Dear Class of 2020,
So, what kind of advice can I give you for this wild and crazy year? Your class always has been kind of “epic”! You started school in the year of 9/11 and are now exiting school in a pandemic. In like a lion, out like a lion – with a ROAR!
Here’s my advice: I love dogs! We are on our third dog now – all border collies – and two have each lived to be about 15-16 years old (we just recently acquired a new puppy). They have blessed our lives and become part of our family and we have also learned so much from our dogs (for those of you that have dogs, you know what I mean). As you move forward in life….. BE LIKE DOGS!
- TRUST your instinct. We all have that “inner gut feeling” when someTHING or someONE is just not right. TRUST IT! And trust the DOG! If a dog doesn’t like someone, pay attention.
- LOVE unconditionally, and wholeheartedly. Ever watch a dog love? They jump all over you, lick you, wag their tail. 😊 They don’t need a reason to love you, they just do! Don’t ask for a reason to love others, just DO IT! Show it! Wholeheartedly.
- PLAY. Play so hard until you DROP! NEVER get too old to PLAY! It keeps you young, it keeps you happy, and it gives you joy! The day you stop playing and moving, is the day you die! (mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes physically)
- BE PRESENT – Ever watch a dog play? They are ALL IN! Whatever you are doing, and whoever you are with … be ALL IN in that MOMENT! Put the phone down, put your thoughts aside, and BE THERE!
- WORK HARD – Border Collies are working dogs and they are the happiest when they get to work! Their reward is rest! The best way to kill a Border Collies’ spirit is to confine them, restrict them and tie them up. WORK HARD! Yes…it is exhausting, but there is no greater reward, nothing that will grow your self-esteem faster and no better sense of fulfillment that a “job well done”. Then, when you are done, refer back to #2…and play until you DROP! 😊
- ENDURE – My last pup lived to be 16 years old, which for a border collie is a long life! She endured it well. She tried to retrieve even until the last days, even though it hurt her hips to do so. Endure your life well. In case you haven’t noticed, there are always bumps in the road, unexpected turns and sometimes gaping cracks that open up on your journey. Go back to #1 and trust your instincts. Don’t get so set on your goals that you forget to be fluid on your journey and end up exactly where you are supposed to be! Take each turn and bump and crevice in stride, seek to find out what you are to learn from it, allow it to make you stronger and better! Tomorrow is always a better day! ❤
“Adversity buys you a ticket to places you would have never been able to go!” … and you will all go places you never even dreamed imaginable! I wish you the very best!
Alisa Wise
