Brianne Larson – Page 2 – Brianne Larson

Giving a little thought to imprinting and dog love

If you have been keeping up with the Internet lately, you should know that a new puppy has graced my (and Josh’s) life.

Meet Luna

Luna - dog — Luna is a Great Pyrenees mix. Dad is unknown.

We adopted Luna from Aheinz 57, a local pet rescue. We love our little girl, and you know what? She really loves us.

When we first brought her home, we had a very scared pup on our hands. Luna and her littermates had not been handled by people very much, so she was justified to be a little weary of two humans encroaching on her space.

But within an hour of having her home, I saw that little, curly tail start to wag. The trust was starting to build, and my gosh, a rub on the belly feels pretty good!

I look at this small period of time as one of the most crucial periods a new owner has with her pet. Compare it to imprinting.

For precocial animals (think bird species such as ducks, chickens and turkeys), imprinting comes at a very young age. Filial imprinting, as it is called, happens at a specific interval of time in the baby animal’s life. Researchers have found that it varies, from a range of the first few minutes to the first few hours to even many days into the youngling’s new life.

During this critical period of time, certain stimuli act as releasers for certain innate responses, which allow the baby to imprint on its mother and later in life, determine who it will find attractive when mating.

What’s really interesting about imprinting is that it’s not always the true mother of the baby that gets imprinted upon. A chicken could imprint on a duck. Or a stick. (Yes, it could be an inanimate object!)

Once imprinted on an animal in filial imprinting, it cannot imprint on another animal. No reprinting!

This “molding of the mind” is a sensitive time that sets up the rest of that animal’s life. It determines their attachments and likelihood of survival in the wild.

Let’s open up the narrow window of imprinting and expand the idea to the act of adopting a dog.

When you bring your new best friend home, there is a special “imprinting” time for him to get used to you. To see you as his caretaker—his mother or father. It’s such a crucial period because you are setting the precedent for how highly emotional and scary moments will be handled going forward. You may not realize it, but what you do over the next few hours to few days will shape the level of trust that this dog will have for you. And over the coming months, your every move and decisions will slowly merge into routines for the dog.

Bonding is very important. Can I give you some advice? Shower this dog with love! When we brought Luna home, I tried to hold her a much as I could, just to get more skin-to-skin contact. She stopped being so wiggly in the air and started to look me in the eyes.

It’s this “imprinting” period that will begin your bond with this dog for the next many years.

Little fun fact: why should you wait until eight weeks old to bring home your new puppy? Dogs have a critical period of imprinting from four to eight weeks with their mother. Much of the puppy’s temperament will be determined when it is six to eight weeks old. There is much learning and socialization to happen before eight weeks of age, and this is a crucial “dog learning time” for the pup. His brain will continue to have many key milestones of development through four months of age, which makes the human relationship critical once brought home.

Stress, sniffs and the dog

Our world is incredibly fast-paced. In turn that means anybody with things to do gets stressed. Stress naturally falls in that space between the base of your neck and the middle-to-edge part of your shoulder. And it sits there and just radiates. And you think about it. Knead it awkwardly with your opposite hand. Maybe try and balance an ice pack right there. Ok, but now you have a client meeting. How about a pain patch? Alright that settles it for now.

At the end of the day, it’s essential to have some kind of work-life balance. You close one door and open another. That’s possible, right?

In the event that it’s not, you need outlets to deal with stress. In sickness and in health, I want you to remember the dog.

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.

― Josh Billings

It’s widely known that dogs interpret and follow our energies very closely. They watch for cues all the time relative to our eyes, body language, gestures and tone of voice. The mental and physical benefits of having a companion at your side are outstanding and save lives daily for those who have it harder than others.

One of the neatest things about dogs is their sense of smell. Dogs have a sense of smell 10,000 to 100,000 times as acute as our own. When it comes to their noses, dogs have up to 300 million olfactory receptors, whereas humans have about six million. So when it’s time to sniff out the drugs, yeah, a dog is a pretty solid team member.

Why bring up the smells? Because dogs can smell our stress. Ah-ha, tricky!

The stress hormone is called cortisol. Elevated levels of this hormone can lead to health issues such as a lowered immune function, increased cholesterol, high blood pressure, depression, heart disease…

When your body has that fight-or-flight mechanism, you release cortisol. If you’re me, this is when you grab an ice pack and tell your shoulders to RELAX.

Now there is good stress and bad stress of course, with good stress firing you up under pressure to complete some kind of goal. But too much bad stress built up without release is bad for us. And you know what, nobody wins from within in that game.

Dogs detect rising cortisol levels in our sweat and breath, thus knowing when our stress is starting to rise. Sometimes service dogs are trained just for this reason to detect elevated stress levels in humans.

It’s amazing to think that that with just a sniff, a dog can immediately understand you more deeply than anyone else. And if there is one thing on this earth that can understand you, it’s a dog.

Beyond the sniffing, dogs are excellent stress relievers in numerous ways. Consider the benefits of exercise with a daily walk, meeting new people with a cute puppy to focus the conversation on, and adding routine to your life in general. Sometimes the best way to relieve some angst is to shift the focus from yourself to something else – and yes I’m talking about taking care of your dog. It’s his lunchtime.

One last thing: being financially smart is important. So if you can financially and responsibly afford a dog, then congrats! You’re getting a new best friend.

“Dogs aren’t our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”

― Roger Caras

Image via pinterest.com

Make your own box: Power of Story

At the Sundance film festival this year, there was a fantastic roundtable featuring four comedic trailblazing geniuses. Four people that have minds capable of absolutely amazing creativity and storytelling artistry.

And that is a consistent slam-dunk in my playbook.

The “dream come true” panel consisted of Mindy Kaling, Lena Dunham, Jenji Kohan and Kristen Wiig. Mics were hot as they sat with New Yorker critic Emily Nussbaum to discuss the Power of Story.

(The video is embedded at the end of this post.)

So essentially, a powerhouse lineup ready to answer all sorts of questions about what they do! Really, so good.

Right away, these serious ladies of comedy get into talking about their identities as writers and performers, and how gender complicates how people view their work. Because you know, they’re women.

It’s a double standard that’s not new, but the insights and key experiences you glean from listening to this whole conversation will shape how you approach storytelling and the subject at hand.

Lena starts off by saying, “Talking about being female isn’t in and of itself problematic. Identity is part of what all of us do. But there is a lazy set of questions presented to you by journalists…” She then gets into how journalists typically have a roster of questions for female entertainers, and how she sees that as lazy.

And it really is. Because women really do get those questions that always plug an identifier with the subject. Like in this case writing for a male character or producing a female comedy.

Take Bridesmaids, one of the very best movies on this earth. Kristen Wiig co-wrote and starred in the movie. And it’s usually described as a female comedy. I admit I have referenced the movie that way before. But Kristen mentions that when people talk about other comedies that have men in them, you never hear the identifier of “male comedy.” You just don’t.

“Female comedy” doesn’t really mean anything because it’s not a type of comedy. It’s not a style of comedy. It’s about pointing out the rarity of seeing many women together on-screen, making you laugh, and probably making you question why you’re laughing so much.

As I think about how this double standard transcends to the general working world, I find it relating to women who hold jobs and families getting asked the favorite question of all time: “How do you do it all?”

If I’m ever asked that question, my response shall be: “You know, I just don’t know! Every morning I think about how I’ll divide up my brainpower. Because as a woman, I only have so much to divvy up. Then I down a small coffee, pack in some protein, and begin my day! Ha ha ha. Ok, next question?”

A key takeaway comes from Jenji Kohan early on in the panel. Male or female, it shouldn’t be about gender when you pick your team. She says, “You want to work with whoever is the best at what they’re doing…It would be a bummer to limit yourself.”

