Inspirational Quotes from Books discussion

"Try to be happy, even if it's only to set an example."

-- Jacques Prevert, French poet

"It's not enough to have lived. We should determine to live for something. May I suggest that it be creating joy for others, sharing what we have for the betterment of personkind, bringing hope to the lost and love to the lonely."

-- Leo Buscaglia

Well you are setting a good example, Orinoco, by posting some thought-provoking quotes!

I live to serve!;)

(I wish we had cool emoticons.)

"Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best." Theodore Isaac Rubin

"The value of life lies not in the length of days, but in the use we make of them...Whether you find satisfaction in life depends not on your tale of years, but on your will. "Michel de Montaigne

Most people think, when they’re young, that they’re going to the top of their chosen world, and that the climb up is only a formality. Without that faith, I suppose, they might never start. Somewhere on the way they lift their eyes to the summit and know they aren’t going to reach it; and happiness then is looking down and enjoying the view they’ve got, not envying the one they haven’t.

--Dick Francis, Reflex

A hard lesson to learn in consumer society, but once achieved, no one can make you feel small again because you "don't have."

I was given a little book called 'On Joy' by H. Jackson Brown Jnr

Here's one of his suggestions:

"What you must do, do cheerfully."

Anna wrote: "I was given a little book called 'On Joy' by H. Jackson Brown Jnr

Here's one of his suggestions:

"What you must do, do cheerfully.""

When possible, yes. Our attitude does so much to influence outcomes!! And it sounds a lot better than "what can't be cured must be endured."

Often people who have gone far in the world have little time to enjoy their success because instead of taking a calm, generous approach to life, they are forever worrying about one thing or another. The people who live long are usually those who face things in a tranquil, composed frame of mind.

Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji (ed. Ikeda Kikan)

"Don't overlook life's small joys while searching for big ones."

From 'On Joy' again

We must have pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.
(David Mamet, quoted in Making Piece: a Memoir of Love, Loss and Pie)

Simple, but worth reflection, from an excellent (and very practical) book on bringing out the best in your dogs:

"Thank you, sunshine. Thank you, clouds."

From Smile! and other practical life lessons your dogs can teach you

So true, Vicki! It takes so little to make a dog happy; toss a ball, give him a pat, say "Good dog!" and the sun shines, even if rain is flooding down.

People who say there's no such thing as unconditional love and acceptance have never owned a dog.

Woof! (You're right!) The neat thing about this particular book and the approach it recommends is: it is smile-based, and smiling perpetuates sooooo many good things. Quoting from Chapter 2, about that:

"At Safe Harbor Farm we reward our dogs with sincere, relaxed smiles. What, no dog biscuits? No "good dogs?" No clicker clicks? That's right, smiles ninety-five percent of the time. Why is that? Because smiles don't lead to mouthiness the way treats can. Smiles don't elevate a dog's energy the way "good dogs!" often do. Smiles are always with you. They can't be dropped by arthritic hands, and they don't leave crumbs in your pockets. Smiles can be used selectively when working with multiple dogs, and we don't even have to be looking at a dog for them to send their message.

"Plus, giving smiles to others helps us let go of a lot of our unwanted stress, through the release of endorphins (our very own happy-molecules). This further helps us communicate with our dogs! Because dogs aren't happy where there is tension. Dogs just don't love the drama. Have you ever tried to smile and be dramatic at the same time? Fortunately, it is hard!"

The author, a vet, then goes on to discuss when she rewards her dogs with a soft "good dog!" or "good decision!" (when her dog chooses the right behavior after considering the alternatives) and when she uses treats (when a higher energy is okay). This is an uplifting, as well as a very practical book.

At the risk of going on and on about it, let me share another quote, from the same chapter. Its moment-by-moment nature, and how it naturally promotes positivity, is what makes it inspirational for me:

"When a dog anticipates a treat, his focus naturally drifts to the treat. But when he is rewarded with your smile, his focus is on you. So smile at your dog when he is quiet, and you will get more quiet behavior. Smile at him when he relaxes, if you want him to be more relaxed. Smile at him when you are pleased with what he is doing, and you will be more apt to get the dog you want!"

Cool. Smile! and other practical life lessons your dogs can teach you

I obedience-trained my first pup when I was about 9. I'd been bitten on the face by a Dalmatian at about age 3 (still have a very vivid memory of it, 51 yrs later) and was understandably afraid of dogs!So my parents got a little Dachshund cross puppy and encouraged me to train it. I was given a little leaflet by the vet that explained how to train for the four basic commands (Sit, Stay, Come, Down). It said that your greatest assets in training are the tone of your voice, the expression on your face and your hand on the leash. That smiles are just as important among dogs as among humans, and a warm, quiet voice that's full of affection (or firmness) often gets you farther than a shout. That your dog can sense a lot about your emotional and mental state from your posture and expression, and just like horses who "feel" how we are through the reins, dogs can pick up on our feelings via the leash.

And that was in about 1971!

I've always thought this treat-based training wouldn't work with some dogs who would decide no treats, no obedience!

It sounds like you got some very perceptive advice. All too often dog "training" projects tension...and dogs know to move away from tension (one reason Dr. Swanson recommends occasional "umbilical leashing", that is: tying a leash around your middle, instead of holding it in your hands).

I like your analogy about horses and "feeling" through the reins. It is an analogy the author uses in her book! Your mention of posture is also spot-on, as dogs communicate via their posture, the positions they take and the energy they project.

Sending good energy your way...

"A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow man; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes; and they come back to us as effects."
Herman Melville