Stop to smell the roses (and the fire hydrant, the stop sign, every tree).
Like dogs; slow down and notice the sights, sounds, and smell of your every day life. People who recover from a long illness know the importance of this. And whether you're aware of it or not, like them you can too.
20 Life Lessons that Walking Your Dog Can Teach You, 2011, The Pilgrim Press
We can learn a lot from our dogs. They are simple creatures with simple needs and desires. They have such a selfless nature. Today's lesson is to stop and "smell the roses." I posted an excerpt from 20 Life Lessons that Walking Your Dog Can Teach You.We tend to rush through life, don't you agree? In the morning I usually rush through dressing, skip breakfast and it feels like it was all a blur by the time I get to work. I miss out on the sunrise. When I'm driving, I'm listening to music or radio talk shows, I'm thinking of the big issues currently going on in my head. What I'm not doing is noticing the sky.
When I sit on my porch, I have a book in my hand. Or I'm browsing through the internet on my phone. In the meantime, Bruce is laying on the concrete floor with his head up and nose twitching. He's observing the entire environment with his nose. And he seems so... happy and content. When we go for walks, instead of going straight to doing his business he has his nose to the ground. He's scenting the other dogs and people who've been there before us. He's smelling out of curiosity and he gets such a kick out of it!
If we humans paid attention to the things going on around us and actually took the time to notice what's deeper than just the first impressions, we might see that the cash register at a busy grocery store might be rude because she's sad or hurt. Or the driver who's driving us crazy because they're too slow for us might be seventy years old and trying their best to keep up.
Dogs slow down and notice things. They are simple creatures with simple desires. We have so much to learn from them and stopping to smell the roses is such a simple yet important lesson.
