Have you earned your shower today?

Hello again! WOW, Blue and I obviously have no time management skills at this point in our lives! Time slipped away from us while we have been working on some house projects and enjoying hanging out together. We are delighted to write again…and, in this edition, we continue to turn our attention toward joy and happiness.

Thinking about joy and happiness…

Blue.

For at least the last several years, the Steelers Pro Shop has offered a free schedule magnet with an online order at the beginning of football season. To save myself time from having to google what the Steelers game day schedule is - (I mean…how much effort would that take?..) - I’ve made it a tradition to place an online order so that I can get that very special free schedule magnet and proudly display it in our home.

Well, this year I added to Blue’s collection of toys by purchasing a cheeseburger, hotdog, and a bag of peanuts…all with the Steelers logo. And I could not resist this white jersey for away games. — For anyone concerned…yes, he does already have jersey options for home games. And, YES he has a few Terrible Towels to choose from as well!

Blue, my incredible little sport, is now ready to rock out apparel on ALL game days!

Showers.

When Blue has been freshly bathed he has a beautiful, cream-colored coat. And his fur is super soft. Typically after a shower, we have approximately a 48-72 hour window of enjoying that fresh, clean coat and softness before Blue starts moving into his grunge phase…

-The unkempt fur.

-The cream color starting to take on shades of brown and green.

-Random things stuck in his fur - it’s just better that I don’t even try to identify what some of those things are…

This transition from freshly showered to grunge just naturally occurs as Blue lives his best life by playing, walking, training, rolling in the grass, climbing into bushes, and the list goes on…

Blue embraces every moment no matter what he is doing. He lives fully in the moment — teaching me every day how to do the same.

Mondays are Blue’s scheduled mani/pedi days AND his shower days. And, oh my, Blue loves showers. LOVES them! If we even whisper the word “shower”, he will run to the shower and just wait beside it until we can get there.

Last Monday night it was approaching 7PM. It had been a long and full day of activities and Blue had worn himself out. Like most evenings, Blue had settled in on the couch to catch a nap before bed.

My husband and I were working in the kitchen looking out into the living room. Blue was hidden by the back of the couch. We were discussing how Blue still needed his Monday night spa ritual…but I was concerned that Blue might be too tired and wouldn’t really want to participate in those activities. My husband looked at the back of the couch, spoke with a low volume and said:

“Blue, do you want to take a shower?”

The next thing we see is Blue’s head pop up over the back of the couch and look into the kitchen. His fur on his face and head was completely disheveled, and his little eyes looked so tired…but he made this impressively quick transition from deep sleep mode to “are we doing this right now?!?!” and he RAN to the shower!

More on showers…

My one marathon.

I met this amazing woman when I was in dental school. I was starting in my second year and she was starting in her first year. We began chatting one day in the library and formed a pretty quick connection. She is one of those people who is genuine, kind, funny, SMART, easy to talk to, and always has some grand adventure in mind.

Well, early on in our friendship she decided it would be a great idea if we trained for a marathon. A full marathon. The whole thing. 26.2 miles...

Now let me be clear…I have never been a runner. A slow jogger at my best. Half marathons were more my comfort zone. A full marathon was not even on my radar. —In hindsight, I might have been wise to bail on our friendship right then and there...

This amazing friend of mine had such a special idea. We would join Team Diabetes - a cause incredibly near and dear to her heart. AND - the location of this race would be in Kona, Hawaii. What?!! Um, yeah I totally want to do that!

Our job was to raise money. And Team Diabetes would coach us on how to train for the race…

- We were given a packet of materials that included fund raising tips, training recommendations, and training schedules. And, in that packet we were also given a rearview mirror tag that said something to the effect of —

“Have you earned your shower today?”

From my recollection, it had a Hawaiian theme. It was white with bold coloring of red and green. And, there was at least one palm tree. I was so proud of that tag and the goal that I was chasing. I hung it from my rearview mirror, and it was such a great reminder that I needed to prioritize my training in order to achieve my goal.

I still feel jazzed when I think about crossing that finish line. It was absolutely exhilarating. I was proud of what I had achieved. And, I was so proud to be part of Team Diabetes. - (I was also exhausted, sunburned and sore.)

I am not one to really hold on to a lot of memorabilia, but I did keep my finishers metal. And, I certainly held on to that friendship. In fact, we’ve been friends and colleagues for quite a few years. She continues her quest for big adventures. And, I continue to love spending time with her.

The rearview mirror tag.

I am so guilty of breaking promises to myself around exercise, nutrition, self care of any type, meditation…you name it. I even break promises to myself around this newsletter that Blue and I love.

I can get so distracted by life and my “to do” list. — I’m very guilty of thinking there is always more time to take care of myself or to pursue my passions. And that there will be time to pursue the fun once I get the busy work done. — But really, I’m just deprioritizing myself and the things that are important to me. Maybe you can relate?

One of my wise teachers asked me a long time ago…“When you say ‘yes’ to something, what are you saying ‘no’ to?” This is such an amazing question that I circle back to over and over in my life…

- Am I saying “yes” to the mindless busy work? And, “no” to being mindful of the present moment?

- Am I saying “yes” to that extra load of laundry while I say “no” to Blue with his soulful gaze asking me to go for a walk or play a game?

- Have I said “yes” or “no” to making time for praying, journaling, meditating, proper nutrition, a nice walk, a cycling class, strength training, yoga, or sound healing?

