This morning Doc and I watched a video of a little boy that asked the following insightful question, “What do you practice?” It was a reminder that when you practice something over and over again you get very good at it. This includes our views, feelings and ideas about ourselves and the world around us.
Now some views and feelings are formed very early in life and are a product of what we are taught and our life experiences, but there comes a time that you can make different choices. When Doc went out into the world and away from home for the first time as a young adult, she told me she was lucky to be exposed to different people, cultures and ideas. Her world view was expanded and she started to question some of her old beliefs and form new ideas. That’s just part of the maturity process for humans. This also applies to animals as I certainly see my world differently now as a seven year old dog than I did as a new puppy.
So part of these views include how you react to each experience you encounter. Like the little boy in the video asked, Are you practicing joy, peace, forgiveness and compassion, or are you practicing anger, worry and being judgmental? It is true that you will get very good at what you practice every day. So, for example, if you practice complaining, you will get so good at it, you will find fault with everything. Thus too, if you practice compassion, your heart will be filled with love for others and you will get very good at that as well. It’s your choice.
So what do you practice?