Today... I pay tribute to Buddy. Buddy is a "country dog" who lives out here with us. Well, he belongs to Eric's parents, but freely roams the 40 or so acres on which we reside. He is a rescue dog who landed in Paradise. And he knows it. :-) (I guess I can sort of relate... lol). I've grown to love this quirky, big-hearted pup... and I've come to know his ways. He has unwittingly taught me some stuff, actually. That whole "DOG is GOD spelled backwards" thing? I'm pretty sure that isn't a coincidence. To me, a dog is one of the purest forms of unconditional love... a playful reflection of our own DOG-GOD nature. I love dogs. And I love Buddy.

So yeah, there are a lot of "what I have learned from my dog" lists out there, but every dog has his own unique personality... his own "thing". So here is my list. Ten things I have learned from this lovable Border Collie named Buddy:

1.  Stop and smell the journey.

We have recently started taking Buddy for walks. On a leash. Out on the paved road. This is relatively new for this free-roaming dog... and he is really starting to get into it. "OH... this is what dogs are supposed to do! Cool!" ;-) He caught on quickly. So this has added a new dimension to our human and dog relationship. The "companion on the path" kind of thing. And we learn from each other in this. Buddy, like all dogs, needs to stop and sniff. We can be clipping along, when suddenly his schnoz grinds us to a halt. My inclination is to tug at his leash and urge him to keep trotting, but as Eric reminds me, dogs need to stop and sniff. It's part of their enjoyment in being "out there". So, yeah... it's OK to want to get to where you are going, but don't miss out on all the juicy little things along the way. And don't just notice them, but get your nose right in there and breathe them in fully! Let the little things fill you completely! Thanks, Buddy. :-)

2.  Stay in synch with your walking companion.
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As I mentioned in #1, Buddy is really getting the hang of this dog walking thing (or human walking thing... as it sometimes seems). Eric and I take turns holding the leash, and when I'm trailing behind them, I enjoy watching the dynamic that happens. There is a mindfulness of where each is at in regards to pacing and direction. There is a give and take. Buddy may try to speed up or veer off in a slightly different direction, but does so with an awareness of what's going on with Eric and adjusts accordingly. And vice versa. It's almost like each is a personal trainer, looking out for the other's best interest. And isn't that what healthy, loving partnership is all about? Finding the "higher road" together for the greater good?   

3.  Drink from the pond.

Buddy doesn't have a water dish outside. Instead, he drinks from a beautiful pond with fish and frogs and plants and algae. All co-existing together. Buddy somehow knows the value of taking nourishment from this perfect, self-sustaining ecosystem. Imagine living in a world like this pond... with healthy, nourishing interdependence. Thank you for the perspective, Buddy.

4. Love and protect fiercely.

Border Collies in particular have an innate instinct to serve and protect. Buddy is no exception. And here, with so much wildlife and open space, he has his work cut out for him. He is tireless in his attempts to stave off coyotes and other possible threats. I often hear him outside our trailer... barking and dashing about. He is a fierce protector. He also greets us when we come home... and herds us safely inside. There is an honorable sense of duty that feels like love, reminding me to cherish who and what I hold dear. And to be clear about how best I can do that.

5.  Don't chase cars in the road!

Probably with good intentions (he is a herding dog after all), Buddy has had this thing about wandering off to the road on his own to chase cars. I'm hoping the regular walks on a leash will curb the desire (so far so good), but nonetheless, this is part of Buddy's troubled past... lol. Chasing cars can be self-defeating (not to mention dangerous)! The lesson? Don't chase! Allow the "cars" that are meant to find you to come down your driveway. Otherwise, just let them pass. :-)

6.  Know when to go through an open door.
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Buddy is primarily an outdoor dog. And there's a lot of dirt and mud outside. So there are places inside that he is not allowed to venture. And he has pretty much had to learn (sometimes the hard way) that just because a door is open, he shouldn't necessarily go through it. He needs to be invited. Lesson: Not all open doors are meant for us. It's best to get clear about which ones are ours to go through. To know when we have an authentic invitation from on high. 

7.  Don't be afraid to lay right down in the dirt.

Buddy has no qualms about laying right down wherever he is... to rest or to simply enjoy the moment. Often this will be right down on the dirt... or mud even. He's not afraid to get his paws (or the rest of him) dirty. Perhaps he knows this is where much of real life occurs. In the messy places. The raw, unrefined, unkempt parts of ourselves and our world. Enjoying freedom from perfection and appearances. I'll probably be learning this one for a while. ;-)

8.  Expose your underbelly every once in a while!

Whenever I greet Buddy, the first thing he does is drop down and roll onto his back. Just like that. So trusting... so open and ready to receive. Completely vulnerable. My energy tells him it's OK. He absolutely knows the reward that awaits. A loving pat on the head and a gentle belly rub. Showing our underbellies now and again can be so healing. We just need to have a good sense of who we can be vulnerable with... to be aware of the energy between each other. 