Well, recently I’ve been thinking a lot about that rearview mirror tag…

“Have you earned your shower today?”

Reflecting on that question has helped me be more mindful in making decisions about what my priorities for the day should be.

- As a result, Blue and I have been working on getting to the gym by 5:30 AM (yikes)…then taking a walk while it is still cool. Then we might consider a little meditation or quiet time…and we continue to build our day from there. We are setting our intention on making mindful decisions around how we can earn our showers.

So we are curious…what would earning your shower look like to you?

- A morning prayer?

- A morning meditation?

- Reading your scripture?

- A walk or play session with your dog?

- A quiet few minutes while drinking your morning coffee?

- Getting your cardio or strength training in?

What is it that you can do to earn your shower each day?

A meditation for joy and happiness.

In our last edition we offered a short meditation. We are repeating that same meditation below — AND, I have also done an audio recording of the meditation.

How about that audio?!?! Nikki and Blue trying on a new feature for our newsletter!

Here it is in written form:

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Can you find a comfortable posture where you can feel both alert and relaxed?

- Perhaps sitting in a chair with your feet flat on the ground, your back straight and attentive...

- Closing your eyes if that feels comfortable to you…

Can you allow a little grin to form on your face? And notice how this smile affects your mind…

Take a few deeper breaths…

- Can you bring a calming energy into your body with each inhale?

- Can you bring a little relaxation with each exhale?

- Just notice the natural rhythm of your breath…

Now, can you bring to mind something that brings you joy?

- What brings you joy or a feeling of well being?

- Notice how that feels in your body and your mind…

Now bring to mind a blessing in your life…someone or something you are grateful for…

- Can you let the feeling of gratitude flow through your body?

- And, can you offer a silent thank you from your heart?

Can you stay with this meditation for a few minutes…just bringing to mind blessings that bring you joy and happiness? Blessings that you are grateful for….Offering a thank you from your heart…

When you are ready, you can wiggle your fingers and your toes. Open your eyes if they are closed. Take a moment to re-acquaint with your surroundings. And know that you can come back to this meditation as often as you wish.

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A story of friendship.

Quite some time ago Blue and I were in the lobby of his school one day after class. There was a display of really cute dog bandanas that I had wanted to peruse, and I came across a blue bandana with white paw prints. It was perfect for Blue and I wanted to get it for him. (I mean a blue bandana for Blue—what choice did I have?) But, I am the worst at carrying cash on me. And, because it was an outside vendor who was the seller for these bandanas…I had to either pay cash or make a Venmo payment. Well, I had no cash. And, I had no Venmo account either.

A lady in our class, Kyah’s mom, overheard the conversation and before I knew it her hand reached across the counter as she handed over the cash to pay for Blue’s bandana. My heart dropped into my stomach and I said something like, “oh no, we will just get his bandana another time…we don’t want you to do that.” But Kyah’s mom was set on making sure Blue got his bandana that day. I thanked her over and over again, and I was so touched that she made such a kind and generous gesture toward us. (At that point we had been in class together but had never really even talked to each other.)

As time went on, Blue and I started hanging out with Kyah and her mom during class. And, we have had the privilege of observing their interactions and skills.

Kyah is a beautiful 5 year old girl…in fact her birthday was just this week! She and her mom brought in peanut butter in cups to share with the entire class. Yep…we celebrate birthdays at our school too!

I asked Kyah’s mom to describe her and this is some of what she wrote to me:

Her mom was a full Husky with golden brown eyes and her dad was a full German Shepherd with chocolate brown eyes. She was the only one in the litter to have a blue eye. She has tri-coloring and I call her my lil’ wolf dog.

She is a testimonial dog. A blessing from the Lord and an answer to prayer. She is a sweet reminder of how much Jesus loves us and is the only One who can truly satisfy the heart.

She is a smart cookie and helps me daily. She truly likes to work her brain and she loves to run and have fun.

Now…I have to tell you that Kyah is awesome. I mean awesome. She does an amazing job in class — follows ALL of her mom’s commands. I don’t believe I have ever seen one task that Kyah did not successfully accomplish. She is gentle, sweet, calm, peaceful and so intelligent.

I love to witness Kyah and her mom interact. Rightfully, Kyah’s mom has high expectations. And on occasion I’ll notice mom talking a little sass to Kyah - nudging her to be just a little bit more brilliant. And Kyah rises to EVERY occasion and is so happy to honor her mom’s requests. They are truly an amazing and beautiful team.

Kyah has been a great role model for our training, and has always been so sweet to Blue. And, Kyah’s mom…well she has been so kind and encouraging to both Blue and me…

- Helping us with struggles…

- Checking in on us…

- Complimenting us when she can see we have made improvements…

As much as Blue and I love the training, it can be frustrating for both of us. And when someone shows up for you with kindness and encouragement…well, that is a lovely and meaningful experience. We are blessed to have Kyah and her mom as our friends. Thank you both!

What we are loving and are excited for.

- Football season is starting! YAY!

- Downtown Abbey: The Grand Finale release date is September 12th. So excited!

- We are just going to say it…Congratulations to Taylor and Travis! We are so happy for them and their families!

As we bring this edition to a close…

Blue and I would love to know what brings you joy and happiness. And, we would love to know what goals you might have for yourself to earn your shower. We invite you to leave a comment or reply to this email. We also invite you to leave us a heart if our edition resonated with you.

We will leave you with a quote…

“Wherever you are, be there totally.” — Eckhart Tolle

Thank you for following along!

Until we write again,

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