Clinch Up

Posted February 2, 2012 By Ande and has 2 comments.

Clinch up stella luna and Stoney Clinch Up

Each of us has a powerful inner voice that chooses beliefs that serve us and can guide us through tough decisions.  Too often, though, we let other people with strong opinions drown out that voice.

Joyful Springers clinch up.  They choose their beliefs and their plan of action, and they aren’t deterred by people who think what they’re doing is ill-advised.

How often have you made a decision only to have someone talk you out of it?  Never let the doubters and the naysayers separate you from your truth.  Trust your inner wisdom and hold to it securely.

[Stella Luna and Steeler are back.  Their momma, Debbie caught them sound asleep in this adorable cuddle one morning and managed to grab this great shot.  Steeler put up a paw as if to say, "Hey, I was sleeping."  But Stella Luna was okay with being found in a clinch with her brother. icon smile Clinch Up ]

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Clinch Up

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Categories: Inner wisdom, Springer Spaniel, Trust

Go Sledding

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

go sledding howes daughters ferret Go Sledding

In the snowfield of life, you can either trudge (by working hard) or you can glide (by trusting your inner guidance).

Joyful Springers go sledding.  They follow their inner voice and use intuition to make choices so that life feels like an effortless slide down a beautiful, fun hill.

Why plod through life when you can sled through it?  Follow your intuition and glide through your days.

[Meet Wilber.  This adorable ferret from Illinois is Joan Howe's "grand-ferret. icon smile Go Sledding ]

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Categories: Inner wisdom, Inspiration, Springer Spaniel
Tags: ferrets, inner guidance, intuition, sledding

Put Your Shoulder To The Ball

Posted July 19, 2011 By Ande and has 4 comments.
rescue dog put your shoulder to the ball Put Your Shoulder To The Ball

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

Do It Your Way

Posted April 18, 2011 By Ande and has 2 comments.

english springer spaniel do it your way Do It Your Way

Have you ever thought about the fact that everything you learn is just someone else’s way of doing things?

Joyful Springers do it their way.  They don’t copy their teachers.  They take all knowledge as suggestions and then add their own unique position.

No one’s inner guidance is better than any other’s.  When you trust your own wisdom, you’re inspired to do things in the way that’s best for you.

[Butch and Pumpkin are back. Both of these Carolina cuties love to rest on the table in this photo.  It was Butch who got the prime resting spot this time, and he couldn't care less that coffee tables are commonly used for resting feet and not heads. icon smile Do It Your Way ]


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Categories: Authenticity, Individuality, Inner wisdom, Inspiration, Springer Spaniel
Tags: Authenticity, do it your way, Dogs, English springer spaniel, Inner wisdom, inspiration, spaniels, springers

Search Behind Cushions

Posted April 1, 2011 By Ande and has 4 comments.

english springer spaniel check behind cushions Search Behind Cushions

Do they put impatience in the drinking water these days?  It seems like we’re all in such a rush to find answers and get what we want.  In fact, we’re so busy hurrying on to the next thing that we miss what’s right there … if only we took the time to look for it.

Joyful Springers search behind cushions.  They understand that the way to get what they want isn’t to rush all over but to really  pay attention to what’s around them.

What you want and need could be within your reach right now but because you’re so busy doing, you’re not seeing.  When you slow down, your inner wisdom will remind you to check your immediate surroundings and what you already know to get what you seek.

… another wise tidbit from a joyful English Springer Spaniel.

[Sweet Pea is back. This adorable nine-month old's mom, Denise, says Sweet Pea likes to bury her chew toys in the couch cushions. Denise wrote to me, “One night she just kept diving down into the cushions and coming up with another toy. They had been there awhile - I thought she'd left them out in the yard (under the snow somewhere) because I hadn't seen them for months.”  Obviously, Sweet Pea remembered where she’d left her treasures. icon smile Search Behind Cushions Thanks, Sweet Pea, 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: Focus, Inner wisdom, Springer Spaniel
Tags: English springer spaniel, find what you seek, Inner wisdom, spaniels, springers

Be Still

Posted December 24, 2010 By Ande and has no comments yet.

English springer spaniel be still y Be Still

“‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a … Joyful Springer.”

Joyful Springers are still.  They know that embracing the quiet moments is what connects them to their true essence and to the essence of others.

If you’ve been rushing around to keep up with the holiday hustle and bustle, stop for a moment.  Just breathe in and out.  Listen to the silence. Tap into your source energy and let it connect you joyfully to the world around you.

…Another wise tidbit from a joyful English Springer spaniel.

[Stella Luna, Stoney, and Steeler are back.  See Daddy's elbow in the lower right corner?  They all want to share his pillow. Thanks, Stella Luna, Stoney, and Steeler, for guest starring again on The Joyful Springer.]

May the peace of the season be with you and yours.

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: Feeling Good, Focus, Inner wisdom, Relaxation, Springer Spaniel
Tags: Dogs, English springer spaniel, essence, Joy, soul, spaniels, springer, Springer Spaniel, twas the night before christmas

Dig Beneath The Surface

Posted September 29, 2010 By Ande and has no comments yet.

English springer spaniel dig beneath the surface Dig Beneath The Surface

In the book of life, the meaning that gives richness to our existence isn’t found in the text.  It’s found in the subtext, in what’s written between the lines.

Joyful Springers dig beneath the surface.  They know that what seems to be isn’t always what is.

Go a little deeper today.  Don’t latch on to the first impression you have of what you’re seeing and hearing.  Look for the subtle layers in your experiences.

… another wise tidbit from a joyful English Springer Spaniel.

[Mattie's back.  This industrious excavator from North Carolina is Brenda's much loved girl . 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: Inner wisdom, Learning, Perspective, Springer Spaniel
Tags: Dogs, English springer spaniel, Joy, meaning of life, Perspective, Springer Spaniel, springers, subtext

Grow Into Your Frog

Posted August 10, 2010 By Ande and has 6 comments.

english springer spaniel grow into your frog Grow Into Your Frog

Singer Toni Braxton said, “I’m not a diva. I’m a tadpole trying to be a frog.” The truth is we all feel like tadpoles at least some of the time.  We feel small and vulnerable.  We forget we have the huge power of divine energy inside of us.

Joyful Springers grow into their frogs.  They know that they came from pure, positive energy, and they have access to that energy, which is the same powerful energy that creates worlds.

You are a powerful person, but your power isn’t in your efforts to control what’s going on around you.  Your power lies within you, in your focus and thought.  Own your power today.

… another wise tidbit from a joyful English Springer Spaniel.

[Meet Mattie.  This lovely old girl from New Bern, North Carolina, had a tough early life, but thanks to the great people at English Springer Rescue America and her great foster parents, she made her way to her current momma, Brenda, whose "100s of pictures" of Mattie attest to how much Mattie is loved. Thanks, Mattie, 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: Dogs, Focus, Inner wisdom, Power, Springer Spaniel
Tags: divine energy, Dogs, english springer spaniels, Focus, Joy, personal power, spaniels, springer, springer spaniels, springers

Let Your Inner Angel Shine

Posted July 17, 2010 By Ande and has 1 comment.

English springer spaniel let your inner angel shine1 Let Your Inner Angel Shine

We live in a connected universe.  Everything is energy, and all energy is linked.  This means that inside every one of us is divine energy.  Inside each of us is the wise, loving energy of an angel.

Joyful Springers let their inner angels shine.  They know that their essence is worthy and good, and they can count on their own intuition to guide them to their highest calling.

You don’t need to go looking for guidance.  It’s within you.  You don’t need to go looking for love.  It’s within you.  Get quiet and look within, and you’ll find what you need.

… another wise tidbit from a joyful English Springer Spaniel.

[Meet Ashley. Ashley, who "never met a stranger," was Catherine Jones' beloved girl.  Catherine calls this photo Ashley's "Angle picture." Ashley mentored Sidney before passing away at the age of 16 years on March 27, 2008.  Sidney was bereft after Ashley was gone.  But Ashley still lives in the hearts of all who loved her.  Be forever in joy, Ashley.   And thanks 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: Dogs, Energy, Inner wisdom, Love, Springer Spaniel
Tags: angels, Dogs, English springer spaniel, inner guidance, intuition, Joy, spaniel, springer, Springer Spaniel

Get It From The Horse’s … er … Dog’s Mouth

Posted April 29, 2010 By Ande and has 1 comment.

Chocolate lab get it from the horses mouth Get It From The Horses ... er ... Dogs Mouth

The old saying, “straight from the horse’s mouth” means “from the highest authority.”  The earliest known printed version of the phrase was in a 1913 edition of the Syracuse Herald: “I got a tip yesterday, and if it wasn’t straight from the horse’s mouth it was jolly well the next thing to it.”

So what is the highest authority?  Some would say God.  Others would name another deity.  No matter what you call this spiritual authority, the way to find it is by paying attention to your own inner wisdom.  YOU are your highest authority.

Joyful Springers get it from the horse’s … er … dog’s mouth.  They know they can find the answers they need within themselves.  They don’t have to stick their nose in someone else’s mouth.

You know what’s best for you; all you need to do is follow your instincts.

… another wise tidbit from a joyful LAB.

[Leo’s back, and this time, he has his sister, Cessna, with him.  Cessna is a one year old Yellow Lab.  You can see more pictures of Leo and Cessna on Leo’s Facebook page.  Thanks Leo and Cessna for being Guest Stars 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.

If you have contacted me regarding a submission and haven’t heard from me within 48 hours, please contact me again.  I’ve had a couple of my replies to returned to me, perhaps because of a mistyped e-mail address.  I’m NOT ignoring anyone.  If you contact me, I reply.  So please try again.

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Categories: Dogs, Inner wisdom, Springer Spaniel
Tags: chocolate lab, Inner wisdom, labrador retriever, labs, straight from the horse's mouth, yellow lab