Joy Jot #10 I said yes to the dog.

Last month when my husband and I spent an hour or more of our 30th anniversary date cleaning up dog poop from my carpet,

(Oh my heck! Right?!)

I kept telling myself, “I said yes to the dog. I said yes to the dog. I said yes to the dog.”

This idea of taking responsibility for the consequences of owning my dog comes from the book The Success Principles by Jack Canfield. He introduces this concept of being 100% responsible like this…

“You will never become successful as long as you continue to blame someone or something else for your lack of success. If you are going to be a winner, you have to acknowledge the truth -- it is you who took the actions, thought the thoughts, created the feelings, and made the choices that got you where you now are. It was you!

You are the one who didn’t say no!
You are the one who took the job.
You are the one who ignored your intuition.
You are the one who abandoned your dream.
You are the one who bought it.
You are the one who decided you had to do it alone.

You are the one who said yes to the dogs.”

When I read this for the first time, I thought, “that’s a little harsh,” but I laughed out loud because of my dog Ella! She does dog things and I get frustrated with her, but it was my choice to get her. I could say I didn’t want the dog and my family was begging me for a dog and they made me get her. But in the end, I said yes to the dog! So I don’t get to blame anyone when she does dog things in my house.

I really like this idea of being 100% responsible. I don’t like that it is hard to apply. Like I really don’t like that part. Haha. It is easier to complain than to change. But, from my experience, when I accept my part in the choices I’ve made, I feel more empowered, not less.

The author continues…

“The circumstances you complain about are all situations you can change -- but you have chosen not to. You could…

Say no in the face of peer pressure.

Quit and find a better job.
Trust your own gut feelings.
Go back to school to pursue your dream.
Take better care of your possessions.
Ask others to assist you.
Sell or give away the dogs.”

I read this and I thought, “Maybe all circumstances can’t be changed, but I am not trapped. I have power to change whatever it is in my life I am complaining about.”

How does this concept fit in your life?

Try this:

Notice the next time you blame or complain (Ella pooped on my carpet)

Ask: Do I have power to change this? (Yes, I could give her away)
Ask: Do I really want to change this?

If the answer is yes…
Do it! Today is the day!

If the answer is no… (I still like Ella and the reasons I chose to get a dog)
Then accept the consequences and stop complaining. Hahaha! :)

I said yes to the dog!

Some circumstances are not as easy as determining whether to keep a pet or not. And some circumstances are out of our control.

But we ALWAYS have the freedom the choose our THOUGHTS and our ACTIONS.

By accepting the situations we are in and realizing we have choice within them gives us POWER!

You have POWER! You’ve GOT THIS! I believe in you!

You said yes to the dogs!

With love,

Amy