I have some dear friends who are on vacation and every morning this week I have walked their cocker spaniel Austin. When I arrive at the house he bounds over and is so excited to go outside that he just can’t contain his exuberance. He barks and races around waiting for me to gather his leash and drop the newspaper on the table. As soon as I open the door Austin charges down the street and stops at the first thing that catches his fancy. He stops and sniffs anything that is new or different and so his daily walk, although a short distance, can take quite a long time. Austin is very single minded and will not be deterred from whatever he wants to focus on. He is oblivious to my rush to get to work, and does not care that I’m just standing there waiting for him, as he sniffs out a mound of grass or studies some construction debris on the corner.
Each morning I have been fascinated by his absolute excitement and joy at every detail of his daily walk. He will stop and look at me and wag his tail at some new delicious thing that has caught his attention. Austin has taken the same daily walk for years and yet he has the enthusiasm and energy of young puppy. He is just eager to examine and explore the world that is available to him. Today I resolved to be more like Austin, because he knows the secret to life. He enjoys every moment and takes delight in whatever shows up in his experience. I decided to make the effort today to find something to appreciate in every situation I encounter.
After my dog duties were complete, I made my way home. When I walked inside, I paused to survey the ongoing renovation of my house. I took a deep breath and was determined to look for the good, so I stood and admired what has already been accomplished. In the middle of this, I was recruited to go pick out some tile for the floor. Since this is never something I usually enjoy, I decided I was going to appreciate this too.
Whenever I go to any home improvement store, I find myself mesmerized by all of those shelves filled with every conceivable material needed to build almost anything. It is such tangible proof to me of how much goes right in the world on a regular basis. Look at all the stuff that is being imagined, invented, created, manufactured and built, and then used in some way to create even more things. It is an awesome testimony to the endless creative cycles of the world we live in.
Whenever I hear prophesies of doom and gloom, I think of places like this and I am reminded of what I know. There is just no way that a handful of people or even a few thousand, can permanently interrupt all the details of life that happen on a regular basis. There may be blips and upsets over time, but the creative flow of life cannot be destroyed. I felt a sense of awe when I thought about the millions of details that are required just to bring one store like this into existence.
As we meandered down the aisles, I marveled at how easily we found some small bolt from the thousands of choices to pick from. I thought to myself This is going on all over this country. Millions of people are getting in their car, driving to where they need to be, buying or creating what they want and need, and we never hear about them. Think about all the people who get on a plane, depart on time, and have a perfect flight, despite a few that are delayed or have bumpy rides. We only hear about the negative, when so many positive and successful things are happening literally every second. Stop and think about what an airplane does. We have figured out how to fly which is still so amazing, and yet we completely take it for granted. Imagine if we heard about all of the positive moments and events that happen every day. What kind of effect would that have on our stress? If we had good news endlessly streamed at us over our airwaves, would we be a different society? I am certain that we would.
This afternoon I had another chance to be like Austin. I stopped at a coffee shop to get some tea and when I placed my order, the young woman behind the counter was literally dancing to the B52’s famous song Love Shack. She stopped to greet me and take my order and then danced away to get my drink. It was pretty obvious that no one else was in such a good mood, and I could feel her co-workers’ irritation at her. I thought to myself – This is what you are looking for – here is this cute girl, sort of oblivious to anything else but feeling good, even while she is working. When I ordered a muffin she said very candidly Those muffins have been sitting there a very long time, you might want to pick something else. I started to laugh because her manager may not have appreciated her saying that to me, but I sure did. She suggested something else and then gave it to me for free, all the while grooving to the music. I could see her co-workers rolling their eyes behind her back. Then she smiled at me and said, I just love this song. I found myself saying Me too! and we chatted a few seconds longer.
I left that coffee shop in a far better mood than when I arrived, grateful for that girl’s happy energy and for the yummy treat that I would enjoy instead of a stale muffin that I wouldn’t. She was simply one person enjoying her day, oblivious to the people around her who were complaining about the price of gas and how hot it was outside. You could argue that this young woman probably doesn’t have a car to drive yet, or perhaps her parents pay for her gas. But the point was, she was very happy, enjoying her day, doing her job and wasn’t letting any of the older women around her effect her ebullient nature. She was like Austin, undeterred by me, or my attitude. Her connected state influenced me, and when I got back into my car I was laughing and in a really good mood.
Some of you may also be rolling your eyes at such simplicity, as if dancing to the B52’s could solve anything. But I believe that everything matters. I often think of the phenomenon known as the butterfly effect that some scientist discovered years ago. Even something as small as the movement of a butterfly’s wings as it migrates, can influence weather patterns on the other side of the world. So if something that gentle can change our world, can you imagine what our thoughts and emotions do on a regular basis?
It doesn’t matter whether it is positive or negative creation, everything begins with one thought or idea that gains momentum in one direction. You can’t do much about what you have already created, but you sure do have the power to influence your future. You might want to ask yourself a few times a day what am I thinking about right now? What kind of an effect is it having on the world, and all of the people around you? You have so much power stored inside of you, why not use it to add to the light, hope and laughter in the world? Resolve to be more like Austin; the world will love you and find it impossible to resist your boundless energy and your adorable charm.
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