Well, Belle has taken this to entire new levels with her newest game:  PLAYing in the sand between rounds of Fetch.

Take a look — and note the extreme happiness on her face in the near final shot!

–– Iris Murdoch

Almost every dog owner reports that one of the great satisfactions of their lives is being greeted by their four-legged friend.

Sometimes it doesn’t matter whether it’s been a trip around the world or a trip to the grocery store, our dogs are just so wonderfully appreciative of us each and every time we appear.

We, on the other hand, often take great things for granted, often until they are taken away or our eyes are opened, perhaps by someone else.  Sometimes we even need another person to remind us that our view is spectacular, just so we can appreciate it again.

Belle may not literally stop and smell the flowers, but her enthusiasm for life reminds me all the time to stop and appreciate everything that’s already wonderful around me right here and right now.

I don’t think Belle really wants to ever change her life.

In fact, her blend of friendship, beach fetch, lots of food and lots of sleep, seems near perfection.

However, I do like how much enthusiasm she puts into everything she does, whether it’s running after a stick or greeting each person she likes.

She’s really not afraid of “just going for it” –– ie, doing it FLAMBOYANTLY –– because she’s always having so much fun and so authentically herself.

As I sit down and fine-tune all my business and personal goals for 2012, I want to take William James’ advice to heart:  Start immediately.  Do it flamboyantly.  No exceptions.  (Just like Belle)

Neale Donald Walsch

I love the way Belle smiles at me.

At this time of year, because I’m figuring out all my goals for 2012 and beyond, it’s easy to start getting very critical of where I am right now.  It becomes about fixing flaws (I like that Neale Donald Walsch has “imagined” in parenthesis), and I really like the idea of KISSING THEM AWAY –– who better than a loving pup to do that!

How Belle sees me is so much closer to how the Divine would see me –– and it’s just great to imagine looking through those loving, amber eyes and seeing only the positive and eternal.

Nisargadatta, I AM THAT

In this “empty” week between Christmas and New Year’s,  Belle and I are treasuring the space we have to play and create and rest.

I’ve been musing about how I have so many projects I’m excited about, yet not a single appointment until early 2012.

It’s a minor miracle to be in this wonderful position:  infinite choices and yet no heavy obligations.

I think this is how Belle lives her entire life, in the flow between Everything and Nothing, and I have to say, it feels FANTASTIC.

~George Bernard Shaw

Belle, like all good dogs, never loses her sense of play.

Yes, she is calmer now that her puppy days are past.  Nonetheless, the instant the beach is in sight or the moment we enter a hiking trail she loves, her spirit of play is completely undiminished.

HAVING FUN is one of the most important lessons Belle teaches me, a lesson that not only makes life more enjoyable, but also keeps things constantly fresh!

~William James

Belle wore her Service Dog outfit today to the Parking division of the DMV (I may have this slightly scrambled but …) which we had been warned was not always the uh … smoothest experience a person could have.

Instead, it flowed perfectly.

The clerks were helpful.

The lines were short.

We had to recalibrate the forms and get new info, but were given a “FRONT OF THE LINE” voucher.

I don’t know if it was Belle’s magic per se, but I do know that everyone at the San Francisco Municipal Traffic Authority was totally awesome and going with the flow!

— Bob Dylan

[Or A Dog!]

Yesterday was such a perfect San Francisco Day.

Belle attended her eight-year old friend Jonah’s Friends and Family Holiday Event at his school and then in the evening, the Holiday Party at the Laughing Lotus in San Francisco.

All day long, I realized how wonderful it was that pretty much everything we were doing was because we both wanted to be doing it.  Even with momentary challenges (parking in SF, shopping for a Secret Santa gift for someone I don’t know that well), it was all still part of a Matrix of Fun.

Just like Belle, I want to realize I choose and then fully appreciate everything in my life!

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO

I think you’ll agree that Belle is a real Meditation Master!