How do you feel when you get up in the morning?

I’m rarin’ to go – Mom is slow as a slug until the coffee kicks in.

If you’re that way too, guess what? You get to choose which way your day will go.

As you’re waiting for the coffee to get ready, spend a few minutes in meditation or journaling or b...

Are you running on empty? Not enough sleep, that is – that’s not a problem I have. Mom says I’m her professional napper!

Decades of research can’t be wrong – people who are sleep deprived make poor decisions, and you don’t want to do that, right?

Create a going-to-bed ritual. Mom stops touching he...

Start your day with a body/mind/soul morning ritual.

You already have a morning ritual, so this will just be tweaking it a little bit to ensure a great start to the day.

Think about the pattern you already have established – maybe it’s get up, let the dog out, start the coffee pot, let the dog in,...

Are you constantly telling yourself you can’t do something or you’re not something you think you need to be, like smarter or sweeter or something-er?

Sometimes I tell myself I’m not good enough to be a Champion and that doesn’t feel good.

Maybe try what works for me – when I think I’m not good eno...

Do you “what if” yourself?

The weird thing about “what if” is that it doesn’t do anything except make you confused and regretful.

When you “what if” over something you’ve already decided and acted upon, you’re re-living the past inside your head. You have no power in the past – there’s nothing you...

Do you have a game on your phone that you like to play? Mom has Wordscapes on her phone and she won’t let me help her play…dang it!

There’s a connection to playing games where you have to move your finger and make quick decisions as you play and making better decisions in real life.

Give yourself ...

Did someone pop your balloon today?

My Poodle brother stole my favorite stuffed birdie and wouldn’t give it back – and he’s bigger than me! That made me mad and sad and sulky.

You, too? Did your day start off well and then someone did something so bad that you just can’t find your fun self?

Try t...

Do you beat yourself up when you make a mistake? I hate it when I mess up heeling and Mom won’t give me the cheese until I get it right – geez!

Anyway, when you make a mistake, are you harder on yourself than you would be on your best friend? What’s up with that?

Give yourself the same grace you’d...

When someone snaps at you, how do you react? If you snap back, seethe or sulk, that’s a sign you’re taking that snap personally. It probably wasn’t personal – it probably was that person having a bad moment or a bad day and taking it out on you.

Try not to take it personally – instead of reacting r...

Is there someone on your team you wish was different?

I wish Mom would just leave my food bowl down all day long but no matter how many hints I drop it only comes down twice. Guess I can’t change her and guess what? You probably can’t change the person you wish was different, either.

Think about h...

Do you value groupthink on your hospital team or are you open to dissenters?

While it’s tempting to wish for a team that’s always on the same page, humans don’t do their best work that way. First, you know how tough it is to get two people to agree on everything – how can you expect your entire tea...

Is there someone in your life you admire? Someone you feel moves through their life with competence, confidence and compassion? 

How do you feel about that person you admire? Warm fuzzies? A little bit in awe of them? And maybe, sometimes, just a little bit jealous of the ease that they move throug...

You’re a veterinarian because you care about animals, right?

First of all, thank you – I love my veterinarian!!

And second of all, you know what that says about you? You are loving, kind, you care about the feelings of others and you’re a fountain of benevolent humanity.

Did you know that about y...

Do you worry a lot?

Sometimes I worry about the squirrels that jump on the porch roof – I worry that they’ll get away again!!

Seriously, if you worry a lot, what you’re really doing is using your incredible imagination to create something you don’t want.

And remember when I told you that your bra...

What are you expecting? And if you answered “a baby” congratulations, and that’s not really what I meant.

When you walk through the hospital doors in the morning, what are you expecting?

If you feel excited because you know it’ll be a day of interesting challenges faced with a great team, then you...

Do you drink out of your water bowl enough? OK, so it’s me drinking out of a water bowl – water is good for me, good for your patients and good for you, too.

Most humans don’t drink enough water, and can feel cranky, headachy or just mentally exhausted. You could keep a water bowl on your desk – ma...

Do you wish you had more courage?

I’m pretty courageous now but I remember when I was just a little puppy how big, sudden sounds scared me. I got more courage and you can too.

The more days you live, the more different experiences you have, the more courage you’ll develop. Part of courage is the w...

