The Value of Persistance

Humans quit pretty fast. I see it all the time. They say they want something, but instead of persisting they give up if they don't get a fast payoff for their efforts.

We dogs learn as puppies that if you want something, if you really WANT something, then you need to persist!

All the time we're digging under the back fence, through dirt as hard as steel, day after day, we're imaginging how cool it will be to be running around in the backyard next door with the cute puppy who lives there. We hold the picture in our mind of what we want, and we get so excited and worked up about that picture that we can just dig and dig and dig, even if someone keeps filling in our hole!

Learning: The trick is, to give yourself enough TIME to be persistent, and to hold the picture of what you want in your mind until you're really excited about it, as though you're already there! Humans call that the Law of Vibration and the Law of Attraction in action. We dogs just know that that's the way things work around here!
Love your persistance - Charlie xx

Learning to say NO!

Sometimes my human Dad says 'NO!' If he says no, he means no. And often he doesn't give an explanation. The bit in Blue below is the only bit I hear, and it's the only bit I need to know.

NO - I can't get off the back of the truck! (There are snakes in the grass and Dad is worried I'll get bitten but I just want to run around)

NO - SIT (I want to cross the road but a car is coming)

NO - STAY (It's dangerous in the cattleyards and I don't want you to frighten the calves)

As my best friend it is very important that my Dad can say NO for my own good, even if I don't like it. You can't be a true friend if you say yes all the time.

Sometimes I want to play and Dad says NO. He doesn't want to play right now. That's okay. I can come back and ask again later and maybe he'll say YES.

Why is it that so many humans find it hard to say NO, and always feel that if they do, they should explain themselves? Sometimes humans say YES when they mean NO, and you can see on their faces and in their body language that they're worried about what other people will think if they say NO. There are humans who will take advantage of other humans who can't say NO. Even dogs will. I know there are some people that I can keep pestering and eventually they will give me a pat, or a piece of their dinner, just to make me go away. If they'd said NO firmly and meant it, I would have just left them alone. Isn't that better than spending your whole life doing what you don't want to do?

Learning: Remember, it's OK to say NO. Ask any two year old human. They love using the word NO because they understand the power of it. Not good at it? Then stand in front of the mirror and repeat after me. No. NO. No! Nooooooo. Nup. NO!
Woof! Now you've got it. I'm proud of you - so go use this new skill. It will make life much easier.

Seeing something wonderful in every day!

Dogs mostly live in the moment, which means we pay attention to RIGHT NOW! Humans often live in their heads, paying attention to yesterday, or last year, or some distant day in the future.

What's worse is that when humans use their gift of imagination to REMEMBER the past or think about the future, they often work with worries, fears and unhappiness. Ouch! That must really hurt your heads, and I know over time that sort of thinking hurts your heart as well.

Thinking positively and reframing the way you think so that you spend more time being aware of what's going on around you (or inside you) can be difficult if you haven't done it before.

Luckily I'm a life coach, so here's my big advice for today. Don't try and change the way you think overnight. Instead just take some tiny nibbles out of today, and you'll find that it tastes delicious. Now to do this you need to understand that TODAY and RIGHT NOW are happening all around you, not just in your head! So, look around and notice what makes you smile, or feel better, or even laugh out loud. The delight is in the detail.

My List Of Something Wonderfuls so far Today:

• It' sunny - hooray!
• Breakfast was delicious
• There is an interesting bug on that tree that I can't quite reach but he smells great! (Stinkbug!)
• You can eat a dandelion head and it's all fluffy in your mouth. When you cough the bits all fly away out of your mouth. Amazing. Let's do that one a few more times because it's so much fun

Mum's list of Something Wonderfuls so far Today:

• It's sunny - hooray
• I can't stop laughing watching Charlie and Bert sniffing in rature at that stinkbug
• My jonquils are flowering - beautiful!
• A fairy wren is dancing in front of my window
• This apricot jam on toast is divine
• This cup of tea is just what I need Mmmmmm........
• I love it when my husband hugs me!

