For the next two podcasts and maybe longer depending on the response to it, I’m going to try something different. But first some background. Over the years I’ve spent a fair amount of time pondering how to best help people make the kinds of changes necessary to improve their animals’ behavior and health. One of the things I’ve noticed is that, when we make up our minds very quickly regarding what’s going on, it’s more difficult to consider alternatives. Not only that, we’re more likely to take any suggestion that requires change very personally. When that’s the case, we can add a lot of useless, energy-wasting, negative emotion to the process. And when that occurs, the result is often an inconsistent response that makes the animal’s problem worse.
What’s equally interesting is that people who normally are able to see multiple sides of most issues completely lose this multi-dimensional skill when it comes to certain issues related to animals. This explains why I’m apt to use analogies as well as stories, some of them totally unrelated to animals, when I want to communicate a particularly complex point regarding human relationships with animals and/or animal behavior.
This week’s podcast begins a two part self-test that consists of two vignettes. What I’d like you to do is to think about your first impression regarding what’s going on in each story. Next, think about all the other possible explanations for these same events. And, naturally, think about any emotions that attend this process: Do you see it as a fun challenge? Hard work? A useless pain in the butt? If so, think about why you feel that way, too. 🙂
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS | More