10 life lessons my golden retriever taught me about life
31 March 2025
How a dog's joy and wisdom can remind us what truly matters in life
10 life lessons our golden retriever taught me. Our fury friends can teach us a lot! Sometimes they master life more than we do. They master the art of relaxation, joy, community - everything we can benefit in today's society that shows increasing numbers of loneliness, depression and disconnection from each other.
Here's the 10 lessons to remind ourselves of what truly matters.
Authenticity
What it means to be authentic and fully yourself. If you are sad, be sad. If you are mad, be mad. If you are happy, be happy. Show it. Be it. Own it. Be authentic of how you truly feel and who you truly are. In today's world that's become used to wearing a mask and trying to fit in, authenticity is rare, yet a key to being happy self.
To love without expecting anything back
Honestly, how many people can truly say that? Can we share a bit more love today? A bit more kindness? A bit more compassion? Without expecting anything back from another person. Just from the joy of sharing love. Oh, how beautiful.
To be so joyful without making money
Not a single day passes that he‘s not joyful and yet making an impact in the world just by being himself. Too often we are so concerned about money or doing something big forgetting that it’s not necessarily about money or fame or achieving something big. The more we share our joy, the more we make an impact on the people around us. We don't need to earn our worthiness. We are worthy to be happy and even good enough without money.
Being in the present moment
Not worrying about tomorrow. That can be a tough one. Bills, children, jobs, duties... Living in the here and now can be a challenge. Not for a dog though. Can we make more time to be more present today?
Being himself
He’s not ashamed of a big belly, his genitals, his little bump in his face… it’d never come to his mind to get a beauty treatment. He’d actually refuse that. It’d never cross his mind to have a bigger nose or a smaller leg. He accepts who he is. How many beauty standards tell us the opposite? Can we just see ourselves through the eyes of a dog? Can we love and accept ourselves a little more today even with all our weaknesses?
A sense of community
He plays peacefully with others, and the joy of gathering in a family or dog community brings as much joy as being on his own. Sometimes mingling with others instead of distancing ourselves from each other can make all the difference. In today's world, where an increasing number feels disconnected, it can help to join a community.
Make the most out of each situation and circumstance
No matter if there is wind, snow, rain or sun, make the most out of it. Play with a stick even in the snow. In other words, make hard circumstances fun. Find something to play with even if it’s uncomfortable. Make an uncomfortable situation comfortable. Yes, life has its ups and downs but let's not forget it's up to us what we make out of it.
Take a break and chill when you feel like it
Not convincing yourself to strive harder but to relax instead. My dog takes a nap whenever he likes to. He doesn't feel guilty or bad. Too often we are convinced to work a little longer and a little harder. Can we just remind ourselves to take more (little) breaks without feeling guilty if we feel like resting?
Observe
The best thing you can sometimes do is to simply sit and observe. Observe yourself and others without judging or attacking or engaging. There’s a power behind observation. Can we simply observe things as if we were on Earth for the first day? We’d see things in a completely new way.
Be persistent
Especially with food or if he wants something. He's persistent. So if you want something, stick with it. Be persistent. Never give up. There is always this little hope even if no food is left on the plate, the small crumbs count too.
Our fury friends are more than just dogs. They are friends, healers, comforters, teachers and remind us to enjoy life a bit more!
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