I’ve acquired a dog.
Ha-ha! I knew this would shock most of my readers! Darling Penny isn’t really ours – she belongs to our daughter and son-in-law, but is training for Invisible Fence at our house, so the three of them are staying with us off and on till Penny learns to stay in our yard. She’s a smart girl, a bit stubborn, but is adorable. Kind of like her human mother…😊.
It’s amazing to my husband and me how much joy this dog has brought to us! She greets us each morning – often with slobbery kisses and is at the garage door every time we arrive home. She likes to cuddle up when we watch TV or sits in my office when I’m working. Our neighbor, Evey Putt, gave me the title of this article. Evey says dogs provide unconditional love, just like God. There are times in life when we need this type of love – whether from furry friends or from our faith. Think about this love personally - how is your unconditional love for YOU?
One of the hardest things my clients have to accomplish is loving themselves. We get so busy in our day-to-day lives, usually because we are doing things for others. We have families who need us, jobs and employers who depend on us, activities we enjoy or maybe just do because we feel we must, and sometimes there isn’t enough time for ourselves. Oftentimes, we are so unhappy with our weight and lifestyle that we find it hard to love anything about us!
I encourage my clients to think of themselves and their health first, for a change. If you are looking to improve your vitality, you must allow time for it. Time to eat healthier foods, cook healthful meals, get quality sleep, and time to move your body! Talk kindly to yourself and tell yourself every day you are a wonderful being! If you don’t take care of yourself, it’s harder to take care of everyone else!
Practice some unconditional love for yourself and see how wonderful you feel! Here are some tips to get started:
- Build in an hour of self-time at least once a week – 2-3 times is even better. Read a book not related to work; enjoy time in your garden when you WANT to, not when you have to weed; watch mindless TV; or just sit and enjoy your surroundings.
- Take a class. Look into cooking classes, wood working, painting – anything you would enjoy!
- Treat yourself to a service, like a manicure, massage or haircut and shave.
- Hire someone to do something you don’t like to do occasionally, like clean your house or vacuum and wash your car.
You get the idea. Lastly, get a dog! They’ll provide that unconditional love my friend Evey mentioned, and perhaps teach you to love yourself, too.
To Your Vitality!
