What Are You Chasing?

I was lying in one of my favorite sunny spots near Mama. I was comfortable, relaxed, and looking at all the different balls lying around me…

🎾 The Crazy-Make-Me-Think-Hard Bouncy Ball – that I didn’t always love. It was always a struggle to find and to catch because it hardly ever bounced the same and just when I thought I had figured out where it would go, something would change and make the ball and my brain both go spinning, bqut I also loved it because it made me smarter and faster, which helped me with other things I didn’t even know needed help.

🎾The Cozy Comfort Ball – that didn’t bounce much or squeak or bounce high, but soft and cozy, and the ball I could always find when I needed something warm and snuggly right near my heart.

🎾 The Super Big Fun Ball - that was enormous and yellow, that was always my choice when I just wanted to let loose and be goofy and look very funny and make my heart laugh inside and my tail wiggle outside.

🎾 The Shiny But Not My Thing Ball – that lots and lots of other dogs were chasing and made me feel like I would miss out if I didn’t chase it, even though I knew it wasn’t my type.

🎾 The Feel-Good-Every-Day Ball – the one I love most that always makes me feel happy and good, and is always worth chasing or leaving the sunniest spot in the room.

I was thinking hard about whether there was a ball I wanted right then because I’d learned over time that if I chased everything just because it was fun or because all the other dogs were doing it, sometimes I didn’t have the energy to play with the balls I truly loved, or I’d run out of time because dinner was ready. And those were the nights I went to sleep feeling a little sad and empty because I knew I hadn’t made the best choices that day.

I think people also have lots of balls they can chase, and they haven’t learned how to choose the important and best ones. So instead of chasing their Feel-Good-Every-Day Balls, they're chasing lots of unimpawtent Shiny But Not My Thing Balls.

I know this is true because when I go out with Mama on a coffee or lunch date, I see lots of people sitting together but all alone because they’re too busy looking at their mawbile phones instead of laughing and talking to each other or seeing how impawsibly cute I am sitting under the table, ready and waiting for a treat or two.

I know it’s ruff to love so many balls all at once, so this little floof ball (no pun intended) decided to come up with a plan to help everyone choose their right balls and make the best and most paw-some choices so they can go to bed feeling happy and content, not sad or filled with regret.

That’s when I created Toffy’s Ball Choosing System:

1.      Know all the different balls you have so you can be pawposeful and choose the balls your heart needs most on any day of the week.

2.      Always chase and hold on to your Feel-Good-Every-Day Ball for most of the day—because it’s the one you love and matters more than the rest.

3.      At the end of the sit, still, feel what you need and then pick the ball that matches this most. If you want to become smarter and faster, choose the Crazy-Make-Me-Think-Hard Bouncy Ball. If you’ve had ruff day, go for the Cozy Comfort Ball and if you want to zoom around and unwind before dinner, make sure you grab the Super Big Fun Ball.

4.      Stay away from the Shiny But Not My Thing Balls, even if all your friends love them best.

5.      Every night, say thank you for making wise choices so you can live your best life and have no regrets.

Now I have 3 impawtent questions for you to think about today: 1. What's the pawpose of all the different balls in your very special life?

2. How do you know you're chasing the one that matters more than the rest, not just all the easy and trendy ones?

3. What is the plan in your head to stay focused on chasing your Feel-Good-Every-Day Ball - the one that will fill your heart like none other?

And I also have one last reminder: you can’t always chase balls without rest, so give yourself pawmission to take a break when you need it and just stay in your cozy little spot a little longer because most things wait, just maybe not for dinner.

I hope this story and these lessons inspire you to think about and chase your Feel-Good Ball more often and with a greater sense of fun and adventure! Toffy xoxo #lifewithtoffy #toffysdogblog #thinkliketoffy PS! If you liked this edition of Toffy’s Dog Blog, please share it with your friends and family and help me share my message to live*love*play!