Before battle, knights put on their armor.  Before Superman leaped tall buildings, he put on his leotard and his cape.  What do you do before you go out into the world?

Joyful Springers suit up.  They slip into a vision of what they want to experience  prior to stepping out … so they more often have things go their way.

How often do you go out into the world expecting the worst?  “The traffic will be terrible.”  “I’m going to be late.”  “They’ll never say yes.”  When you precede your actions with these sorts of predictions, you’re going forth “naked,” exposing yourself to creating the very things you don’t want.  Instead of leaving yourself open to the worst, imagine yourself in a costume of triumph; envision what you want instead of what you don’t want, and be in fashion with more and more fun.

[Ducky loved playing in the bit of snow we got a couple weeks ago.  Even a few inches of the white stuff is a big deal here on the Washington Coast.  And she wants you to notice the wonderful rain suit her grandma bought for her.  Of course, Springers' coats are made for being in the outdoors, but because Ducky still wears a brace that we want to keep as dry and clean as possible, my mom paid for a very special suit for Ducky.  It's made from "Houndtex" material, which is a breathable, waterproof material like Gore-tex.

If you're curious about the Hurtta Pro Waterproof Overalls, you can check them out at Gun Dog Supply.  We're very happy with them.  They are as waterproof as they promise to be, and they do an excellent job of keeping Ducky's white feathery belly clean even when she's doing her crazy-dog romps through the mud and underbrush in the forest.  Once you get the hang of it, the overalls are reasonably easy to put on and take off.  Although they're adjustable at the waist, neck, and at the bottom of each leg, I found I needed to do a little adjustment to the front legs.  If you choose the suit's size according to the measurement chart at the site, the legs will fit to just above the dogs paws, which is fine when the dog is standing still.  But when Ducky started to run and leap, the longer legs flopped over her paws and tripped her up.  I ended up folding up the material in the front legs and sewing the folds so the front legs are much shorter.]

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Most of us have a tendency to live life by the seat of our pants.  Instead of acting, we keep reacting.

Joyful Springers calculate.  They have a deliberate purpose or design for their life because they know by having one, they’re more likely to take the actions that will give them the life they want.

When you think about what you want from your days instead of just going through the motions, you’re giving your subconscious mind (which runs most of your life) instructions to create what you want to experience.  Having your subconscious on board makes the ride of your life a lot more joyful.

[Meet Punky.  Helen Gibson sent me this photo of the third Springer who came into her life.  Helen says, "She was quite the math whiz ... as you can see!" Punky passed away in 2007 at the age of 13, but the love and joy she brought to the Gibson family lives on.  Thanks, Punky, for being a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer.]

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Think you’ve seen it all?  Think again.

Joyful Springers take a gander out there.  They see the world with a fresh, eager perspective, knowing that when they seek something new and wonderful, they find it.

What you look for, you get.  So take a look around you with an expectation that you’re going to discover new joys and new layers of beauty to your world everyday.

[Mollie's back.  This lovely mixed breed from the UK has a great perch from which to take a gander, doesn't she?  And I'm sure her momma, Donna, a life coach with the great blog, Donna At The Beach, has taught Mollie all about looking for the fresh and new in the world.]

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Trends and fads happen when a whole society is encouraged to focus on something in particular.  Often, if we choose to look another way, we’re labeled as “out of it” or “old-fashioned” or “backwards.”

Joyful Springers fixate their own way.  They don’t care about how others label them, and they don’t care about trends.  They follow their inner guidance wherever it leads.

When you let the outside world tell you what to pay attention to, you’re giving away your power.  You have a divine strength within you that knows what you need to focus on.  Trust that guidance.

[Pump and Butch and Marty are back.  Their momma, Helen Gibbons, probably wanted a nice face-forward photo, but Butch and Marty chose their own focus.  Good for them! ]

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In the new year, Joyful Springers resolve to focus on things that make them feel good. They know that what they focus on expands. 

When you look for joy, you find it.

Happy New Year!!

[Ducky loves watching YouTube videos that feature dogs, so that's what she focuses on.  ]

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New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day and other parties are great, but why wait for a get-together to have a good time?

Joyful Springers are their own party.  They know how to make every day a celebration.  They do it by combining appreciation with a focus on finding what’s right about the world around them.

