The last few months have been difficult for all of us at home and at the veterinary hospitals. Working with our clients out of the building has presented some unique challenges. Many people are working from home or out of work, and they are flooding the veterinary hospital with cases -- we have been working our butts off. The veterinary teams are stressed, physically exhausted, and overwhelmed. We are struggling to stay positive and enjoy our jobs.
When we are faced with so many negative narratives and circumstances, it is difficult to keep our mind positive to love what we do.
Enter the puppies!
One very positive thing that is happening during the pandemic is the puppies – so many puppies. People have gotten new puppies while they have been quarantined at home. We have seen French bulldogs, an English bulldog, a Boston terrier, several labradoodles, a beagle, a border collie, Pit bulls, two sweet matching pug sisters, and many more.
The puppies make our days better mostly because they are happy, sweet, cute, wiggly and they make us think differently about our jobs. They remind us that when life is hard, there are always things to look forward to. Puppies are never sad -- they look at the world in such a positive way.
Happy, successful people also think differently. If you want to be happy and successful, change your thinking. Humans tend to focus on the negative things that happen in a day and ignore the positive. Puppies see only positive. Let’s think more like puppies.
How do you change your thinking?
Ask yourself why. We often ask ourselves why something outside of ourselves happens, but we don’t often explore our own reactions. Why does it bother me when a client complains about the 15-30-minute wait in their car? Why does it bother me when a client does not take my advice? Is there another way to think about it? Asking yourself some questions about your reactions will allow you to learn about your mind. The more we learn about how we think the more power we have to change it.
Find something to anchor yourself to. I learned about the Law of Attraction many years ago and it has served me well. When you are suffering with a negative mindset you need someone or something to hold on to. A religion, spiritual practice, mentor, or coach. Someone or something to turn to in your time of need when things feel impossible. Having that grounding influence will allow you to change your thinking about any situation. If you want to attract more positivity you have to surround yourself with some positive influence.
Slow down or stop to smell the roses. We are often so wrapped up in our day that we forget to appreciate the little things that we need to appreciate. The sun on our face or the wind in our hair as we visit a client’s car. Taking off our mask for a brief moment to kiss the wiggly sweet puppy. Stop just for a minute to appreciate those things and your negativity will start to wane.
Take a few lessons from the innocent happy puppies that you see today and indulge in a wiggle and a smile. You will be a better human for it.
Dr. Julie Cappel
“We sometimes underestimate the influence of little things…” - Charles W. Chesnutt
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