2011 August | The Joyful Springer

Get In Front Of The Parade

Posted August 29, 2011 By Ande and has 2 comments.

Author John Naisbitt wrote, “Leadership involves finding a parade and getting in front of it.”

Joyful Springers get in front of the parade. They look for groups of people moving in directions they believe in and gently lead the charge into fun and fulfillment.

If you want to make a powerful impact on others, don’t try to force people to go your way. Instead, be a point-person on journeys you respect and set a loving, happy pace that takes you and the people around you to experiences that are good for everyone.
[Meet Georgia, her pup and her foster pups. Pump & Butch's momma, Helen Gibbons', sent me this photo of this sweet girl and the pups. Georgia and her one surviving pup were rescued by Saving Grace Rescue of Raleigh, North Carolina. When the other pups were rescued too, Georgia nursed and raised them along with her own pup at TJ's Bed & Biscuit in Aberdeen, North Carolina. TJ does rescue work for Saving Grace. The pups all found good homes, and Georgia now lives with TJ.]

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Categories: Career, Connecting, Leadership, Springer Spaniel

Tags: English springer spaniel, finding a parade and getting in front of it, john naisbitt, Leadership, spaniels, springer spaniels, springers

Be A Pretty Lawn Ornament

Posted August 26, 2011 By Ande and has 3 comments.

We can either decorate our surroundings or we can trash them. Most people go around blank-faced, stern, or frowning; their negative expressions are like dead spots in the grass.

Joyful Springers are lawn ornaments. They go into the world with an intention of adding to the beauty around them. And how do they do that? By consciously putting a friendly expression on their faces.

You can spend buckets of money and tons of time to look good, but it won’t beautify your landscape unless you add warmth to it. When you consciously put a smile or pleasant expression on your face, it doesn’t matter what your make-up or hair or clothes look like–you will perk up your surroundings.

[Meet Ruffles. Ruffles is playing in heaven now. This photo was taken in 1990 when she was 12 weeks old. Her momma, Joan Howe, wanted to share Ruffles with us because she was such a "wonderful girl." Joan says Ruffles participated in dog-agility events all around the country. This photo was used in a fund raising brochure for the Dane County Humane Society in Madison, Wisconsin, and Joan says, “Lots of people called and wanted to adopt THAT puppy. It brought so much attention to the brochure that it helped raise $6,000 for the Humane Society.” Ruffles was also a therapy dog at a nursing home for many years. Thanks, Ruffles, for being a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer.]

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Categories: Beauty, Springer Spaniel

Tags: Beauty, Dogs, English springer spaniel, smile, spaniels, Springer Spaniel, springers

Require Shades

Posted August 23, 2011 By Ande and has no comments yet.

Singing group Timbuk 3 sang, “My future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades.”

Joyful Springers require shades. They expect wonderful things to come their way. They see a future that meets all their desires.

The future will match your perspective of it. If you see it as dark and foreboding, it will be. If you see it flaring into a supernova of delightful experiences, it will be so bright that you’ll need shades.

[Sidney, Betsy, & Wallis are back. Their momma, Catherine Jones, sent me this photo with the message, "Here are the girls doing their best to look cool or cute, really both." Catherine said these North Carolina girls are wearing their signature colors here: Sidney (red), Betsy (lavender) and Wallis (pink). And don't they look lovely? ]

If you’d like to hear the song, “My Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades,” check out Ducky’s blip.fm channel. She’s a dj of upbeat songs!

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Categories: Create your reality, Perspective, Positive thinking, Springer Spaniel

Tags: Create your reality, Dogs, English springer spaniel, Focus, my future's so bright I gotta wear shades, Positive thinking, spaniels, Springer Spaniel, springers

Keep Your Eye On The Little Duck

Posted August 20, 2011 By Ande and has 1 comment.

A popular book title tells us, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” And as that applies to life’s petty annoyances, it’s good advice. But overall, it’s not the best idea.

Joyful Springers keep their eye on the little duck. They understand that life is all about the “small stuff.” They know the best parts of living aren’t the big moments that get all the attention and hoopla but instead are the little moments of simple pleasure.

When you’re lining up the ducks of your daily life, don’t pay too much attention to the “big ducks” of major projects or accomplishments. Instead, zero in on the “little ducks” of a dog’s tail wag, a child’s giggle, the smell of the air after a rain, the satisfaction of sitting down and putting your feet up. It’s the “little ducks” (the small stuff) that make life worthwhile.

[Ducky was fascinated by the little rubber ducks in the box of goodies Helen and Rich Gibbons (momma and daddy of Pump, Butch, & Angel Riley sent us! ]

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Categories: Appreciation, Beauty, Springer Spaniel

Tags: Dogs, don't sweat the small stuff, English springer spaniel, simple pleasures, spaniels, springer spaniels, springers

Possess A Real Treasure Chest

Posted August 18, 2011 By Ande and has 4 comments.

Most of us concern ourselves with piling up money and things.

Joyful Springers possess a real treasure chest. They fill their lives with priceless inner qualities and precious happy experiences.

Instead of checking your bank balance to see how you’re doing, take a look inside yourself. Are you happy with the person you are? Do you fill your days with loving, joyful moments? The stuff money buys isn’t worth nearly as much as the treasures you can keep with you always when you focus your attention on being and doing what lights up you and the world around you.

