Ellie is Amy and I's Lab/Boxer/Pit Bull mix, and she's a little over 2 years old now. We got her at 10 weeks old as a rescue. I read relentless amounts of Cesar Milan books/videos so I could train her well. At the time I was teaching and it was mid-June, so I had plenty of the summer to be with her and train her.
I believe she has been trained well, even though I know there are still things I teach/reinforce everyday.
On our walk today at a brisk pace (post-workout shorts in freezing temps, yup, we're walking briskly) gave me a peace of mind, enjoying the morning sounds: the crunch of the frost on the grass as she's walking, the click of her paws on the cement, cars starting and window scraping....so glad we have a garage :).
I was thinking during our walk where I came from and how I got to here...
I grew up in Le Mars, IA - Ice Cream Capital of the World. My childhood revolved around ice cream more than your typical kid thanks to this fact and also due to my mother loving it as well - I could always talk her into us having a mini-ice cream social nightly.
In high school I didn't really take control of my eating habits, and they stayed the stagnant-same throughout college. After I graduated and started teaching I realized how I looked wasn't what I wanted and I started trying to lose weight. Among stress of the work caused a drinking problem and it was difficult for me. The health regiment
didn't work at first through various programs (TurboJam, Tae Bo, Hip Hop Abs, etc), but then I found P90X. Through that program and Tony's awesome energy/focus to keep me accountable I've lost 60 pounds - not an easy feat for me but I'm proud of it! The reason/catalyst why I started was because I want to stay around as long as I can on this rock with my amazing college-sweetheart/wife, Amy :). She is an ER nurse, saves lives daily, and has the patience of a Buddhist monk. She puts up with me but we really enjoy each others company. I knew that in order to stay on this rock and fight the heart conditions from my father's side and high blood pressure from my mother's side I needed to get serious. Beachbody and the programs are a true life saver. As a Beachbody coach I strive to help others achieve their fitness/wellness goals and I have a BLAST doing so! No, it is not about the money; it's about helping others and knowing that I was a part of that True Success. Why not ask me how to help you? It's just a question, and believe me, if I could do it, you can definitely achieve those goals too.
...so back to the walk...
as I'm walking, sometimes I like to glance down at Ellie and see how she reacts to everything. I'm always amazed at her focus. When I'm truly in the NOW moment, walking and always looking ahead, so is she. When I stop to take a break, she sniffs the ground (and pretty much everything else her leash length will allow) and explores. When I tug the leash and get walking again, she's right there with me.
Ellie truly teaches me the "Living in the NOW" lesson. Dogs don't stew on the past, nor fret about the future - they work in the NOW moment. It's so refreshing to think about that mindset. Work on what you can do now, plan ahead, but don't fret about what has happened or what is about to - do what you can control now and let the rest play out.
I apply this lesson to everywhere I go, but at some times I do forget...being human, you know. I know that living in the NOW is essential to health, because I truly believe us humans give ourselves way too much grief/stress/pressure about (it seems) everything! Our body, schedule, income, car, house, spouse, work, you name it - we create these dialogues in our head, most of which will never come true, about situations with people/circumstances in which we don't look forward to!
Why don't we live in the NOW moment more often? That's the question to ask yourself. When should you think about it? Why not NOW?
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