This short story offers a creative method for reminding you why it’s important and powerful to send kindness out into the world. It’s a fun explanation to share with kids too!
Once upon a time there was a happy little doggie who loved to wag his tail and be playful and adoring with others!
This happy little doggie heard about a wonderful house with lots of other happy doggies. He decided to visit.
The happy doggie found The House up on a nearby hillside. He bounced happily up the stairs to the doorway.
When he peeked inside, he saw about 1,000 other happy doggies. The happy doggie’s ears instantly lifted high. His tail began to wag as fast as it could. Sure enough, the happy doggie found himself staring at 1,000 other happy little doggies, each with their tails wagging just as fast as his.
He smiled a great big smile. He was answered with 1,000 great big smiles – each just as warm and friendly as his.
As he left The House, the happy doggie thought: Wow! That was fun! What a wonderful place. I must come back and visit often!
Meanwhile, in this same village, there lived another little doggie, who was not quite as happy as the first one. In fact, this doggie was often seen trudging around mournfully, hanging his tail low, growling at passerbys. This mournful doggie also decided to visitThe House on the hillside.
He slowly climbed the stairs. As he peered into the doorway, he hung his head low and protectively growled. Inside he saw 1,000 unfriendly dogs, each staring back at him. He growled at them. He was horrified to see 1,000 little dogs growling back at him.
As he left, he thought: Wow! That is a horrible place. I will never go back there again!
Why did each doggie see a different kind of house of doggies? Because this was a house of mirrors!
The Lesson: Basically, wherever you go there you are – reflected in all you see around you. The world is a world of mirrors. The reflections you see in the faces of the people you meet are often a reflection of your mood and lens on the world.
Your Assignment: Whenever you feel the urge to growl at someone, think about that little growling doggie and what he received back. Instead of growling, ask yourself: What would KINDNESS do in this moment?
A Helpful Reminder: Albert Einstein said: We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. I say: Many of the problems in your life were created by not being in a place of love energy – and instead being in a place of angeR, hate, resentment, fear, worry, lack of self-love. If you want to solve your problems, you must change your energy to a loving and kind energy – directed to others, and directed at yourself. Keep asking yourself: What would KINDNESS do in this moment? And…if you consistently see growling angry mirrors around you, think about this tale of those wagging tails. Force yourself to wag a bit more merrily at others. Build up those tail wagging muscles, dammit, and you will see a change in all you see!
Written by Karen Salmansohn
Karen Salmansohn is a best selling author/designer with over 1 million books sold, plus a columnist for Oprah, Psychology Today, Huffington Post, Match.com, Positivelypositive, The Daily Love, and an AOL Selected Career Coach, and founder of www.notsalmon.com- a website which offers fun/feisty/inspirational books, posters, screensavers, tees, totes, mugs, journals, videos, ecards and more to empower people around the world to live their happiest life.
