Success on the Healing Path: A Lesson From My Dog

Today I took my dog, Emmett, for a stroll around the West End. Our routine is to head out after his breakfast around mid-morning for a walk around the neighborhood. Usually he is easy on the leash. Maybe he pulls a little or jumps to meet a dog, but he understands when he is corrected. Today he was just awful. Pulling constantly and not paying any attention to the commands and cues I was giving him. When we returned home I didn't give him his usual treat after the walk.

About an hour later I decided he needed another chance. I knew that after getting his need to walk and sniff satisfied from the previous walk, that he would definitely be better behaved if I took him for another walk. So, I just took him for a very short stroll around the block. He needed to experience success in order to know he could reach my expectations for a walk that day. We needed to walk again so he could achieve the goal of a good walk. And, he was wonderful. I praised him as we walked and when we returned home I gave him a treat. He could enjoy a sense of accomplishment.

It occurred to me that this is much like many of our experiences on our own individual healing paths. We have a bad day and it seems as though we do nothing right: we skip exercising, we don't eat right, we forget to take our herbs, we just don't take care of ourselves. We just don't “heel” to our health plans. It can be so easy to get down on yourself when this happens. To feel as though you have failed. But there will be another walk. You can get back on track. The next day, or even the next hour is fresh and new and ripe for success! When you have a bad moment or day when you are off track, do something simple that will put you back on the right path. Just go around the block, rather than around the whole neighborhood. Eat an apple, or brew some dandelion tea, or do a breathing exercise, or strike a yoga pose. Set yourself up for success and recognize your victory, no matter how small it is. And determine a way to treat yourself after being successful. Perhaps a nice hot bath, a Saturday night movie, an extra hour in bed with a book, a glass of wine with your friends, etc. Do something to recognize your good work.

It's easy to think that your healing path is made up of exercising, meditation, healthy eating, healing herbs, energy work, etc. And that is definitely a huge part of the path. But, there is also attitude. Being accepting, understanding, and gentle towards yourself as you shift your life. On the walk when Emmett was not behaving well, I didn't tell him “No, bad dog” because it wouldn't have been helpful. He just would have felt bad, but without a clear idea of the way he needed to behave. Instead, giving him a small, but fresh start and praising him for something I knew he'd be successful at made much more sense. Your attitude and view of yourself on your healing path is just as much a part of your healing as anything else. If one day you falter, give yourself another chance. Walk your healing path with compassion for yourself. And don't forget to give yourself a treat!