Welcome to the “Lessons from Nature” series based on a profound insight I had:  Humans may have the most complex brains on the planet, but nature as a whole has a better grip than humankind on how to successfully achieve a thriving quality of life.

What I mean by that is this:  Each species instinctively knows what type of quality of life it is supposed to have on this Earth and actively works to achieve it.  The only species that seems to have trouble doing so is humans (see my earlier blog posts for more details).  During this series I will be sharing with you a number of lessons we can learn from nature which will help us achieve a thriving quality of life more consistently. 

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We can learn a lot from nature about how to have a thriving quality of life by watching how dogs survey their territory.

My dog, Dakota, is a Siberian Husky.  She has a lot of energy and our fenced in backyard is a perfect place to let her run around to her heart’s content.  When I let Dakota out in the morning the first thing she does is walk slowly over the deck to the gate, all the while surveying her territory to make sure everything is as she left it the day before.  Occasionally she’ll stop in her tracks and get very still, focused on a squirrel or listening to a sound in the distance.  Then once she is certain everything is okay, she’ll continue down the stairs to either chase the squirrel or investigate the yard for new things.

It is to Dakota’s advantage to stop each morning and take notice of everything around her because doing so helps her spot new opportunities (i.e. new things to chase or smell) and protects her from any danger.  Dakota’s habit of surveying her territory every day allows her to maintain a thriving quality of life.

As Humans, we rarely slow down long enough to survey our territory which often leads to missed opportunities and potentially harmful situations.  If only we would take a moment each morning to review all 12 areas of our life and “check-in” to:  1) Determine if any of our life habits are holding us back and 2)  Celebrate all the life areas we are handling well.  

Acknowledging life areas that may need improvement and celebrating life areas that are going well are an important aspect of creating a thriving quality of life.  Surveying your territory every day (or at least once a week) is just one way to implement that process.  

As you begin your day tomorrow think of Dakota and stop for just a moment and ask yourself:  How are things going in the Appearance, Career, Family, Friends, Fun/Leisure, Health, Home, Money, Personal Development, Relationship, Service, and Spiritual areas of my life?  Is there anything I need to improve?  What successes can I celebrate?

If you can get into the habit of surveying your territory on a more regular basis, I guarantee that opportunities for success will find you more easily, and you’ll also avoid difficult situations more often.

I look forward to your comments on my article!  Stay tuned next week for another lesson from nature.

Have a fabulous day and don’t forget to keep an eye out for all the amazing possibilities within and around you!

Sincerely,
Kris Cavanaugh
C.E.O. Catalyst & Life Coach 
www.begintoshift.com