As everyone I have ever met knows, I have the coolest and cutest dog in the world, Cliffy. Today, he reminded me of the beauty in baby steps.
Since we brought Cliffy home in June 2012, he has been a very special kind of dog. Cliffy is absolutely terrified of pretty much everything. The lawn mower. And loud noises. Any person who doesn't live in my house. The car. Sometimes the TV. It takes him a long time to become acclimated to new things and people. But in the past fourteen months, he has improved so much.
For the first time today, Cliffy stayed home alone without being put in his crate. He watched us leave from our front door, and then he laid on our green fluffy chair for an hour and fifteen minutes. All by himself. He was so brave.
In fourteen months, Cliffy has grown from a scared little puppy into a almost brave... okay really just less scared dog. But he has grown. At his own pace. And he been very successful.
I have taken a lesson from him. I don't have to be perfect the first time. Or the second time or even the third. But I have to take baby steps. We all do. You aren't going to wake up one day and suddenly love every single thing about yourself. But each day you can become a little more comfortable in your own skin.
Believe me. If Cliffy can come this far, you absolutely can too. When we first brought him home, I thought he was going to be a ten year old dog who still wouldn't walk in our backyard alone. Just keep looking for your own beauty, and don't give up.
For those of you who have been reading my blog every day for the past week, think about how you felt about yourself one week ago and how you feel about yourself today. I hope it's a little bit different. Imagine what baby steps you can take in the next month or six months or a year. Remember that life is a journey. It's not just a list of events that have happened.
As always, share stories with me on Twitter, by email, or by commenting below.
Spread the word, and spread the beauty.
Shannon
Since we brought Cliffy home in June 2012, he has been a very special kind of dog. Cliffy is absolutely terrified of pretty much everything. The lawn mower. And loud noises. Any person who doesn't live in my house. The car. Sometimes the TV. It takes him a long time to become acclimated to new things and people. But in the past fourteen months, he has improved so much.
For the first time today, Cliffy stayed home alone without being put in his crate. He watched us leave from our front door, and then he laid on our green fluffy chair for an hour and fifteen minutes. All by himself. He was so brave.
In fourteen months, Cliffy has grown from a scared little puppy into a almost brave... okay really just less scared dog. But he has grown. At his own pace. And he been very successful.
I have taken a lesson from him. I don't have to be perfect the first time. Or the second time or even the third. But I have to take baby steps. We all do. You aren't going to wake up one day and suddenly love every single thing about yourself. But each day you can become a little more comfortable in your own skin.
Believe me. If Cliffy can come this far, you absolutely can too. When we first brought him home, I thought he was going to be a ten year old dog who still wouldn't walk in our backyard alone. Just keep looking for your own beauty, and don't give up.
For those of you who have been reading my blog every day for the past week, think about how you felt about yourself one week ago and how you feel about yourself today. I hope it's a little bit different. Imagine what baby steps you can take in the next month or six months or a year. Remember that life is a journey. It's not just a list of events that have happened.
As always, share stories with me on Twitter, by email, or by commenting below.
Spread the word, and spread the beauty.
Shannon
RSS Feed