What Sparty teaches us about when the storm comes is that we find the necessary balance. We make sure that in the center of our life is presence and influence.
Loving life. SpartyWISE.
When Sparty first walked in our home, soon to be known as his house, he took command right away. He walked in with a purpose, it was obvious in the way he carried himself.
This is something we can have too.
We are often unsure of our self and that can lead to behaviors that are not in line with presence and influence. The reason is we often drift to negative self-limiting thoughts.
Sparty leads the way in being positive and present. Spartacus truly defined the “act as if” mindset which is open to each one of us. Spartacus was comfortable with who he was, had a strong sense of self awareness, and built it all on a foundation of being present and influential.
When difficult early life lessons come upon us Spartacus teaches us that inner strength is the most important thing to develop. Watch now.
Several years ago, I did a talk and made a case for never using bad language.
Before I say another word, let me confess that I have and still do say things that are considered inappropriate. Bad language, even loud and forceful words, only have a short term reaction from others. The best sustained influence comes from calm but truthful words that come from a place of less emotion and more thoughtfulness.
This was another characteristic of Sparty. He did bark at times but you could tell it was only to make his point. And I am convinced that if it came out in the English language then there would be no cursing.
In addition, when he had to make a point in the house to solidify his being the one in charge, he often did it with a subtle but effective look. I will tell you that, especially with Daniel, it worked every time and you could see it coming too! Sparty would just walk by him and give a look and Daniel always respected him. The few times Sparty did bark Daniel would bark back.
Does that sound familiar? Spartacus’s communication style is really effective and it creates an atmosphere of influence.
For today, examine your levels on influence and notice your tone of communication and body language.
Please try to think of Sparty for inspiration.
Ego is found when we’re either looking too far ahead or too far back. We learn in this video to stay absolutely in the now and we’re better off. Watch now.
Presence is being truly with the individual before you with no distractions at all.
Influence is the impact you have on someone, hopefully in a positive way.
It is hard to imagine that one can influence someone without really being present. This includes animals in need and will give them the love they deserve. Consider the best performers and how they truly connect with an audience. Their presence is felt even to thousands of people.
Therefore, they are able to have a positive influence on every single one of them. My Spartacus who passed away on March 15, 2018, was a real inspiration on being present. The interesting thing about presence and influence is that it is best accomplished in a quiet and subtle way. Those who try to push themselves on others usually fall short, or are seemingly effective in the beginning but not long term.
This comes to life in dog training. A dog will respond better to consistent, positive commands. I will tell you that I learned a lot from Spartacus over the years and now I am pleased to offer his wisdom to you. We will take a look at our own presence and influence and how it provides us with more joy and peace in our rescue efforts.
For today, just pick up your awareness on your presence to others. Try and eliminate distractions of any kind when you are with loved ones, 4 legged loved ones too, of course!