Learning: Focus on small things that brighten your day. They are everywhere. Just look around. But to do that, get out of your head first. There's a lot to be grateful for right now, and the more you find that makes you feel happy and grateful, the more you'll find. Trust me - it's true.

Have a groovey, happy blowing-dandelions-making-wishes kind of day, Love Charlie xx

Resisting temptation actually can feel GOOD!

Want to get better results in every area of your life NOW? Well as your personal Life Coach I'm going to show you how, for free, with just one simple piece of advice you can apply to any situation...

Dogs know a lot about immediate gratification. If it's there and we want it, then we usually just go for it. And sometimes that's a good thing.

BUT sometimes resisting temptation can actually feel good. And even more importantly, it can bring you those results you want! My younger brother Bert is a slow learner. To be fair, he's still just a puppy! Sometimes he can resist immediate gratification, but often it wins out. And that has bigger consequences in his life.

Down here on the farm, if Mum and Dad go out, they know they can leave me with access to the house, and leave food on the bench and it will still be here when they get back. So I get certain priviledges because they TRUST me, and my actions have earned that trust. I often get a tasty reward for being able to NOT eat that defrosting roast, or the freshly baked cake that is cooling on the rack while they are gone.

Bert is another story. They know if they leave the house open and tasty treats around, then Bert will avail himself of them, even if he waits for a while trying to be good before he finally caves in. They don't TRUST him yet, so they have to put him on a chain, or lock him out of the house.

If Bert DOES eat something that he stole off the bench he eats it and it tastes good. But pretty soon he starts to feel bad. And by the time Mum and Dad get home he is worried and slinky down low with flat ears and sad eyes. He doesn't feel good anymore and he wishes he could reverse time and resist that temptation. Then he usually gets in trouble and has to go outside and suffer the consequences of sneaking food.

Learning: Are you attempting to lose weight, wanting to exercise, needing to get an assignment done or a task that you don't enjoy? Or is it something even more important than that, where you can't even get started? What is tempting you right now? I bet it's something that would derail TRUST in yourself, or TRUST from others. Even though you might want to succumb to the temptation of not exercising, or eating chocolate, or procrastinating, I can guarantee that if you can resist temptation, your outcomes will be a whole lot brighter, and you'll FEEL WAY BETTER THAN IF YOU'D GIVEN IN AND DONE THE THING YOU NEEDED TO RESIST. And the secret to all of this is that the more you can resist those temptations, the stronger you become, the easier it gets, and the happier you feel. Go try it - you'll see that I'm right!
Keep Smiling,
Charlie xx
xx

Sunday Roasts and Other Slow Foods!

There is dinner roasting in the camp oven right now. My Mum is an excellent camp cook! There's something in her cooking pots for everyone, including me and Bert. I am so excited I am doing doggy circles of happiness around the paddocks chasing my tail. I always get some of the Sunday family roast. It's a great tradition.

Sunday is a happy day. It's a day for resting and walking and playing outside and contemplating life. It's a family day. When we're out in the fields like this at our farm you can feel very connected with nature. Everyone feels it, they just don't always know what it is they are feeling. But dogs do!

And what I like about Sunday is how it feels. Relaxed. Different to other days. A good time to share a meal, and each other's company. A day to find some peace for ourselves and some connection with the ones we love.

We dogs can do this any day but humans often don't even make one day a week to slow down and remember who they are, and where they are from. That's why roasts are good. It's slow food. It takes time to prepare and time to cook and then you have space for thinking.

Learning: Sundays are beautiful days, if you let them be. They can fill you up with gratitude. And gratitude raises your vibration - which is always a good thing. Everyone needs a day of rest. It's good for the soul, and good for all the souls you'll meet next week who'll be glad you got some time out to rest and replenish. Enjoy your Sunday. I'm doing the happiness dance to send out bright sparks of love to all of you. I wish you a place at our table. Shut your eyes and you'll be there. Surrounded by big family love, slow food and a warm welcome.

