Balance | The Joyful Springer

Be Part Of The Contrast

Posted January 12, 2012 By Ande and has 4 comments.

A lot of us try to control our lives and the lives of those around us, We put an enormous amount of effort into getting things to go our way. But we’re fighting a losing battle because our world isn’t supposed to be homogenous.

Joyful Springers are part of the contrast. They understand that they live in a universe of opposites — of black and white, good and bad — and it’s the balance of those opposites that creates the beauty and wonder of life.

Instead of trying to fit in or get the world around you to fit some standard you’ve chosen, how about just letting things unfold as they will? When you do this, you trust the Divine Force of our universe to take all the delightful contrast and create a perfect balance.

[Ritz is back. Isn't Joan Howe's beauty gorgeous in the snow? ]

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Categories: Acceptance, Balance, Springer Spaniel, Trust

Tags: allowing, contrast, Dogs, English springer spaniel, spaniel, Springer Spaniel, springers

Stand In Silhouette

Posted December 4, 2011 By Ande and has 4 comments.

Wouldn’t it be lovely if we could all be as jolly as Santa? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could always be filled with love and light and laughter? Sure it would. But that’s not reality. And that’s okay.

Joyful Springers stand in silhouette. They know it’s okay to be filled with so much darkness from time to time that they feel like more of a shadow outline than fully real. They know that the more they accept the silhouette, the faster they’ll shine out again.

Of course, it’s great to aspire to be happy as often as possible. But when you can’t be, stand proudly in your darkness. When you’re okay with all parts of who you are, you draw out the best parts more often than not.

[Meet Berks. Berks, a five-year old English lab, is Barbara Dunn’s daughter's boyfriend's dog. Barbara said her daughter took this great shot of Berks in silhouette, catching his soccer ball. Berks is one active dog (and possibly part warthog, Barbara says, given his propensity for snorting). He spent much of his young life in Colorado, where he enjoyed cross-country skiing, mountain climbing, and digging in the deep snow. Now, Barbara says Berks is “adapting to life in North Carolina and loves to paddleboard, swim, and will retrieve a minimum of 500 times a day.” Berks, says Barbara, also loves to skateboard, go mountain biking, cliff diving, and enjoys a dinner of lamb and rice. “He is friendly, well mannered, and so attached to a few of his toys he carries them with him at all times.” Barbara says she loves having Berks visit Bonnie, and she wanted to share him with the rest of us. So glad she did! Thanks, Berks, for being a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer.]

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Categories: Acceptance, Balance, Depression, Springer Spaniel

Tags: Acceptance, dark side, dog, english lab

Sit On The Treadmill Occasionally

Posted November 27, 2011 By Ande and has no comments yet.

During busy times of the year, like the holidays, it can feel like we’re on a treadmill of to-dos.

Joyful Springers sit on the treadmill occasionally. They understand that they don’t always have to tick off every to-do. They can choose to catch their breath and enjoy the moment now and then.

When you feel like you’re running in place and never catching up with yourself, take a breath. Have a sit. Clear your mind. Just be. You’ll be able to trot through your day with more energy when you make the time to rest a spell.

[Rudie and Jackie are back. These Chicago area sweeties recently learned how to use a treadmill so they can get exercise on the coldest days in winter. Their momma took this photo when they were first getting used to the machine. It sure looks like she has her attention. ]

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Categories: Balance, Relaxation, Springer Spaniel

Tags: English springer spaniel, just be, Relaxation, rest, spaniels, springer spaniels, springers

Perfect Your Porch Pose

Posted August 1, 2011 By Ande and has 3 comments.

Sitting on the porch and letting “life go by” gets a bad rap; it’s considered a lazy thing to do. But it’s not.

Joyful Springers perfect their porch pose. They understand that sometimes, by letting life go by and just observing the patterns of the world around them, they put themselves in a better position to achieve.

If you allow yourself to get in the habit of stopping and watching now and then, you’ll discover you gain a far clearer and more centered perspective on your life. From that perspective, you end up accomplishing more than if you barrel ahead and never plunk your butt on a porch.

[Mattie is back. This sweet and beautiful North Carolina girl loves to pose for the camera, on the porch or not. Her momma, Brenda McGee, went out to take photos of her flowers, but Mattie stole the show. ]

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Categories: Action, Balance, Perspective, Relaxation, Springer Spaniel

Tags: centered, Dogs, english springer spaniel springer spaniel, let life go by, Perspective, sit on the porch, spaniel, springer, springers

Emerge

Posted July 26, 2011 By Ande and has 1 comment.

Winston Churchill said, “Out of intense complexities intense simplicities emerge.”

Joyful Springers emerge. They understand that when life seems its most complicated, the way out of the thicket is putting attention not on all the intricacies of the situation but on the core of what’s desired from it.

Under everything you want to accomplish or solve is a core value–a way of being or feeling that you prioritize. When you keep your core values in the forefront of your mind, you turn the complications of life into the simple intention to live true to what matters to you most. And when you do that, things have a way of falling into place.

[Bonnie is back. Barbara Dunn, this lovely mixed breed's momma says, "Bonnie has played hide n' seek every day when I get home from work since she first came to us. She will hide behind trees but these bushes are her favorite. She is good at helping me find my inner child after playing adult all day." ]

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Categories: Balance, Focus, Springer Spaniel

Tags: complexity, core values, Dogs, mixed breed, simplicity, Values, winston churchill

Put Your Shoulder To The Ball

Posted July 19, 2011 By Ande and has 4 comments.

A line from Aesop’s fable, Hercules and the Wagoner, “Put your shoulder to the wheel,” has become a sort of unspoken mantra for our society. It has become like a teeny, invisible slave driver sitting on our shoulders, cracking the whip and bellowing, “Work harder. Work harder.”