9.  Fly!

Buddy gets pretty worked up over birds and insects... and airplanes. I kid you not... he barks at airplanes! So I've deduced that he gets excited about anything that flies. He knows that flying is where it's at! Living free and soaring above it all... spreading our wings. Thanks for the reminder, Buddy. To live with our paws in the earth while our spirits soar. Yes!

10.  Kiss often... love unconditionally.
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Last but not least. It is completely natural for Buddy to love unconditionally. To lavish with face licks and an ever loving gaze. It's not even something he does... it's just what he is. Without the ego that we humans have that can get in the way. A dog has no ego. Just as Spirit has no ego. Again, the DOG-GOD thing. Having Buddy around helps ground me in unconditional love. I will never be as good at giving and receiving it as he is, but what a gift it is to have him around. And I know I'm not alone there. We humans love our canines! It really is a dog's life... we're just lucky to get to share it with them. :-)

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There's this book I really love... a book I got years ago that I still check in with from time to time. It's called "Journey to the Heart" by Melody Beattie. It's a collection of musings and meditations with an entry for every day of the year. I've owned lots of self-help and spiritual books over the years, but this is one that has stuck with me and always seems to resonate. Looking for some blogging inspiration, I flipped to the entry for May 4th, entitled "Cherish Each Moment". It couldn't have been more in alignment with where I was. In it, she writes: "Most of us relish the magnificent spiritual experiences, those tremendous discoveries, those important times of change. But those moments don't happen that often. The truth is, each moment in time is a spiritual experience, an important time of change. Cherish ALL your moments. Let each moment have value. The life you desire is happening right now. Your destiny is here."

See, I thought I needed some inspiration. I haven't blogged in a few weeks because I wasn't sure I had anything of real value to blog about. Life is peaceful. Simple and peaceful. No angst... no deep soul searching... no major "a-ha" revelations. Oh, it's not that I don't have those human (or hormonal, lol) "moments" or upsets or irritations... it's just that life overall feels GOOD. And I almost feel guilty about that. ;-) Almost. Until I remember all the angst-ridden, raw nerved times of unrest before this. Working a stressful job, lamenting life choices, searching for peace, happiness, and love. Thinking too much and trying too hard.  It's not that I ever intend to stop growing or evolving... it's just that these days it feels like my heart has arrived, if you will. Or maybe it's more like I have finally arrived at my heart. I feel a sense of wholeness I don't think I ever have before. Like everything that matters is right here, right now... inside and out.  And I know to cherish it. And I am grateful... so grateful. Part of it is having seasoned perspective and awareness... and part of it is about spiritual alignment and what has manifested as a result. A healthy, loving, satisfying relationship. Work that doesn't feel like work  and pays my bills. Work that uses my gifts and talents, feels purposeful, and that I enjoy. Living simply and beautifully amongst the trees, birds, and frogs. :-) 

Simplicity has become huge for me. I used to think simple was boring. But I think I was mistaking it for superficiality. Superficiality is definitely boring to me. :-) But simplicity... simplicity is not boring as it might imply nor is it necessarily easy. Simplicity is a choice. An intention. And for some of us, it's hard-earned.  I personally had to retrain my brain. I had to recognize and undo detrimental thought patterns and create new ones. Which is exactly what "New Thought" is.  It's reprogramming the mind, basically, to align with our true nature... our core. And I'm here to say, it works. And the reason I know it works is that as I've shifted my thoughts over the course of a decade or so, my surroundings and my experience of life have shifted.

So here I sit in this beautiful little trailer out in the country and I experience the "simple sacred"... the warmth, the energy, the colors and decor. Through the windows I see lush green. I hear birds chirping. I feel peace. I spend most days writing, making music... making and sharing meals... drinking wine... walking in nature... loving and being loved. I mean, what else is there, really? :-) Well, ok... there are also chores and tasks and other such responsibilities to tend to, but my "heart essentials" are all graciously in place.

And in creating this simpler life with less space, I've really had to downsize. That means getting rid of "stuff". Can I tell you how freeing that is? Just yesterday I put two bags worth of paperwork and memorabilia into the recycling bin. Another bag I am going to burn or shred. As I sifted and sorted, my song "What Falls Away" came into my head:  "...with a kiss goodbye, I let go of all the tattered pieces... what falls away reveals the essence... the essence of me".  Simplicity is all about stripping down to the essence, inside and out. To that which is essential. To what matters.

There was a time I think I was hooked on drama and complication... that somehow it made me feel alive. These days it's quite the opposite and I've never felt more alive. And SO relieved. I know now that simple is not boring and is indeed valuable.  It's something I'm learning to celebrate... every day.