Comedy writing has its challenges

Putting aside the fact that the panel does consist of all women, towards the end of the discussion, they talk about the challenge of comedy writing. I really like the takeaways Kristen presents.

She brings up the fact that you can’t please everyone with your comedy writing. With comedy you have two perspectives: your own voice and the audience. Rarely is it as effortless as it seems.

“In being creative, pleasing the audience shouldn’t be your number one goal… No one has your voice.”

Storytelling is an art. And that goes for any kind of storytelling, whether it’s for the laughs or for the raised eyebrows. When you create your own voice, people will respond to your new way of thinking. Don’t try to fit into a box that’s already there. “Make your own box” as Kristen says.

Image via hollywoodreporter.com

Yes Please—thank you very much

Goodness gracious. Was this book lonnnng overdue!

When I heard Yes Please by Amy Poehler was in production, it was a soft “ahhhhh” from the heavens. Bright lights and golden rocking chairs. A book from this beautiful, talented starfish meant more to me than you’ll ever know.

Remember when Tina Fey’s Bossypants made its debut? That was equally monumental. Basically, we all need to remember how #blessed we are to read the writing of such comedy GODS.

Maybe I’m kind of a big Poehler fan.

If you haven’t read it, go buy it immediately. You have one day.

Smart comedy laced with a good person

You learn a lot about Poehler in this book. First off, you learn that she really found writing the book difficult. She wrote emails titled “How Dare You” and “Why Are You Trying To Kill Me?” to her editors.

There is a chapter where Poehler questions whether or not enough people hate her. I’ve never come across anyone asking this question, simply because most people don’t go that angle to judge themselves. And then you have to ponder, why would a person like Amy Poehler ever wonder that?

Even though it’s such an absurd question to ask herself, I think the fact that Poehler actually wonders it makes her an even more likable person. She is extremely transparent with herself. It puts the reader at ease while enjoying this book. If you’re not already a Parks and Recreation or Saturday Night Live fan, reading this book and getting to know Poehler should help you take the easy plunge into those satisfying comedy waters.

She notes her faults and times that she has screwed up in life. The book isn’t just about her achievements. It’s not about bringing to light all the good things she has done in life. Poehler has done a lot of good (and you would know that if you called once in a while). In fact, her achievements are sub-points to her tell-all.

Poehler shares moments from her life that make her incredibly vulnerable. I bet you’ll read a few and want to say, “Yup, that happened to me.” Or, “Holy cow, I did that too! I was really dumb!” It’s those little flaws that deepen the connection with Poehler, and for me, confirm that she is not an overly hated person. And if you hate her, really think about your life choices.

The book is divided into three sections: “Say Whatever You Want,” “Do Whatever You Like,” and “Be Whoever You Are.” Poehler offers her experienced advice on many topics offering many self-help tidbits.

Reading a tell-all style book lets chickens like you and me find similarities with a celebrity. I found a few things in common with Poehler, one of which is being a poor sleeper. Who really can shut off their mind at night, fall asleep, and stay asleep? Who? Who? Owls?

One last thing I love about Poehler is how she speaks of others she works with. There is no better way to put it other than saying she is just a really good person. Seth Meyers writes a chapter of the book. Learning about his relationship with Poehler, along with Fey, was so neat. They all have roots deep in improv. And did you know Poehler dated Matt Bessar? So many goodies!

Hit the line right at the bottom!

You need to read this book as a rite of passage. It has pictures, too.

Golden Globes: January 11, 2015.

Emmys snubs that I just can’t get over. Cannot.

Snub

/snəb/

Verb

rebuff, ignore, or spurn disdainfully.
check the movement of (a horse or boat), especially by a rope wound around a post.

-Google

There are some things in life that make us cough with bad taste. Forget the horses, boats, and ropes around posts here. I’m talking about AWARD-WINNING people snubs.

The Emmy’s are a celebration of television. Winning an Emmy recognizes excellent performance in the television industry. There are multiple ceremonies throughout the year with the daytime and primetime awards being the most mentioned.

