His words came like thunder. It was a wake-up call to remind me how blessed I was and how much I was taking it for granted, as if nothing was ever enough. And there he was, my stepfather, trapped in a wheelchair by a severe form of multiple sclerosis, dreaming of a nice walk in nature. That day, he was my teacher. When someone ends up sharing another person’s feelings, it’s often because during conversation humans naturally tend to mimic their companion’s facial expressions, posture, and body language, without being consciously aware of it. The incremental muscle movements that are involved in this phenomenon trigger the actual feeling in the brain by causing mirror neurons—brain cells that react both when a particular action, like smiling, is performed and when it is observed—to fire, conjuring up the emotion as if you were experiencing it naturally. It turns out that this rapid mimicry also occurs in dogs when they interact or play with each other, and it may be activated when pooches interact with people, too. But it’s actually when I’m willing to share my vulnerable parts with another person that I’m reminded I’m not alone. We all have struggles. I can choose to hide mine or give another person an opportunity to support me. 10. Asking others how they see me The most important two days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” ~Mark Twain 5. I stay away from perfection. Finally I had the dog I’d craved for so long and many of my expectations were met, like the companionship and the social side. I’ve met a few new friends through dog walking, and taking Betty on the beach first thing is such an exhilarating, fun start to the day. But it hasn’t been all roses. Some of my friends, it turns out, aren’t dog fans.

You see, even people who love what they do can be rat racers, if they are struggling with the need for perfection. Consider the power of this on your work: If your thinking is better, you can perform more easily and more effectively—contributing to greater happiness at work. And work tends to have a spillover effect. When you’re happier at work, you tend to experience greater joy in the rest of your life. So the ability to bring your best and apply your talents brilliantly will have a positive impact at work and at home—all thanks to your dog. Dogs Help You Connect Life loves me. All is well in my world, and I am safe.” ~ Louise Hay 2. I sweeten my life, every day. I’d always wanted to waterski, but was afraid of looking silly or getting hurt. I did take a few tumbles while I was learning. To be honest, I still get nervous every time I get behind a boat, but now I’m also anticipating the fun of skimming across the water.Whether they’re dog owners or not, people are highly adept at identifying both positive and negative emotions in dogs’ facial expressions, partly because shifts in facial expressions that express specific emotional states are shared across both species, research has found. If I see life with negativity, fearing that bad things could happen to me, my actions will likely attract the very things I’m trying to avoid. I’ve stopped letting my mind play with me and stress me with unnecessary fears, worries, and concerns about things that haven’t happen yet.

True happiness comes from keeping a healthy balance between the present and the future. It’s when we are capable of enjoying both the journey and the destination, focusing on today’s gifts, as well as our dreams, goals, and desires. Your dog can be a source of connection with anyone, including colleagues. You see your coworker’s dog on camera during your virtual meeting or you hear them discussing the appointment they’ve made at the vet. These are fodder for points of discussion and connection which can create the conditions for happiness in your work. Dogs Contribute to Physical Health As counterintuitive as it seems, often she’s actually trying to protect me. She tells me I’m awkward and annoying in hopes that I’ll be careful to only say things that are sure to win approval…or even better, that I’ll stay home where there’s no risk of being rejected. She tries to discourage me from sharing my writing anywhere it might be criticized by warning me I’ll never measure up to all the other amazing writers out there.

Embrace contentment.

While I was filled with self-loathing, my life was focused on keeping others from seeing who I really was. I didn’t like myself and couldn’t see how it was possible for anyone else to like me either. I hid while pretending to be someone I hoped was more loveable.

She was trying to help me see myself the way she saw me—as someone smart, capable, and full of potential. I wasn’t buying it. The older I get, the more I think the secret of happiness is the ability to embrace the boring, lay claim to the mundane and rejoice in repetition. In affairs of the heart and the wallet, in relationships and family life, and the workplace too, we’d enjoy more lasting success if we stopped being bored by the boring, stopped seeking what we tell ourselves is the next exciting thing. After all, everything gets boring in the end if you let it. In his book Happier, Tal Ben-Shahar (a Harvard professor, leading researcher, and author) defines four different happiness archetypes: Nihilism I’ve fallen into the trap of believing that if I could just do and say all the right things, then people would like me. I’ve made it my responsibility to try to make sure the people around me are always happy. That’s a lot of pressure.It’s hard to let another person see my fears, disappointments, and hopes. I don’t want anyone to know I make mistakes. It’s painful enough to hate myself—I couldn’t bear the thought of other people hating me too. I used to think certain emotions were wrong to feel. I didn’t believe I had a right to feel angry or sad or hurt. There was always someone who had it worse than me. Pay attention. Studies find that people who practice mindfulness—the moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, and external circumstances—score higher on measures of happiness, and lower on measures of anxiety and distress. I’d been pretending for so long to be a better person than I really believed myself to be. I thought any positive thing another person said about me was just an indication that she was fooled by my illusion. If she could see who I really was, she’d change her mind about me.

I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself to always know what I’m doing and never make mistakes. I’ve missed opportunities to try something new because I was so afraid of looking silly. I’ve given up on things I want to do because I couldn’t do them as well as I thought I should. Get physical: Studies show that regular physical activity increases happiness and self-esteem, reduces anxiety and stress, and can even lift symptoms of depression. “Exercise may very well be the most effective instant happiness booster of all activities,” writes Sonja Lyubomirsky in The How of Happiness. We spend the majority of our lives at work. So if we’re not happy with our jobs, we’re not happy with most of life—another reason some of us start rat racing and hoping for something different.Although we’re forever being told that experiences, rather than possessions, are the root to happiness, Fetell Lee believes that is not the whole story. ‘We’re told that we’re supposed to find joy in our relationships with others or from finding innerpeace but, when I was in design school, professors kept telling me that my creations sparked a feeling of joy. How could tangible objects spark joy? It was the start of my studies into the aesthetics of joy, exploring the connection between our physical surroundings and our emotions.’ Will you join me? Choose one idea or practice to try this week. Remember, you’re allowed to be a work in progress! Figurine includes a gift tag, for gift giving , with the sentiment 'A joyful friendship.' A puppy brings joy, exuberance and a bit of chaos into the household at first, then mellows over time to become a companion, a playmate, a confidante; always happy to see us, never tiring of our presence. As a metaphor for friendship, a dog represents the trust and comfort of a good friend, and how this relationship grows in value through the years. This figure is a beautiful birthday gift for a friend or for someone who simply loves dogs. A wonderful addition to a Family Grouping with a cute golden dog. Supplied in a branded gift box. Height: 19.5cm