What We Can Learn From Our Pets

Pet owners often strive to teach their pets new tricks, be it as typical as playing fetch or as unique as dancing the cha-cha-cha. They also brag about their furry companions' abilities, like a cat's knack for giving massages or a dog's speed and accuracy in catching anything airborne. With dedication, patience and a whole lot of tender loving care, the possibilities of what we can teach and train our pets to do, especially with their innate intelligence, are endless.

However, have we ever stopped to consider what we learn from our pets? Sure, they don't teach us how to sniff out a hundred different scents all at once or to land on our tippy toes each time we fall over, but with their adorable antics and unconditional love, they demonstrate to us how to value and deal with a number of aspects in our lives. Here are a number of things we can learn from our furry friends:

- Give it your all. When dogs are set on a task, they keep their eye on the prize - or bone. They give a task their undivided attention, and don't let anything distract them. Animals don't multitask, and neither should we, especially when doing so can compromise results.

- Rest and relax. You don't see your pets going a day without a nap. Always make it a point to get some rest during the day and get some good shut-eye at night. This can do wonders for your health and increase overall alertness.

- Live in the moment. Don't stress about the future and instead focus on what's right in front of you. Enjoy what you have at present and don't let worrisome thoughts run you down. This is probably one of the most important things we can learn from our carefree, happy pets.

- Don't hold a grudge. You may scold or punish your pet for being naughty, but you don't see them taking it against you the next day. This is a major part of living in the moment. Let old, angry feelings go and allow forgiveness to take its place.

- Wag your tail. Okay, so you don't have a tail to wag, but figuratively this means to smile, find a reason to be happy about and grateful for. Take pleasure in the little things and value what you have in life. Smile because more often than not, there is a reason to.

- Act silly every once in a while. Stop taking yourself too seriously and have a regular dose of silliness, be it with family, a loved one, or even your pet. Researchers have found out that individuals with a good sense of humor have healthier hearts. Indeed, laughter may just be the best medicine.

- Live curiously. Don't let the old saying "curiosity killed the cat" deter you. When you're in constant awe of the things around you, the world, and life in general seems a lot more interesting. This motivates you to embrace living a lot more and gives you a greater sense of meaning.