The winners of the various Emmy awards are all very deserving. Don’t get me wrong here. But there are a couple snubs that need to be made into public service announcements and small advertisements on your high-def monitor. And I’ll do that right now.

Steve Carell never won an Emmy for his performance of Michael Scott on The Office. Upon reading this (or if this serves as a friendly albeit unfortunate reminder), I bet you’re getting a lot of uncontrollable thoughts in your head, and possibly four or five swear words. Shhh. Keep it to yourself.

And another:

Amy Poehler still has not won an Emmy for playing Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation. And let me tell you folks, the show starts its last season in 2015. Time to get the gear and get this taken care of!

Questions: How could this be? Why could this be?

First off, let me say that The Office did win five Emmy awards. Carell was nominated six times but never took home the golden-winged woman.

Amy Poehler has been nominated five times for her performance on Parks and Rec and two times as supporting actress on Saturday Night Live. What’s maybe more crazy here is that Parks and Rec has also not won a single Emmy. Only nominated. Never a bride.

These are two programs that I strongly support, and their lead ponchos did not/have not gotten the one award that is solely for TV. It’s mind-boggling. So I wish I knew what the deal was.

Rainn Wilson had a pretty famous tweet:

The world of TV should be ashamed of itself that Steve Carell never won an Emmy for Michael Gary Scott. Goodnight.

— RainnWilson (@rainnwilson) September 19, 2011

TG for the Golden Globes. The Globes have been the saving grace for both of these shows. Both Carell and Poehler have picked up a prestigious globe award, and we must thank God for that.

Goodnight is right.

Image via zimbio.com

Talking it up on Above The Fold Podcast

A guy. A girl. Two microphones. A laptop. Garage Band running on that laptop. Another laptop. Two pairs of headphones. Two glasses of water. Maybe some candies. An electric piano. Smiles because we’re having fun.

ONE BIG DREAM.

So recently Josh and I started a podcast. Together, we chat about our lives and things attractive to young professionals. We made an official announcement by video. Talk about multichannel promotion! What!

What is this podcast all about?

I’m so glad you asked. Let me tell you. It’s called Above The Fold Podcast. Each episode, we discuss a marketing-related topic with some comedy on the side.

Josh and I both work in the advertising world, specifically on websites for clients. He has the angle of web developer, and I have the angle of interactive project manager/SEO strategist. Together we cover a lot of ground!

We both like listening to podcasts, and through analyzing our own conversations, thought it would be neat to start our own. Plus we are pretty funny. Multiple sources have confirmed this for us. We even have a website for the podcast, so you know this is serious stuff.

What have I learned so far from podcasting?

Sound is everything. The first things we bought were microphones. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars, but you do want to invest in quality. There is also an art of speaking into the microphone correctly.
Recording the podcast can be done right on your laptop. We use Garage Band to record the tracks, then edit in Adobe Audition. By “we” I mean Josh leads the way.
Keeping the conversation flowing takes talent. In normal, non-recorded conversations, you may pause a lot. But when you’re recording yourself, lots of dead air can leave listeners less engaged.
Headphones help you adjust your voice. Plus you also look more legit and B.A.
Guests on the show…that’s the next step!

Would you like to be a guest? Would you like to be our guest? What’s your favorite treat?

Subscribe on iTunes!

And have a great day!

The lost diaries of our youth: a forgotten hobby

When you were a kid, there was probably a week in your life that you kept a diary or journal. Remember what you said? It was something like: “I’m going to write about my day, everyday, and lock it up with a key. This is my new hobby. And if you don’t like it, then get out of here!”

The leading part in that new hobby was that it likely lasted a week, or maybe only a little longer. Writing things down got tedious, and frankly, you just didn’t have the time! You were a really busy kid. I know. Tell me about it.

Letters my grandma wrote

I recently finished reading a book my grandma put together. It is a compilation of letters that she wrote to her mother back when she was raising her kids in the 1950s-70s.

