February 25, 2009

I was out running errands the other day, and happened to notice a small sticker on the back of the SUV in front of me.  It said “Wag More, Bark Less”.  It's a simple arrangement of 4 little words, but such a profound statement, don't you think?  It struck me immediately as a great philosophy for life, kind of like those “my dog taught me all I need to know about life” books.

Think about it with me for a minute.  What if we did wag more and bark less?  What would that look like?  First of all, to me wagging more would mean outwardly and gratefully showing our joy at the things that please us – without reservation or self-consciousness.

The other part of that is that more things would please us.  Have you noticed how little it takes to make a dog's day?  It seems that they think this walk will be the best walk ever, that this meal will be the most delicious thing they ever tasted, that this game of frisbee has to be the most thrilling experience in their life, and that sitting near you on the couch is the greatest fulfilling moment they could imagine.  How would it change our lives if we were a little more dog-like, and focused on celebrating the simple joy in our lives and being thankful for it all?

Now the “bark less” part.  When I think about barking in human terms, it conjures up images of people complaining, being angry or being verbally aggressive or even abusive…all things we could absolutely use less of.  All things that reflect the opposite of gratitude and joy.

I know that we don't literally have tails to wag or barks to silence, but I think this sentiment is going to be on my mind this week.  I hope it will.  Wag more, bark less.  I like it.

~BigSis