What my Chihuahua Taught me About Life and Perspective.

“Perspective is one of the least utilized tools in life.” -Annie Mae Edwards

I was walking my dog, Princess, one morning, and I noticed her cautiously approaching a patch of dandelions. As I watched more carefully, I couldn’t help but smile, envisioning what was likely going through her mind. I must say, it was quite the amusing, precious sight.

These dandelions were as tall as her. They must have appeared to be quite the obstacle at first glance. Upon her original confrontation with them, she even took a second to scoff at them in disdain, as they were very much in her way.

She paused for a moment, unsure of what to do next. How could she get around them? There were quite a few, and spread out around the entire area she was currently occupying.

Suddenly, there was a slight breeze. She seemingly watched in amazement as this caused part of the dandelions to flutter away, now floating gracefully in the air. “Wow,” I could almost hear her thinking, “They don’t seem to be so tough after all!”

All of a sudden, she pushed back, and took off in a sprint towards this latest perceived obstacle. Amazed and excited, she started running through multiple patches of dandelions, her tail wagging away at her accomplishment. These dandelions seemed much more intimidating upon first glance. Yet, her perspective and assumptions changed, simply by taking a moment to reflect, and taking in the lessons so beautifully depicted in nature. She soon realized just how easily something so seemingly big and overwhelming could actually be for her to overcome.

I was definitely amused at the sight I had just witnessed. However, it also caused me to rediscover and reflect on an important life lesson.

Physical size isn’t always the proper measure of strength, nor does it indefinitely determine the outcome (with the correct perspective). More simply put, “don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” “Things aren’t always what they seem.”

Had she continued to perceive the dandelions as she originally saw them: big obstacles looming over her, she would have had quite the difficult time navigating the area in search of ‘the right spot.’

Doesn’t this sound quite similar to a situation so many of us feel confronted with daily? Aren’t so many of us in search of the “right spot” in life? In fact, we often even go as far as to place very rigid timelines on finding this spot, as there is but another to find. We don’t want to be “left behind.”

Most importantly, had Princess not confronted these dandelions head on (pun intended), she never would have experienced that moment of triumph from defeating yet one more thing in her way, and doing so much more easily than expected. Who knows what else she could have missed out on down the road, as well?

This is also quite parallel to the human experience, as we all seek that victorious happiness from defeating the perceived obstacles that life places in our path. Are we strong enough to overcome them? Are we rooted in our souls enough to be able to take a moment to reflect upon the actual reality, versus our perceived one? Are we brave enough to face our obstacles head on?

This may simply seem like only a cute moment that I captured, a small but fond memory. However...

-How often do we see an obstacle that turns out to be easier to overcome than we originally thought it would be?

-On the alternate side of things, how often do we allow our fear and overwhelming anxiety to step in, and therefore give up before really trying? How big of an effect can this actually have on our both our present and future lives?

The truth is, what we do with our doubt is actually the determining factor for a lot of the life we will experience (or fail to experience). This is even the case in some of the ‘smallest’ scenarios we encounter.

Here is question we should always ask ourselves when faced with an obstacle:

-What could we end up missing out on merely because we didn't believe in ourselves? Life is filled with beauty, but we have to sometimes search for it, as it can lay hidden just beyond that obstacle.

Who would have thought that with a simple and routine morning walk, the actions of my chihuahua would help remind me of such an important life lesson that I had let slip away, jaded by those obstacles thrown my way in life? What can I say, though? She is four and a half pounds of wisdom, bravery, and strength.