Thursday, February 27, 2014

The Tail is Wagging the Dog

It's not often enough that I take a step back from the routine of everyday life and observe. 

If we could fast forward my Monday through Friday, you'd see an endless loop of the following: The alarm goes off and I get up, I take a shower and do my hair and make-up, drive a half hour - work for 8-9 hours, drive an hour back, work out for 30-60, shower again, dinner, blog, netflix and instagram my way to sleep. 

This sounds like you and everyone else you know, right?

Today's post is inspired by a phrase I heard yesterday at work and I couldn't stop laughing. 

"The tail is wagging the dog" I heard. Sounds silly right? It probably looks something like this:









That corgi, I just can't. 

Okay, don't lose me here while I talk seriously about tails wagging and metaphorical puppy nonsense. 

The thought of the tail wagging the dog got me thinking. It's backwards, right? Dogs wag their tails when they're happy. The tail is an indicator of happiness. If the dog feels good, the tail goes wild. Simple as that. If the tail is wagging the dog, the effect is creating the cause. The smallest part is controlling the whole. The head is not telling the heart, the heart is telling the head. 

Where I'm getting serious and knee deep in feelings today is that for a long time I don't feel like I've been wagging my own tail. My happiness has been there because my tail's been wagging, but it's been only trying to convince me that I'm happy. There's been anticipation and promise of happy. There's been a fantasy of happy. There's been outside perception of happy. But sadly it hasn't been the true deep down, silent-in-a-dark-room, bursting-at-the-seams feeling of happy. A feeling that I've known much of my life and have missed feeling for a while. 

My slap-happy tail wagging bliss comes when I accomplish something I've set a goal towards or find something new that I'm passionate about. It's when I make someone's day for no damn reason other than to do it. It's when something feels undeniably right, when there's nothing to hide and no hurdles to jump. It's exercise and mental health for myself, not for anyone else. These are the moments that you may as well just imagine my soul lives in this little amazing fur ball. 

So with the start of March coming up in two days I want to find ways to wag my own tail. Create my own happiness. Not let life dictate when I can and can't feel happy, and be able to make happy out of nothing but my own two hands. 

Things that are going to get me wagging:

Me time. 
Passion. 
Goal setting. 
Education. 
Travel. 
Experience. 
Cravings. 
Service. 
Rest. 
Love. 

Now is a time to stop sweating the petty things. 

And definitely a time to continue to not pet the sweaty things!


Thanks for sticking with me today, I reeled you in with the puppy gifs didn't I?

17 comments

Tracey said...

This is a really great post. Definitely a message I took to heart!

Ashley - Married to the Game said...

The puppy gifs are too cute, but this is a great message. We get so caught up in the daily routine and don't take a step back and evaluate what's going on. I need to start wagging my tail a little more too!

Marisa @ Uproot from Oregon said...

More puppy gifs always. Come travel to me? xo

Jordan said...

YES YES YES. So much yes in this post. I admitted yesterday that I've been feeling a little grumpy. Everything in life is great! No true complaints. But I feel stuck or like something is missing. I think I need a little vacation or some kind of getaway, honestly. This post hit so close to home for me and I really enjoyed it! Very well said.

Kay said...

Loooove this! And definitely something I needed to hear and something that might be a factor when I start making my March goals.. But yea, you totally reeled me in with the puppy gifs.

Melissa Nicole said...

oh my goodness girl i love this. good luck with the goals!!

Anna @ A Dash of Quirky said...

Great post and so true. I have been on a path of creating my own happiness lately and I must say it feels damn good! Get it girl!

brooke lyn said...

petting sweaty things never gets you far in life........

Helene in Between said...

this is such a great perspective!! i love it. and so true.

Whitney Alison said...

Puppy gifs make everything amazing! I understand where you are coming from though, this week I hit a 'what am I doing?' wall. Its important to really take the time to evaluate your feelings and where you're expending your energy.

Rachel Sedaker said...

Yes, you did draw me in with the puppy gifs. My dog's tail wags her, and I love it- it's so out of control! I've been a bit on auto-pilot lately, letting the tail wag me, with lots of (self-chosen) obligations. I'm ready to slow down a bit and wag my own tail, though I find small ways every day to do so (even if it's just from a piece of dark chocolate).

Amanda Elizabeth - Meet @ the Barre said...

I think you nailed it for sure! Plus puppy gifs always reel me in ;-) xoxoxoxo

Kym Fox said...

I loved all of these words. I needed this! Have you seen this video? It's a pee-your-pants'er ;) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=444721328995389&set=vb.225820234218834&type=2&theater

Kait said...

LOVE. always love a new month for fresh goals and starting over. cheers -

Katie Elizabeth said...

I think the winter blah's are getting to all of us.. I've really been trying to focus on the little things lately and less on the negative. Puppy gif's also make me happy :)

Alex[andra] said...

It was 100% the puppy gifs that got me. It's great to think about good, positive things! Travel definitely gets me wagging too!

MacKensie said...

Love this and love YOU.