Lots of Love from Charlie xx

Taking Advantage of Opportunities!

We dogs have a great way of making decisions.

• Does it work for us?
• Will it feel/taste good?
• Is it calling our name?
• Will we feel fear or pain?

Let me run you through them. They might work for you.

Does it work for us? I usually ask myself a few quick questions or do a couple of speedy image visualisations of me having/doing the thing here. EG: Will I be more comfortable on the lounge? Can I get outside to lie in the sun right now? Is it better playing with Bert's stick AND my ball while Bert has none? (Bert is the little new dog - I have to show him who is boss - therefore all of these actions that assert my superiority are noble!) Will I get caught - or should I just worry about the consequences later.

Will it feel/taste good? Once again my imagination is at work (and often my mouth is salivating already) What will it feel like lying in the sun? What do those biscuits left lying on the coffee table taste like? What will it be like if Dad gives me a big pat and love-up if I interrupt him while he's at the computer?

Is it calling our name? When the Universe is guiding you it can speak in a whisper, a song, or even a shout. I can here that food packet rustling in the kitchen from upstairs here in the office! Did someone pick up the car keys? Humans, pay attention! Opportunities are everywhere.

Will I feel fear or pain? If it's only a little bit of pain or fear I can work with that. Sometimes, through experience I KNOW that the pain outweighs the pleasure. It's just not worth the pain if I eat the family's defrosting meat off the sideboard, especially if it's the Christmas Roast... Pain can be a great teacher! And dogs are not great fans of fear. Give us a comfy couch any day.

BUT pain can easily be overridden by love. Fear can be overridden by trust, love and rewards. If I'm scared and my human Dad is with me and he encourages me, then I'll keep going. If I'm learning something hard or a bit scarey (like when I first started climbing stairs) then praise, food and big pats teamed with an encouraging voice will get me there. If someone threatens my family, my home or even my brother Bert I forget the fear or possible pain, because I'm here to protect what I love.

Learning: There are opportunities everywhere! Visualising what you want helps you know if you really do want it. And listen to the Universe. It really is guiding you. It's good to be decisive or you might loose the opportunity - IE if I don't get on the couch pretty quick Bert will! Pain and Fear need to be understood because most times you can work through them, and the rewards will be worth it.

Approaching Humans - A Dog's perspective on saying hello and making friends

Everyone needs friends. Everyone wants to be loved. And we dogs have learned how to approach humans by watching, feeling for the vibes that a person is emitting, approaching carefully and beaming joy, love and acceptance.

Ah - that's the bit humans forget. The bit about beaming joy, love and acceptance. You see, as a dog, I don't want or need anything from you. I just want to say hi. I just want you to know I see you. That you're not invisible to me. That you matter. That I'd like to give you a hug, or play with you, or maybe just hang out quietly in your space.

I approach you with love, as if you already are my friend. As if you already are someone I love. Than I just match my energy with your energy, and I beam out all the good feelings inside me so they flood you with tenderness and love and joy.

When we are connecting eye to eye, soul to soul - THEN we can start some really useful dialogue. But until we do that, it's all about the approach. About putting you in my focus and making YOU the most important thing in my moment. Sometimes we need to do that until the other person can feel lifted up enough to even be able to look us in the eye or reach out. It might take a while. But dogs are patient.

Learning: In communication, most humans think its about the message, but we dogs know that if you can't see us or connect with us our message means nothing. SO it's all about the approach. Make the other person the focus of your energy, thoughts and love. Be patient and observant, and don't expect too much. There's always time for the right words later. And sometimes words aren't needed - because love, acceptance and understanding is enough. So there you go. The basics of 'Dog Communication with Humans 101 Introductory Course'. Thanks for participating!