Day 3 - The Mindfulness of a Miniature Poodle

This weekend we took Margot, our 8 month old miniature poodle, to London for the first time.

She happily hopped into the car, stared through the window as we sat stationary for nearly an hour on Tooting High Street (whilst I got wound up), played happily with numerous dog at Crystal Palace and sat in a busy pub and watched the rugby before falling asleep. She's more of a tennis fan.

Point being? Margot was exposed to a large number of 'firsts' this weekend and she took them in her stride. As long as I was nearby, she knew things must be OK. She was happy, she was experiencing and she never let herself get overwhelmed.

I can learn a lot from Margot and her mindful approach to big things happening. She just lives every moment. She doesn't look back and compare things to what has gone before. She doesn't look into an unknowable future and freak out or catastrophise. Unlike me. When I am snowed under with work and personal problems, I let them build up, I over think, I analyse and deconstruct and create a stress that is entirely of my own making.

On our way home, a large piece of grit flew up from the car in front whilst going over the Hammersmith flyover. It cracked our windscreen. Margot jumped, checked she was still OK and fell back to sleep. I however ran over and over the moment in my head for the three hour journey home, getting angrier and angrier and convincing myself that the crack was getting bigger and bigger.

Margot slept.

There's so much to learn from this, I know there is. But it's easier said than done.

So this morning, I woke up and went for a run. I felt better after a good night's sleep anyway, with Autoglass booked and a 10km run under my belt, I was calmer. But there's so much work for me to do if I want to be 'more Margot'.

That said, when I got home she stole my head torch, chewed through the elastic and growled when I went to take it from her. Not all of Margot's traits are desirable.

I'm down one windscreen and one head torch. But one thing's for sure, these things will run through my head over and over again. And Margot will sleep. I know which one I'd prefer to be able to do.