So I used to detest yappy little dogs. I always imagined that when I walked by their yard, and they started barking, that their yaps were actually saying things like “GET OFF MY YARD”, “I HATE YOU”, “I WANT TO BITE YOU BIG TIME” or when I was feeling especially murderous towards the little buggers: “DON’T COME NEAR ME!!” or “ARRRGHHHHH HELP, SHE’S GOING TO KILL ME”. You get the idea. The older I got the more these damn little dogs annoyed the hell outa me. The amount of trouble I started going through in an attempt to avoid them altogether (like walking blocks out of my way etc) was becoming ridiculous.
Until one day (in the early stages of my ongoing and snail-paced ‘awakening’), it finally dawned on me that what I thought they were saying to me... was completely my own invention. Suddenly I realised I was free to imagine they were saying anything to me. Now everytime I see a little yappy dog I imagine they’re saying things like: “I LOVE YOU’ ‘HI, I’M ADORABLE - DO YOU HAVE FOOD?’ ‘WANT TO COME PAT ME?” “LET’S PLAY, WANNA PLAY, WHO WANTS TO PLAY, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!!!” etc.
That one thought transformed my feelings about yappy dogs overnight. Now I can’t wait to walk past little yappy dog’s yards. They seem so cute and welcoming and EXCITED! My perception of their infinite joy is completely uplifting.
So yeah, weird eh. Cuz the next thought I had was to remind myself that, well first, that I’ve been imagining a lot of intelligence inside little yappy dogs and second, that my perception of what PEOPLE think of me (before they even speak) can be just as easily self-manipulated. Someone said to me once “What you think of me is none of my business”. Now it makes sense. Does this post make any sense? Probably not, but hey at least now it’s done. :O)
