If you're not a fan of the world's most intellectual dog, I suggest you check out FX's adapted version of the Australian short film 'Wilfred'. This dark comedy comes with some loaded life lessons and shocking twists. Complete with a meaningful quote at the beginning of every episode, here are some of my favorite lessons:
1.)
Snowball affect anyone? This is one of those facts of life that everyone knows but people don’t want to acknowledge because we love to live in the land of ‘if I pretend it isn’t there, it’ll go away’. We all are guilty of thinking this, and we all know this isn’t true, as deep as we have to dig to admit that to ourselves. We know it’s easier to face little problems head on at the time, because we know it will be harder in the long run. It’s better to be uncomfortable for a short amount of time than wait for your problems to turn into something much worse. Plus, your dog will always forgive you so just get issues cleared up as soon as you can.
2.)
Cliche? Yes. Cliche’s are cliches because they are true! Find something you love to do, become something you love to love. It’s challenging, but that’s the fun of it. Love yourself as much as Wilfred loves Ryan, as much as your own dog loves you! I’m always striving to be the person my dog thinks I am. Expand your horizon and the daunting process of ‘finding yourself’ or ‘becoming someone you respect’ will become much easier and much more fun. Don’t forget to take time our of your busy life to do this. It’s not hard to get caught up in the vicious cycle of always-doing-things-for-everyone-else, and can be even harder to recognize you’re in this cycle. Take some time to be selfish! It’s not being selfish if you’re doing it for yourself.
3.)
Dogs are known for being fearless. In any sticky situation, Wilfred has Ryan’s back (even if he causes most of the problems, but that’s what best friends/dogs do). There as so many scary things to face in the world, internally and externally, and it always helps to have a friend by your side. If you’re forced to stand alone, or if you have someone to lean on, life will go on. It’s a waste of time to run away from problems, because they will always find you! If you’re scared, be scared. Everyone gets scared. Hug your dog and move forward.
4.)
What is happiness? That’s a very loaded question that we could debate on and on, forever. It’s interesting how the act of becoming truly happy can be an unhappy route. Becoming at peace with the things and people that have hurt us in the past is an important part of becoming happy. We can’t change the past, that’s a fact. It’s a choice to hold onto hurtful feelings of our past, or let go and move on. Wilfred says that he only feels guilt for five seconds, maybe we should follow a dog’s example and choose to let go and be happy-go-lucky instead of dwell on what can’t be changed.
5.)
Oh that little voice in your head that keeps telling you to stop what you’re doing… How often do we listen? If you live near a vocal dog, or own one, you know how relatable this quote is. The annoyance of your conscious tell you you’re doing something wrong is right up there with that constant dog barking in the distance, but it can’t make a decision for you, just like the dog can’t bite. The only way to stop it? Listen to it. We usually know what the right thing to do is, that’s call intuition, follow your intuition and that dog in your mind will stop barking. You’ll be at peace.
P.S. Always remember to see things from other people's perspective. Or your dog's perspective, whichever is better (we all know which is better).
