We can learn a lot about life by observing our animals.  My black lab Liza is always happy.  She never worries about whether or not she is going to get fed tomorrow.  She spends not one moment wondering if she is going to have a roof over her head tonight or if her health insurance premium is coming due.  Dogs, like most animals, live in the moment.  They have no concept of past or future.

I contend that many of the problems that humans encounter are the result of our not living in the moment.  Our need for security, stability, and most of our fears, all stem from dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.  That said, what sets man apart from the rest of the animal kingdom is our ability to aspire to be better.  Think what we could achieve if we could let go of the past, only look to the future with positive thoughts, and stay focused on the here and now.

If you watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel, you’ll find that Cesar Millan doesn’t train the dogs.  He trains the humans.  It is amazing to watch a dog who has exhibited unacceptable behavior, often for years, change in a matter of minutes.  The dogs behavioral issues are often the result of an owner thinking about something that happened in the past and assuming it would happen again in the future.  Once the dogs owners start living more in the moment the issues with the dog vanish.  The dogs behavior is directly tied to the behavior of the people around it.

So here is my hope and challenge for you today.  Watch 3-4 sessions of the Dog Whisperer so that you can see for yourself how changing a dog owners behavior so drastically changes the behavior of the dog.  Then think about your relationships with other people.  You know, the relationships that could be better, more productive, or more rewarding.  Then ask your self this question.  What behavior(s) of mine could I change that would improve this relationship.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 8th, 2009 at 2:45 pm and is filed under Leadership. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.