Is your hospital having a stressful day?

I do now and then, especially when I find something fun to chew on and mom loses her mind!

Sometimes it feels like everyone is a gas can and you’re all waiting for someone to toss a match, right? That’s a terrible way to feel and a worse way to try to care ...

When something is hard, do you give up or do you let go?

Those may sound like the same things but there’s a vast difference. When you give up you usually feel defeated and deflated – you’ve given it your best and you’ve been bested. That’s not a powerful or successful way to feel.

Instead, try let...

Do you do the same exercise routine over and over and over?

Mom got me a treadmill…boooooooring! There aren’t any squirrels to chase…that would make it fun!

Anyway, if you do the same workout every time your body will get used to it and it won’t be as effective. The good news is that you can proba...

Do you ever beat yourself up for taking shortcuts?

Maybe you didn’t feel like cooking and picked up a rotisserie chicken and a couple of ready-to-eat side dishes? Mmmmmmm…chiiiicken…can I come over for dinner?

Seriously, you work hard, so if that little voice in your head is saying you’re a bad mo...

When was the last time you had a pedicure?

To be honest, I don’t get why humans love those things so much…I hate it when Mom grinds my nails and cuts the hair between my toes…ugh!!

For most humans pedicures are seen as luxuries – you don’t treat yourself to one very often because it might feel sel...

Do you keep a journal?

I did once – Mom chased me all around the house trying to get it out of my mouth. She likes to write in it each morning and I just wanted to see what was so special about it…sheesh!

If you ever sit down to write about what you’re grateful for and nothing pops up, it’s not be...

Do you ever feel like a situation is hopeless? That’s a bad way to feel, isn’t it?

Kinda like when my favorite squeaky ball rolls under the couch – it feels like nothing I can do will get it back out. Like magic, though, it always reappears somewhere I can get it and squeak it and throw it in the a...

Is there a song with lyrics that inspire you?

Mom named me after the Kacey Musgraves song, Follow Your Arrow. It’s a song that talks about how other people will judge you, no matter what you do, so you might as well do what makes you happy.

Was there ever a time in your life where you realized tha...

Are you surrounded by strong people or weak ones?

A great way to discover the answer is to hear how they talk to others. Strong people offer uplifting comments, offer help in a non-condescending way and talk well about their colleagues even when they’re not around. Weak people gossip, tattle-tale a...

Do you get irritated at other drivers when you’re driving?

I look out the window and sometimes see the driver in the car beside us yelling and pounding on his steering wheel. Scary – glad mom doesn’t do that!!

Humans take things so personally sometimes – if you get mad at other drivers, you might ...

What does success look like to you?

To me it would be a total takedown of my new big brother the Standard Poodle…he’s so tall I haven’t figured out how to wrestle him to the ground yet!

Think about it…what does success look like to you?

You can let your mind play with that idea or if you know exa...

Do you sometimes compare yourself or your life against someone else’s?

Sometimes I look at that orange cat and think about how it would be to be that free…I could just runandrunandrun! And then I remember the yummy food and cookies that Mom gives me…mmmmmmmmm!

When you compare yourself against som...

Do you have a habit you want to break? It’s ok…sometimes I forget and play too rough in the house. I’ve gotta remember to stop doing that before I break something!

Everyone has bad habits and when you understand neuroplasticity concepts you’ll understand two things about them – why they’re hard to ...

Does your morning wear you out before you even get to the hospital? If you have family, you’re probably care-taking for them – clothes, school bags, lunches, homework – while trying to make coffee and breakfast and get yourself ready too. Exhausting!!

Think about the pieces of your morning routine ...

Do you pay attention to intentions? Mom calls me Butterfly Brain so I guess that means I don’t pay attention to much at all sometimes.

Paying attention to intentions is easy though – in the evening, as you’re finishing up dinner dishes or whatever, think about the next day. Make one intention that’...

Is your motivation lagging a little bit today?

A great way to get your mojo back is to think back to times when you’ve nailed it – whatever IT is that’s demotivating you. Remember when you first learned IT, when you finally mastered IT and when you helped teach IT to someone else.

You’re aces at I...