Let me first just say, this was a real treat to read! If we ever needed proof that life was much simpler back then, then let me also say, on the record, that yes indeed it was. (Please make sure that is on the record.)

After my grandma got married and moved into her first home with my grandpa, she started writing letters to her mother twice a week. Phone calls were expensive, and this was the best method of communication at the time.

Now hold on, OK? Think about this type of communication: a letter, after mailed, would take a few days to get to its recipient. Immediacy was a luxury. Phone calls only came with emergencies or moments of really big news, like engagements or new babies. But here’s the thing: people were OK with receiving a letter a few days after news was hot. Even the babies were patient.

In these letters, I learned that my grandma’s kids always had a job. The kids needed spending money and started working when they were young. My grandma sewed a lot of their clothes, and was in fact quite the seamstress. My mom would work hard to get the lead in school plays so that her mom (my grandma) would sew her a pretty dress to wear. The kids were outside a lot, and seemed to stay very busy.

All without mobile phones. All without the Internet. Only a little TV.

My grandma noted that she thinks kids today are entitled. And to be honest, I agree. The whole descriptor around Millennials is especially relative to that notion of entitlement. Could you guys just get the scissors and cut it out? I mean, could you care a little less about all your gadgets, positive self-image, need for entertainment, and worry over acceptance? Also, could you stop being so electronically literate and talented at multi-tasking? And I won’t even start on the younger generation, Gen Z. Remember, I’m not a fan that those younger kids are getting smartphones.

To all my Millennials out there: our parents have been pretty great to us. However, times are really different.

The technology and high-speed life that surrounds us today is the result of years of research, testing and improvements to regular commodities. And just like the dinosaurs, we’ve adapted to our environment, so much so that we really won’t go anywhere without our phones. You never know when someone is going to call!

But back to the letters.

Writing things down, such as a recount of your day, is a lost hobby. I can’t say I know anyone who has a diary or journal. I like to write, but never got into journaling when I was younger. And looking back now, I wish I did. I think it would be really neat to read my entries and remember my thoughts back in the day.

That’s one of the reasons I started this blog. To at least have a place where I can record some thoughts about things I’m interested in. And maybe every so often, include a personal bit about myself. Because writing is good for you.

Saturday Night Live has a buddy. And it’s social media.

Saturday Night Live’s 39^th season (2013-2014) was one of fresh talent. Why so fresh? There were a lot of spots to fill. Lots of key players decided to carry-on the season prior (Bill Hader, Fred Armisen and Jason Sudekis) as well as a couple fan favorites settling their leave the season prior to that (Kristen Wiig (!!!) and Andy Samberg).

Now, I know this was a big deal for you. Because those people really enhanced your decision whether or not to tune-in to the program each week. Especially Wiig. She was what they call “uncanny” and “very good.”

Could the show survive without all that talent?! Stay with me here!

Let’s think about how people watch TV today. People today watch a lot of TV, but the actual tube itself may not be the top device of choice.

Consider this: the idea of your TV as the “first screen” and all other screens as “second” or “third” is dead. A report from eMarketer says the first screen is whichever one you are looking at, and then all others fall into succeeding order.

This puts a twist on the idea of our “second screen culture.” Traditionally, or tradigitally, we have viewed smaller screens as the second screen, such as a mobile phone or tablet. But viewing time on those devices keeps going up, and will only continue to increase. So we must change our thought process.

TV shows today need to play nice for the social TV crowd.

A growing population makes their digital identity known by talking about TV content via social media. You could definitely put me in this group. It’s a culture shift that puts those with FOMO (fear of missing out) into a sweat storm. Don’t make me sweat! This means Sunday through Saturday, 2-4-7, people need to know what all the haps are on every single device they own. If these people are true brand advocates, they will share / like / retweet / favorite / +1 / reblog / pin / (man this is exhausting) content they enjoy and want others to experience joy with also. Social currency is a thing and face-to-face just doesn’t cut it anymore!

So for a TV show like SNL that seems to go through a trust barrier at the start of each season, a multi-device, web-friendly video content social strategy is one of those “no question” practices.

