The Dog’s Happy Dance: A Lesson in Dignifying Life

The secret to joy: Listen like a dog, dance like a dog.

Dogs are the ultimate example of dignifying. They don’t overthink or hesitate; they embody the happy dance because they know how to receive with gusto. They remind us of a profound truth: how you receive anything is exactly how it shows up.

Think about it. When you come home after being gone for eight hours, you get the happy dance. When you come back after just eight minutes, you get the same joyous reception. Even if you’re in a rotten mood with the biggest “back off” scowl on your face, you still get the tail wagging, full-body wiggling, “It’s you! Oh boy! Oh boy!” celebration.

A dog doesn’t care about your mood, your stress, or your self-doubt. It only listens to its own joy and happiness. It dignifies its existence with ecstatic animation—because it chooses to. And how do you stay angry when faced with that unrelenting wave of love? You don’t. Because the dog doesn’t allow it. Its joy is bigger than your anger, and it pulls you up, even if only for a moment.

In life, you’re either building up or tearing down. It’s not what you listen to or who you listen to—it’s how you listen. If you receive with suspicion, life will confirm your suspicions. If you receive with a happy dance, life will confirm your reason for that dance. Every thought, word, and belief either raises you up or tears you down.

Dogs know this instinctively. They live it. Their existence is a constant celebration of the present moment. They show us that joy isn’t about what’s happening externally; it’s about how you choose to receive it. So, the next time life shows up, choose the happy dance. Dignify your existence, not because of what’s happening, but because you can.

#BeBold

Kristen