Did you know that your brain can’t tell the difference between what you’re thinking and what you’re living? Brains don’t know reality, and for proof of that, let’s talk about a famous canine – Pavlov’s dog.

That guy Pavlov teased his dog a lot, using people in lab coats, metronomes and bells to tri...

What new thing are you learning? Does it excite you?

I love to learn new things – mom says I’m a fast learner with a short attention span. Someday I’ll learn what she means by that.

Anyway, learning is great – it keeps you focused and fascinated. In your work you probably learn something new prett...

Is life feeling a little bit chaotic today? Mom got me a Standard Poodle to play with – man is he tall!! And he doesn’t want to play the way I want to play and sometimes snapping happens.

Oooooh…did I hit a nerve there?

If there’s chaos in your hospital today and people are snapping at each other,...

Do you feel tense right now? I get tense sometimes when I’m holding really still, trying to sneak up on that big orange cat that gets in my yard. Grrrrrrr…cats!

You probably just think you get tense in your shoulders and neck but I bet your jaws are clenched when you’re tense, too. A quick way to b...

Exercise…who has time for that? I have naps to take and you probably have a lot of work to do. But exercise is necessary to keep our bodies and minds healthy, so here’s an idea to get a great workout in only ten minutes – high intensity interval training.

Pick a 10-minute part of your day when you ...

Did you ever hear that phrase, dress for success?

When I go to the dog show, I have a special collar and lead that Mom puts on me that make me feel special. What does dress for success even mean in a world where you wear scrubs all day? It means that you should wear clothes that make you feel power...

Great relationships – like great marriages – happen because people choose where to focus. People get along for a while and then they start noticing things they don’t like. Instead of focusing on what they do like, they get fixated on what they don’t like. Before you know it, feuds are happening on t...

Don’t fight change.

Well, actually, it’s good not to fight about anything if you can help it – fighting just gets you a bite on the nose from some mean dog that can’t take a joke!

Seriously, change is the one constant in this world – it’s funny that humans hate it so much. Everything changes and c...

If I have to make one more decision today I’m gonna snap!! Do you ever feel that way, too? Squeaky ball or bungee snake? Nap in the crate, on the kitchen tile floor or on the couch? Sheesh…so many things to decide!

Decision fatigue is a thing – really! I’ve heard Mom tell people about how decisions...

Do you have a staffer in your hospital who’s a bully? Sadly, that’s very common in veterinary hospitals and is very destructive for morale.

It’s like when mom and I go to the park for a walk and that big border collie stares at me really hard – it makes me nervous and it’s hard to concentrate. That...

Do you have an affirmation that pumps you up?

When I want to feel energized and fun I squeak a squeaky toy and howl at it – bonus, it makes mom laugh a lot!

What can you say to yourself when things aren’t working quite right to remind yourself how awesome you are? Mom reminds herself that things a...

Some days do you feel unappreciated? Who knew mom would be so upset when I brought her that pretty red leather shoe. I only chewed it a little bit and I did give it to her…sheesh, you’d think I started world war three or something!

Anyway, if you’re feeling unappreciated too, give yourself a little...

Are you an adapter or a leader?

Adapters are chameleons – they scope out the lay of the land and blend in. Leaders scope out the lay of the land, see what needs doing and set about doing it. That’s why you often hear people say that certain leaders have great vision – they’re on the lookout for way...

Great relationships happen because people choose where to focus. People get along for a while and then they start noticing things they don’t like. Instead of focusing on what they do like, they get fixated on what they don’t like. Before you know it, feuds are happening on the team, feelings are get...

Aren’t smiles cool? Even us dogs smile and humans know just what we mean when we do. Mom knew a dog a loooong time ago who squinted like crazy when she smiled – she used her whole face!

Do you use your whole face when you smile? You know you do when those little muscles at the outside of your eyes ...

Are you addicted to the news? Mom sometimes calls me Bad News, so maybe she’s addicted to me!

Some people are addicted to the news – they listen all the time and worry about what they hear. There’s a difference between being informed and being marinated in the drumbeat of bad news. You can check yo...

What new thing are you learning? Does it excite you? I love to learn new things – mom says I’m a fast learner with a short attention span. Someday I’ll learn what she means by that. Anyway, learning is great – it keeps you focused and fascinated.

In your work you probably learn something new pretty...