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RAOKA’s theme for January was GRATITUDE
Anyone who’s followed my various ramblings for any length of time will know that I was most pleased to see the theme for January. Gratitude is a pet favorite topic of mine, and an attitude (I love that Attitude rhymes with Gratitude, I mean, how perfectly serendipitous is that? Serendipity is one of my favorite words, too, and … Um, I digress….) I consciously strive to maintain.
Thus, when the theme was announced, I pasted on a big grin, and have been doing things all month to try to foster the Attitude of Gratitude in my own heart … and, in small ways, try to inspire it in others.
One thing I’ve been doing is including Gratitude as a central theme for my various tweets and Facebook status updates. One of those updates led to responses that I really enjoyed from my Facebook friends … as well as what I’d like to make the primary focus of today’s post.
What is YOUR Pet Thankful For?
The Facebook update actually read: “We can learn so much about being thankful for the simple things from a dog. 
What is your dog thankful for?”
I had some great responses. People’s dogs were thankful for their homes, long walks, carrots and beds, and of course … the humans who love them.
Although all of our pets express gratitude often, and I’m one of the lucky ones who has the privilege of frequently relaying their messages of thanks to their humans, dogs seem to have gratitude down to an art form. I mean, what says “thanks” more clearly than the wag of a happy tail? Dogs seem to appreciate the simple things in life in a way that can really teach we 100-mile-an-hour human beings, who are so often racing through life trying to get from point A to point B, to slow down. Stop and smell the roses. Or the rotting carcasses on the road side … I mean, you know, shifting the phrase to a dog’s perspective.
Urk.
Anyway.
Cats also express their thanks, though often in more subtle ways. A purr, a roll in the sunshine, exposing a soft belly for a scratch, a head-butt on the chin; those are a cat’s little “thank yous”. A dog, however, is pretty blatant when he says thank you … even those human beings who choose not to be “animal people” can’t help but understand the furiously wagging tail, the play bow, the happy bark, the mad dash around the yard that a dog uses to express his joy over simple pleasures.
Understanding Cat is more of a practiced art. Dogs shout “Happy” in a fairly universal way.
Thus, even those readers who don’t currently have pets, or aren’t normally that observant of animal behavior … take some time out this week to watch a dog. Even if it just means turning on Animal Planet for a dose of Dogs 101, do it. Watch with the past month’s theme of Gratitude in mind. I guarantee you’ll learn something fun about “Thank you”.
And here, for your entertainment, is my OWN dog … thankful for satellite telly and imaginary friends to play with on a cold winter day!
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And another thing I’m thankful for? That Sami asked me to join the core group of Rockin’ RAOKA’ns! Thank you Sami, I’m honored!
Friends, please visit our other Kick-Arsin’ ROAKA core members! Links to their blogs are below. They’ll provide you with smiles that stick, and even more to be grateful for in your life.
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- Lance from the Jungle of Life (http://www.jungleoflife.com/)
- Lori from Jane Be Nimble (http://www.janebenimble.com/)
- Dani from Positively Present (http://www.positivelypresent.com/)
- Zeenat from Positive Provocations (http://zeenatsyal.wordpress.com/)
- Sami from Life, Laughs & Lemmings (http://www.lifelaughsandlemmings.com/)
“Note: We’ve had a couple of core RAOKA members exit the group due to other commitments (thanks so much guys for being founding members) and as such, have 2 regular and enthusiastic contributors to this movement taking their place; [myself], and Zeenat from Positive Provocations.”
The Random Acts of Kick-Arse idea was developed by Sami, of Life, Laughs and Lemmings, to remind us all to watch for evidence of the Kick-Arse life all around us. Each month, a new theme is selected, and on the first Wednesday of the month, we post our thoughts, and tell readers how the theme has appeared in our lives. If you think you’d like to participate, visit Sami’s site via the link above. On her own monthly RAOKA post, she’ll include a feature where you can link your own blog thoughts on the theme, so others may enjoy reading your words.
February Theme: Passion (as chosen by Dani, author of Positively Present )
Logo courtesy of Melissa from Operation NICE
Hi Gayze,
That video is hilarious! What a fun companion to have around to keep you smiling and feeling gratitude (love) for yourself and others. Looking forward to February’s Passion RAOKA post.
Cheryl from thatgirlisfunny´s last blog ..Your Power to Assist by Sending a Single Thought: Random Acts of Kick Arse
Thanks, Cheryl! Kai’s a hoot and a half, and always keeps me laughing.
He’s definitely opinionated, too.
So great to have you part of the RAOKA crusade Gayze! And this was such an awesome way to look at gratitude. It explains why the dogs we’ve taken in from animal shelters in the past have been so loyal, happy and loving towards us. It was their way of saying thanks.
The vid of your dog is priceless by the way!
Sami – Life, Laughs & Lemmings´s last blog ..Random Acts of Kick Arse – Gratitude
Thanks, Sami! Animals surely can help us learn the natural details of living a Kick-Arse life! And thanks from me, too, for giving those pooches of yours something to wag about!