Well, forget the wheel and that slave driver.

Joyful Springers put their shoulder to the ball. They understand that life isn’t supposed to be a push and a struggle. They know it’s supposed to flow and roll along … kind of like a ball.

Instead of manhandling your way through the day forcing yourself to stick to obligations and agendas, start listening to your inner guidance and what it tells you to do. That guidance will lead you to a balance of work and play that will transform pushing a wheel into having a ball.

[Mollie's back. This mixed breed girl takes her ball playing seriously. She uses it to help bring balance into the busy life of her momma, Donna, who's a life coach teaching people how to create fun and fulfilling lives. ]

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Categories: Balance, Feeling Good, Fun, Inner wisdom, Play, Springer Spaniel

Tags: Balance, Fun, go with the flow, Inner wisdom, mixed breed dog, put your shoulder to the wheel

Slacken Your Leash

Posted July 16, 2011 By Ande and has no comments yet.

Discipline has a place in life. But it can get out of hand. Some people have their lives so orchestrated and regimented that they’re tied up all day long.

Joyful Springers slacken their leash. They have some order in their lives, but they partner that order with laid-back freedom to just be.

Unleash yourself from the constraints of constant doing. Enjoy joyful moments of being.

[Meet Lilly. This 10 1/2-month old sweetie is from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Her momma, Barbara Scotch, says that in this photo, Lilly is resting after her morning exercise. Thanks, Lilly, for being a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer. ]

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Categories: Balance, Peace, Springer Spaniel

Tags: being, discipline, English springer spaniel, spaniel, springer spaniels, springers

Protect Your Shins

Posted January 7, 2011 By Ande and has 4 comments.

When we barrel through life, we can get awfully bruised up–physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s a good idea to add just a little caution to our exuberant forward motion.

Joyful Springers protect their shins. Even though they romp with great anticipation through their days, they have enough awareness to keep themselves safe too.

It’s one thing to dive. It’s another to do it off a cliff or out of a plane without something to keep you in one piece. Go ahead and take risks and try new things, but look out for yourself while you do it.

… another wise tidbit from a joyful English Springer Spaniel.

[Mattie's back. Her Momma was trying to take pictures of Mattie, but Mattie was more interested in snuggling. Thanks, Mattie, for guest starring again on The Joyful Springer.]

Would your dog like to be a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer? All dogs can fit the definition of a Joyful Springer. Click here to find out how to submit your photo.

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Categories: Balance, Risk, Safety, Self care, Springer Spaniel

Tags: Dogs, English springer spaniel, Joy, Risk, Safety, spaniels, Springer Spaniel, springers

Beam

Posted January 2, 2011 By Ande and has 3 comments.

Vincent van Gogh said, “The more ugly, older, more cantankerous, more ill and poorer I become, the more I try to make amends by making my colors more vibrant, more balanced and beaming.”

Joyful Springers beam. At any age, they let the best of themselves shine through by owning their strengths and always looking for the wonder around them.

Let your colors shine today! Be the best you that you can be. Smile often. Laugh even more. Learn. Hug. Relish. Breathe in the wonder of you and the world around you.

… another wise tidbit from a joyful English Springer Spaniel.

[Meet Tillie. This gorgeous 10 year old girl lives in Libertyville, Indiana with her daddy, Bob Benditzky. He says Tillie's full name is "Alpine's Black Onyx - but don't tell her, it might go to her head." About this photo, he said, "I asked her to smile, and that's what she gave me." And what a smile she has! Thanks, Tillie, for being a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer.]

Would your dog like to be a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer? All dogs can fit the definition of a Joyful Springer. Click here to find out how to submit your photo.

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Categories: Authenticity, Balance, Beauty, Springer Spaniel

Tags: dog, English springer spaniel, Joy, making my colors more vibrant, spaniels, Springer Spaniel, springers, the best you, vincent van gogh

Match The Beauty Around You

Posted November 19, 2010 By Ande and has 3 comments.

We live in a diverse world, and we have a choice about how we fit into it and how we perceive it. We can either mirror the good in the world or the bad.

Joyful Springers match the beauty around them. They look for the best in the world, and they match it with the positive energy of optimism and appreciation.

The universe is a flow of energy. Your energy merges with the energy around you, and the energy around you merges with you. If you want to have a better experience in the world, give the world the better part of you.

… another wise tidbit from a joyful English Springer Spaniel.

[Meet Barney. This four year old handsome guy was picked up by the local shelter as a stray. English Springer Rescue sprung him and David and Leila Morris fostered him. Then Woody and Anne Senn of Columbia, SC adopted him, and now he is the love of their lives. The Senns say that with Barney, they feel as if they "won the dog lottery." He stays with the Morrises now when his parents go off for the weekend, so he has two loving homes. Thanks, Barney, or being a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer.]

Would your dog like to be a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer? All dogs can fit the definition of a Joyful Springer. Click here to find out how to submit your photo.

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Categories: Appreciation, Balance, Beauty, Energy, Springer Spaniel

Tags: Beauty, Energy, English springer spaniel, flow of energy, Joy, optimism, positive energy, spaniels, springer spaniels, springers

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Doggone Awesome Inspiration For Happy Living

… another wise tidbit from a joyful English Springer Spaniel.

Would your dog like to be a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer? All dogs can fit the definition of a Joyful Springer. Click here to find out how to submit your photo.

… another wise tidbit from a joyful English Springer Spaniel.

Would your dog like to be a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer? All dogs can fit the definition of a Joyful Springer. Click here to find out how to submit your photo.

… another wise tidbit from a joyful English Springer Spaniel.

Would your dog like to be a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer? All dogs can fit the definition of a Joyful Springer. Click here to find out how to submit your photo.