If there is an animal that we could emulate to develop and grow in joy, it would be a dog. If you have ever seen a dog run through an open gate, then you know what I mean. If you have ever seen a dog simply run in joyful circles, then you know what I mean. If you have ever been welcomed enthusiastically by your canine companion, then you know what I mean. You don’t have to own a dog (I don’t) to understand this universal message that our animals can teach us.
Live as if someone left the gate open. Run furiously after freedom and enjoyment of life and don’t settle for anything less. Take great joy in the pure pleasure of movement: emulate the joy of a dog running free in a field with no purpose. I personally felt this joy this morning during my last few miles of my 12 mile run and it was pure pleasure. There is a point that our bodies can get to where exercise becomes an uninhibited expression of elation. If you haven’t ever felt this before, I urge you to keep pursuing fitness because this feeling, the feeling of running free in a field with no cares in the world, is absolutely priceless. The more we learn to express elation through our bodies, the more we will master the art of living as if someone left the gate open in every aspect of our lives.