Even though it’s the off-season right now, I have to say, I love what Saturday Night Live has been doing on social media for the TV crowd. Let me explain why.

Video content on social media

Saturday Night Live is big just one day of the week: on Saturday night. It’s unlike other primetime shows that air Monday-Friday or on Sundays. Saturday is a unique day. Do you usually have plans Saturday night? Do I usually have plans Saturday night? Here’s my answer: Yeah, sometimes I do.

So if a lot of people aren’t going to tune-in for the live show at 11:30 PM/10:30 CST on the National Broadcasting Company network, SNL has to be on the ball. This means posting videos of their content right away for the Sunday crowd ready to catch-up on what they missed the night before.

SNL does this well, in addition to posting content leading up to the show each week. This is where the social TV audience is going to need their fix in order to keep engagement spirits high.

The show teasers always get me excited, like this one featuring Lena Dunham and Kate McKinnon. Spots like this are very important in order for the audience to connect with SNL throughout the week, not just on Saturday nights. I particularly like SNL’s backstage series. The videos are tailored for the YouTube club we all hold a membership to these days. The backstage videos are put into subcategories like #AskSNL and Follow Friday. I love these vids.

All of this continuous posting of content, and opportunity to share with our beloveds, keeps our undercarriages fired up for Saturday. Without an active social presence for the younger digitally-centered audience, I think SNL would fall flat these days. Each cast member has a backstory, and if you are eager enough to search, you’ll be surprised how funny and smart they are. SNL’s social media strategy lets us see the cast on a deeper level and get to know them as people. We also get to know the writers and producers – jobs that sometimes go unnoticed.

Go follow SNL’s Instagram account

On a final thought, SNL’s Instagram account is quite awesome. My favorite part of following nbcsnl on Instagram is seeing all of the behind-the-scenes photos and videos. Especially the photos of writers’ night and the table read-thrus. The plates of food (and I mean PLATES OF FOOD) on the table during the read-thru are interesting just on their own. Whoever is in charge of ordering all that food is going places in life.

View this post on Instagram

Final read-thru of the season! #SNL

A post shared by Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) on May 14, 2014 at 6:05pm PDT

My new life goal is to make my way into that room some day. And stare at the food. And sneak some into my pocket. And maybe tell a joke.

Anyway, SNL – keep up with the videos and behind-the-scenes content. Es muy bueno.

Well, my weaknesses really are my strengths.

The golden interview prompt: “Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses.” Oh. Gladly, sir.

Strengths are easy. You know what you’re good at. But when it comes to weaknesses, eh… I’d rather not. Not tonight.

And it’s not that you don’t know what you’re not good at. It’s that you may not want to admit to these things, or, it’s hard to put into words without making yourself sound incapable.

“I work too hard. I care too much. And sometimes, I can be too invested in my job.”

– Michael Scott, The Office

The Regional Manager says his weaknesses are his strengths. Wise man.

But if you say that, you’re just being too fluffy. And you should kindly think about getting yourself to the groomer for a quick trim.

A weakness should be something you’re working to improve. It’s a challenge for you. Your weakness may resemble a strength—such as being too invested in your job—but it overall needs to be a problem for you.

When I think about my weaknesses, stress is usually the first thing that comes to mind. But stress on it’s own is not a weakness. Everyone gets stressed from time to time. Hey, you’re only human! If you get stressed out easily, then you need to find out why. And that’s your weakness.

For me, I’m like the neighbor you’ve never had but always wanted. Because I know you have a lot of web projects that you need help with. And I’m your man. Woman.

At my job, I’m always willing to help out. I generally say “yes” to most every new project or opportunity to learn something new. Since I’m a young professional (YEAH FORBES) I feel like I should embrace as much opportunity as possible.

But this is not good for me to do. This leads to stress from too much going on at once. I get neck and back pain, I don’t sleep well, and thus, I pretend on the surface I’m fine, when I’m really kind of uncomfortable.