[Butch is back. Doesn't he look majestic reclining on the chest his momma, Helen's, grandfather brought with him when he immigrated to the U.S. from Russia? ]

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Categories: Abundance, Springer Spaniel

Tags: Abundance, Dogs, English springer spaniel, spaniels, springer spaniels, springers, treasure

Follow The Best

Posted August 15, 2011 By Ande and has no comments yet.

“Expert” advice is all around you. And everyone you know is an “expert.”

Joyful Springers follow the best. They only take advice from people who are living happy, fulfilling lives. They follow positive advice, not negative warnings and dire predictions.

There’s no reason for you to recreate someone else’s negative results. The people who try to convince you to avoid this or that are simply sharing their own misery. Before you listen to anyone (family member, friend, OR professional), pay attention to how that person lives his or her life. Positive, joyful people are the best people to follow!

[Rudie and Jackie are back. Rudie is a lucky young Springer because he gets to follow the best older sis around. Jackie has been a guest star on The Joyful Springer many times; she fully embodies The Joyful Springer spirit and she's modeling it for her new little brother! ]

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Categories: Feeling Good, Friendship, Learning, Springer Spaniel

Tags: Dogs, English springer spaniel, expert advice, positive people, spaniels, springer spaniels, springers

Wear Multi-colored Glasses

Posted August 11, 2011 By Ande and has 2 comments.

You’ve heard of seeing the world through rose-colored glasses, right?

Joyful Springers wear multi-colored glasses. They filter everything through an ability to see an endless spectrum of different perspectives. This allows them to appreciate anything and everything.

There’s a difference between pretending that everything is okay (wearing rose-colored glasses) and knowing that everything is okay because you can appreciate the world’s infinite array of colors–in people, places, and things. If you pay attention, you’ll discover that much of your pain and upset comes from the judgments and beliefs you have about the world. When you change those, by filtering them through new perspectives, you can change your life instantaneously for the better.

[Meet Hillcrest Peachstone Pringles, aka Pringles. Joan Howe's beloved girl lived from 1999 to 2009, sadly passing away after a battle with cancer. Joan says about Pringles, " She was perfect, beautiful. She carried the newspaper into the house, regardless of how much it weighed or if she was sick." Although Pringles held many titles in rally and obedience, Joan says those titles couldn't compare to Pringles' devotion to and trust in Joan and to Pringles' "perfect disposition." In this photo, she posed by a lake at a dog camp in Wisconsin. Pringles, thank you for being a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer. May you always be in joy. Your legacy of love will live on forever in the hearts of your momma and everyone who knew you.]

[Rudie is back. This photo was taken last winter when he was just a couple months old.

]
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Categories: Acceptance, Focus, Perspective, Springer Spaniel

Tags: Acceptance, dog, English springer spaniel, perspectives, rose colored glasses, spaniel, springer spaniels, springers

Take The Wheel

Posted August 8, 2011 By Ande and has no comments yet.

How much of your day do you spend trying to control the people around you? Think about it … and be honest. Most of us either consciously or unconsciously attempt to get others to do what we want.

Joyful Springers take the wheel. They don’t bother trying to get others to go in the direction they want. They take charge of their own lives by putting their energy and focus on themselves.

When you keep your focus on your thought, your opinion, your intuition, and your actions, you have the ultimate control to design a life you want.

[Murphy is back. Lee Linenberg's boy apparently plans on going places. ]

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Categories: Authenticity, Create your reality, Springer Spaniel

Tags: Authenticity, control, Create your reality, dog, English springer spaniel, spaniel, springer spaniels, springers

Throw Yourself Into It

Posted August 6, 2011 By Ande and has 4 comments.

You can go through the motions. Or you can go all out.

Joyful Springers throw themselves into it. They know that everything is more fun when done with enthusiasm and gusto.

No matter what you’re doing today, do it as if it’s your favorite thing in the world. You’ll be surprised at not only how much more fun you’ll have but how much faster and efficiently you’ll get things done!

[Rudie and Jackie are back. Rudie, about three months old in this photo, is definitely throwing himself into his relationship with his big sister! ]

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Categories: Energy, Feeling Good, Focus, Passion, Springer Spaniel

Tags: Dogs, English springer spaniel, enthusiasm, Fun, gusto, spaniels, Springer Spaniel, springers

Layer Your Comfort

Posted August 4, 2011 By Ande and has 8 comments.

“No pain, no gain”? No way.

Nike may sell a lot of shoes with that slogan, but it’s not really the best way to live.

Joyful Springers layer their comfort. They understand that making all aspects of their lives as comfortable as possible gives them a nice, cushy base from which to do whatever they need to do.

How comfortable is your life? Do you make sure that you’re wearing comfortable shoes and clothes, that you have a comfortable bed, a comfortable car, a comfortable place to work, a comfortable home environment etc.? Discomfort is draining. When you prioritize comfort, you will have more energy for everything you do, and contrary to what Nike says, you will experience bigger gains in all parts of your life.

[I put Ducky's bed on ours while I vacuumed our bedroom floor. She had been just lying on our bed when I put her bed there, but when I finished vacuuming, I discovered that she'd decided lying on a bed ON a bed is better than just lying on a bed ... i.e., two beds are better than one. ]

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Categories: Comfort, Energy, Feeling Good, Springer Spaniel

Tags: Comfort, Dogs, Energy, english springer spaniel springer spaniel, no pain no gain, spaniel, springer, springers

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Doggone Awesome Inspiration For Happy Living

If you’d like to hear the song, “My Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades,” check out Ducky’s blip.fm channel. She’s a dj of upbeat songs!