or worries about the future to cloud your present moment.

It’s time to stop allowing the past or future to pollute your present moment.

How? Just look at your dog as you are driving down the road. He is either hanging his head out the window, relishing all of the delicious smells that rush by, or blissfully asleep in the back seat. Either way, do you think your dog is sorry about the fact that he chewed up your favorite pair of shoes? Or worried about where you may be taking him?

Not a chance! Your dog is in the moment, enjoying everything it has to offer him.

You can train yourself to do the same – you just have to be mindful of when your thoughts are full of past regret or future worry. When you notice that, stop, take several deep breaths, and settle back into now. You will discover that your sense of anxiety is less, you laugh more and smile for no reason.

You might even call yourself…h-a-p-p-y!

In these days leading up to your big Heart day, I asked some friends of mine to help me remind you that you came from love, you are love and you are seen.

You can be the person your dog thinks you are.

Much love and doggie kisses,

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P.S.  Why not check out my book, Drop the Leash: Let Go of the Past and Love in the Present? It makes a great Valentine’s Day gift for the dog lovers in your life.

The Origin Story

Dear Human Person:

As a dog communicating with humans, it’s vital that we know how the human-dog relationship started…and why. I shared the following story in my book, Drop the Leash, but it is worth repeating here, so we are all on the same paw (I mean page).

When humans first walked the earth, they only focused on surviving from one moment to the next. Finding food and shelter took all their time and energy. The higher needs of connection, purpose, and love were not even contemplated, much less pursued.

One night, sitting around the fire they had recently learned to create, the flickering light danced with the dark. The humans took in the moment and smiled, knowing that at least for now, they were safe. They huddled closer to the warm flames and listened to the night sounds around them.

Suddenly, there was a faint sound of twigs snapping. The man jumped to his feet, grasping his only weapon, ready to defend his family. He stared into the night, trying to see through the darkness and identify the threat before it charged him.

As he stood in warrior pose, the woman peeked around him and noticed two small eyes staring back at her, close to the ground. She moved closer to see what it was and then she heard it. A soft whimpering that went straight to her heart.

It slowly crawled from the darkness into the glow of the light. Dragging itself on the ground, its posture one of total submission, the whimpering began again as the animal looked up with pleading eyes.

The man released his breath and sighed. His body relaxed, and he returned to his seat at the campfire, grateful that the threat was not serious.

The woman was captivated by the creature. It was just a baby, shivering and cold. She gently picked it up and settled it in her lap. The furry animal was startled at first, but soon sunk into the warmth of her body and fell sound asleep.

From that day on, dogs have submitted their freedom to humans in exchange for their love. Humans have opened their hearts to dogs… in exchange for love.

A beautiful, dynamic relationship was born out of necessity and grew out of shared needs. A silent pact was made that still exists today. Dogs give their love openly and freely, while humans give them shelter, companionship, and friendship.

Some humans go much deeper and see the light of something greater shining from a dog’s eyes. And for a lucky few, when they see the light of something greater in the dog’s eyes, they also see it reflected back to them with their own eyes.

They realize that dogs know more about life and how to live it than most humans.

And so it is.

That is the story of the first dog/human connection. That story is told to every dog ever born, so even as a puppy, every dog knows his purpose and goal while he is in dog-form:

• To love at least one human, unconditionally, without holding back.
• And to show a human how to love completely, without holding back.

This was the plan from the beginning of time – for dogs to act as reminders of something greater, something bigger than what can be seen with the five senses. And for the most part, it has worked. Dogs are beloved around the world for their loyalty, friendship, and ability to listen without judgment.

In these days leading up to your big Heart day, I asked some friends of mine to help me remind you that you came from love, you are love and you are seen.

You can be the person your dog thinks you are.

Why not check out my book, Drop the Leash: Let Go of the Past and Love in the Present? It makes a great Valentine’s Day gift for the dog lovers in your life.