So my weakness is that I don’t say “no” often enough. I don’t think most people would immediately think of this as a traditional weakness. Because saying the word “no” is usually seen as a negative. And I’m saying I should say this negative word more often.

Saying “no” to things that will throw off my time management skills will be better for me in the long run. By saying “yes” too much I run the risk of creating a problem if I overcommit myself and can’t return high quality work on every project. And this is honestly something that I’m trying to work on, so that I can avoid walking around with heat and ice packs taped to my body.

** Cue big smile from Bri: “EVERYONE, I’M OKAY. DON’T WORRY ABOUT ME. I’M GOING TO BE OKAY. PLEASE SIT DOWN.” **

Overcoming your weaknesses

So how do you overcome weaknesses, and talk about them in a way that doesn’t make you sound like a sack of meat needing to be carried around?

The main thing is finding a way to demonstrate you are always working to build your character and always willing to learn. There is no way any one person can walk into a new job and know everything. You would be a robot and scare all the children.

Also, don’t highlight things that make you look weak. Mention something you’re working to improve, and circle back with a strength. So you’re not an incredibly patient person. But given that you hate waiting for things, you always stick to your timeline and never miss a deadline. Something like that.

Admitting to things you’re not good at, or that you’re working on improving, makes you a better person. People like knowing that others face challenges too. Think of it like a community builder. And trust me, people will respect you and want to help you succeed.

(My other weakness would be donuts.)

Image via www.teamliquid.net

A pup point: the strive for a balanced life

Tucker and Duke in car — Golden retrievers Tucker and Duke enjoying a spacious ride to Colorado.

Can you believe it? I am a dog lover? I think they are the best?

It’s true. I love dogs. Especially the big ones, and the seniors/senoras. Hey, there is history in those eyes!

The key to a happy dog is a balanced life. Just ask Cesar Millan. Any dog can achieve this with the right surroundings. Pair an unbalanced dog with a stressful life, and things fall apart. And hey, this applies to people, too.

Striving for a balanced life is no easy task. There are endless things that can throw us off, piss us off, and excite us too much. But I invite you to let your dog be your teacher. After all, dogs helped humans hunt back in the day, and without them, we’d be goners.

You can learn a lot from your dog. Learn how to trust people. Learn to be loyal. Learn to obey. Learn to lick.

But I think something we as fine people so often fail to learn is being present. Just living in the moment, not dwelling on the past or preparing for the future. Just having a conversation, painting some wood, having a jam sesh…whatever… and not worrying that wasting time is time wasted.

Dogs are masters of living in the present. As an owner, everything you do for your dog makes their day. From feeding them breakfast, to going for a walk, to settling down for a nice spoon and nap. It’s all their favorite thing, and you are their favorite person. What an honor!

Part of the reason dogs are “master present livers” is that they don’t know what’s ahead. They can only observe what is happening in the now. Dogs interpret our energies, but they don’t know the reasons behind our feelings. And certainly, they never forget a bad past experience. However, the bad feelings can disappear once balance is brought back into life.

Observing the attitudes of dogs has changed me as a person. When my family got our first golden retriever, I became a dog lover very quickly. And to this day, I stand by saying our dog Duke changed my life. He became the first thing I loved that wasn’t in my immediate family. He lived to be 15 years old. When he died, I lost a family member. And a huge portion of my life was now just “gone.”

But not to dwell on the past. See, I’m doing it already! When Duke was 10, we got another golden retriever, Tucker. Tucker is my boy. And if you know me, well, you know how close Tucker T and I are. Like little magnets for your Saturday afternoon craft project. When he is balanced, I am happy.

So, what do I say. I say that dogs have a real effect on us people. It’s hard to put into words, because all relationships with pets are a little different. But a bond with a dog teaches you (or should teach you) to be nice, thankful and to live in the moment. We can learn a lot from our dogs.

The best things in life have four legs, lots of fur, and aren’t afraid to French kiss.

– Me

Thank you.