As you start this new year, forget typical resolutions that you’ll probably forget about within a few weeks.  Instead, set a simple intention to go through the year in “party mode.”  Celebrate your world everyday with appreciation and the desire to find the good in your life.

May your New Year be filled with pawsitively joyful tail-wags!

[Ruffles is back. Joan Howe says her sweet girl was very brave about balloons.  And obviously, she knew how to be the star of her own party! ]

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Sometimes, when we have a lot to do, it can feel like we’re buried in deep snow

Joyful Springers plow the way.  They take one task at a time and push through them, one in front of the other, to get enough momentum to churn through even the longest “to do” list.

Feeling a little snowed in by your responsibilities?  Stop thinking about everything you have to do.  Just think about the next thing.  When you keep your attention and energy on the next thing, each thing you do will lead you to the next until you’ve blasted through your obligations and found the joy in your days.

[Snickers is back. Darlene Hoffman's handsome guy can plow his way through anything. ]

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“There was a little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead.  When she was good, she was very, very good, and when she was bad, she was horrid.”  Remember that old ditty?  It’s a great reminder of how bad draws in more bad and good draws in more good and how we can choose which clump–bad or good–we want to create.

Joyful Springers cluster good.  They consciously choose to lump together as much good as they can by refusing to linger too long on the bad things in life.

When something doesn’t go your way, you can complain about it and talk about it to whoever will listen.  But when you do that, you’re inviting more things to go wrong.  Instead of issuing that invitation, you can invite things to go right by turning your attention to what has already gone right for you.  For every “wrong” thing, if you really look, you’ll probably find dozens of right things to focus on, and when you focus on them, they bring in even more right things to a happy cluster of great experiences.

[The TJ's Bed & Biscuit rescue pups are back.  These cuties were rescued by Savings Grace Rescue of Raleigh, North Carolina, cared for at TJs and eventually placed in their forever homes.   Do they make one of the cutest clusters ever or what? ]

JUST A NOTE:  In the November 5 post of Ducky with her walking stick, wearing her Commando Ducky Outfit, I included a link where you can donate to the site if you want.  That link went wonky on me and didn’t work.  Several of you (thank you!) e-mailed me and asked me about it.  If you do want to donate, you can use the link that does work: Look to the right side of the Joyful Springer website, at the picture of Ducky that says, “I pose for treats. Donate to my treat fund?”  Click on that picture and it should take you to the Paypal donation page.  Thanks so much to those of you who have donated!!  Ducky has wagged herself silly in appreciation!

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We spend a lot of time and money protecting things in our lives.  And much of what we protect is important.  But we don’t always protect the right things.

Joyful Springers are guardians of what matters.  They know that protecting things like their waistlines or their bottom line isn’t nearly as important as protecting the real treasures in their lives–the ones they love.

How much time do you spend being a guardian of how people see you or how many pretty things you own?  If you’re going to be a protector, protect the most important thing in your life–your passions and your precious loved ones.

[Late at night, while we're waiting for her Daddy to get home, Ducky and I hang out in our bed; and we play with as many of her toys as she deems appropriate.  In this photo, she'd tired of playing and was ready for a snooze but she had to keep an eye on me to make sure I wasn't going to mess with any of her precious toys. .]

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British philosopher Alfred North Whitehead wrote,“The only use of a knowledge of the past is to equip us for the present. The present contains all that there is. It is holy ground; for it is the past, and it is the future.”

Joyful Springers ground themselves.  They understand that life is lived in “holy ground” of the present, and a constant focus on what’s done or what will be prevents them from allowing their irresistible essence to shine.

When you define yourself by what you’ve done or what might happen to you in the future, you can’t fully be yourself.  Be here now, in the sweet beauty of your truth.  This is where you’ll find all the joy you desire.

[Triscuit is back.  Joan Howe took this photo of her now 13 year old "independent" girl, the first day she and her husband brought Triscuit home.  Joan says that Triscuit was so timid that this was the only pose they could get out of her.  Later, this photo won 1st Place in a puppy photo contest and was on the cover of SPRINGER EXPRESS magazine in the Fall of 2000.  These days, Triscuit is an older girl with arthritis and hearing issues (although she can hear very well whenever food is involved).  She’s been through major surgery for Cushings' Disease and has had both ACLs done, but she’s still a happy girl. ]

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