My pets have no deadlines, no inboxes, and absolutely no concern about being productive.
Yet some days, I think they understand life better than we do.
I’ve been a lifelong animal person. These days, my home is shared with Winston, my corgi, Bella, my golden retriever, and Tyson, my rescue orange tabby.
Since I started working from home, they’ve also become my unofficial coworkers.
Tyson likes to curl into my lap in the morning while I’m drinking coffee and scrolling through my phone. Winston and Bella settle into their usual spots nearby. Eventually, one of them will nudge me, stare at me, or decide that whatever I’m doing has gone on long enough. Usually Bella, is the one who gives my leg a nudge with a big, wet, sloppy lick or Winston retrieving a ball to an obligatory game of fetch.
It’s a pretty effective reminder to look up and come back to the present moment.
Over the years, they’ve been beside me through some of the happiest and hardest moments of my life. They celebrated with me without knowing what we were celebrating. They sat quietly beside me when I was sad with big, ugly tears streaming down my face. They’ve made me laugh when I really needed to laugh.
They’ve also taught me a few things about how I want to live.
Be Where Your Feet Are
Animals are remarkably good at being right where they are.
They aren’t replaying the events from yesterday. They aren’t worried about the future and getting anxious about what might happen on Thursday. They don’t lie awake at 2 a.m. replaying the conversation they had with someone three years ago and wondering to themselves “why did I say that?”
Meanwhile, we can be sitting on the couch with someone we love while mentally answering an email, replaying a conversation, or running through tomorrow’s to-do list, missing out on that moment of connection.
Sometimes I’ll look over and see Bella completely sprawled across the floor or Winston asleep with all four feet in the air.
Neither one of them has a care in the world. They’re warm, fed, hydrated and happy. Just now, Winston is dreaming about running, his little paws twitching as he has his little doggie dream.
It reminds me that I’m allowed to be where I am, too.
How Our Pets Show Us the Power of Presence
Animals notice things.
They can feel when our energy changes. They instinctively come closer when we’re hurting. They get excited when we’re excited. Sometimes they seem to know we need them before we do.
We can do more of that for each other.
Put the phone down.
Notice when someone seems quieter than usual.
Ask the second question instead of accepting, “I’m fine.”
Sit beside someone and hold their hand without feeling like you have to fix anything.
Being present for another person doesn’t always require the perfect words.
Sometimes it just requires noticing.
What Pets Teach Us About Life: The Little Lessons
A wagging tail when you walk through the door.
A cat climbing into your lap.
A nose nudging your hand.
None of these are big things. Yet somehow they can completely change the energy of a moment.
I think we underestimate how much the little things matter with people, too.
Send the text even if you haven’t talked in awhile.
Give the compliment.
Tell your friend you were thinking about her. Even better if you tell her something specific reminded you of a shared experience.
Celebrate the tiny win. A little message of “You got this, you are awesome, I believe in you.” can do wonders for someone’s day.
Laugh at the ridiculous thing. Like really, belly laugh until you (almost) pee your pants.
Say thank you and mean it.
The moments we remember aren’t always the big, carefully planned ones. Often they’re the ordinary moments when someone makes us feel seen.
Shake It Off: Wisdom from Pets for Everyday Life
This may be my favorite lesson.
Something startles Winston… usually it’s the Amazon delivery guy, how dare he invade our space… He protects the house and then does an enormous, dramatic shake where he puts his whole body into it.
Then he moves on.
He doesn’t go back and replay the incident and analyze how he could have approached the threat differently with three different outcomes.
He doesn’t perform a self-assessment review and decide what he should stop, start or continue.
Nope, it’s just a shake, reset and then continue on with his day.
Meanwhile, we can carry one awkward conversation around for hours, building stories in our head about all the negative outcomes.
Not everything deserves that much space in our heads.
Sometimes you learn what you need to learn, shake it off, and keep going.
Changing Scenery and Finding Calm with Pets
Bella loves rolling around in the grass with abandon.
Tyson loves a patch of sunshine.
Winston is generally happy anywhere something interesting might happen… even better if you’ll throw something his way to fetch.
They instinctively seek out the little things that make them feel good.
I’ve noticed the same thing happens to me when I step outside for a few minutes. I take a few deep breaths and take in the scenery around me.
Nothing about the problem I’m thinking about has necessarily changed. But something in me has.
My breathing slows.
My thoughts settle.
I notice the sky, the breeze, the warmth of the sun on my face.
Suddenly, whatever felt enormous two minutes earlier feels a little more manageable.
Sometimes we don’t need to solve everything. We just need to interrupt the loop.
Maybe They Know Something We’ve Forgotten
We spend a lot of our lives trying to figure out how to be happier, calmer, more present, more connected.
Our pets seem to have mastered a much simpler formula.
Be in the moment. Love your people. Get excited about the little things. Rest when you’re tired.
Go outside. Forgive quickly. Play whenever possible. Get rest and hydrate.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned from my pets? When life rattles you, shake it off and keep moving.
Maybe that’s why we love them so much.
They don’t just keep us company. They remind us how to live.
What has your pet taught you about life?
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