Puppy Training: The Unexpected Guide to a Better Life

Elliott aka Ellie

Good afternoon! Sorry this newsletter is late—I've been fully immersed in training our new puppy, Elliott (aka Ellie)!

What this whole exercise has taught me is that it takes four things: consistency, patience, praise, and discipline. And the huge reminder for me is that life requires the exact same four things.

Consistency & Discipline

I’ve grouped these two because they go hand-in-hand. Consistency in things like daily prayer, writing, and meditating brings me so much joy and takes me away from all the surrounding noise.

Discipline is simply the self-control that makes us do what we know we should do instead of defaulting to scrolling. LOL! It's the discipline to sit down in the morning and ask God to guide your day. God has a plan for you, but it takes discipline to stop, ask, and meditate to actually hear that plan. Not grabbing your phone the second you wake up? That’s discipline, too.

This Sunday, we’re implementing a phone-free weekend! The phones go off Saturday night and won’t be turned on until Monday morning. It’s a major challenge, and I’m ready for it. Are you?

Patience

Patience is a real struggle for me! We live in a world where we can order something and have it delivered almost instantly. Yet, when it comes to decisions and people, I have to wait. That’s tough. The line is really drawn when I get stuck on wanting things—and people—to be exactly my way.

Praise

It's easy to praise others, but giving ourselves a break? That's the hard part. We constantly compare ourselves to the outside—what they're wearing, what they drive, the perfect life they portray on Instagram or TikTok. Where is the internal praise? When we carry the shame and remorse from yesterday (or even five minutes ago), we’re just judging ourselves. Stop and give yourself a mental "like" or a "heart." Tell yourself: "I'm doing a good job. It may not be pretty, but I am showing up and trying."

Living in the Now

In closing, this puppy has taught me that I spend way too much time in the past or the future. I must be in the now! I have to live one minute at a time. My current job is to be present and know when Ellie needs to go out, or I’ll be on my hands and knees cleaning up a mess because I was completely checked out.

Let’s commit to staying in the moments together. I know God is in the moments and not in my past or my future—He is here now!

Have a wonderful weekend. Sending you all love and blessings.

P.S. How do you manage to stay present in your day? Share your tips with me!

XOXO

Bizzy