Spring is here, and that means it’s time for Max’s all you need to know guide for preparing to rock that beach bod. I know a quarter of the country was snowed in last week, but we live in Texas and its already 90 degrees here. So, shed that winter garb and follow these simple steps to start looking as hott as Max.
First, let’s all stretch those mutt-scles back out after a long winters nap.
You may want to take up hairy yoga too. It’s like hot yoga only you get an extra layer of hair all over anytime you hit the mat. Plus, I hear downward dog provides a refreshing face lick.
Once you’re good and limber it’s time to PUP IT UP!
Summer is coming.
You may be tired, but this is no time to paws. Remember: Do or do not, there is no try.
Also, ball is life.
Don’t overdo it, though. Dog tired is a thing. And it is fur real. It’s a fur real thing.
And get plenty of Vitamin D (it stands for dog).
By this point, you’ve probably worked up quite a pant. It may be time to really wash behind those ears.
Finally, it’s all about the golden vibe and accessories. They make looking good look good.
But all in all, while Max is for healthy living, he has definitely taught me that first and foremost you should know you are inherently beautiful.
Thank you Max, for your foolproof guide to the perfect beach bod. But thank you most for reminding me that any bod is a beach bod – it just has to be on the beach. And even if a body is not on the beach, it is still beautiful.
This past week, Max woke me up in the middle of the night twice on Monday and once Tuesday. And by middle of the night I mean right in the dead center of what would have otherwise been some really peaceful sleep.
He usually does not wake up in the middle of the night, but he had spent all weekend with some other dogs and had partied a little too hard.
He had all kinds of stuff making his stomach turn that he normally doesn’t – other dog’s food, lots of bones, and even probably some people food. I expected it to be rough for him, but I did not expect to be woken up in the middle of the night. And on multiple occasions.
Max disturbed my peace.
And I have realized he disturbs my peace quite often, even when not in the middle of the night. I often work from home when I have things to do that require more focus than I am afforded at my job. And most days, while I am trying to get a lot done at my computer, Max comes up to me desiring some attention. Whether he is wielding a toy or just forcing his cute head onto my lap, it is clear that Max is on a mission to disturb my peace.
While I understand the behavior, I usually get annoyed and let him outside. But the thing about having my peace disturbed is that there is another byproduct that I am beginning to notice. The community I help lead has been digging into the notion that when peace is disturbed, often inner thoughts are more fully revealed.
Max has been teaching and reinforcing that lesson as well. He has revealed that I have many assumptions and default motivations that rest just under the surface and which I often don’t really notice. And Max has taught me that I need a little disruption in order to bring those thoughts more fully into the light.
When Max disturbs the peace I construct around myself in order to get more work done, he reveals that I don’t take enough time to slow down and really be present to what’s going on around me or especially to the people and dogs in my life. Max has taught me that my actions show that I value productivity over meaningful time spent with others and that my inner thoughts are focused far more on accomplishing tasks than on compassionately and lovingly attending to those around me.
But Max has also taught me that there is some hope. In disrupting my peaceful sleep so much this week, Max has also revealed some more positive inner thoughts. Max has revealed that I care deeply for him, because I am convinced that a sure test of what people most value is what we will wake up for in the middle of the night. And Max has taught me that if I am willing to forego sleep to care for him, perhaps that level of care and compassion can influence all of my life, even when my inner thoughts seem locked in the little world I create.
So thank you Max for disturbing my peace, and in so doing revealing some of my inner thoughts. And thank you for helping me direct those inner thoughts in a more caring, compassionate manner.
But, I’d also be grateful if you didn’t disturb my peaceful sleep anymore…
Lessons From Max 