Day by day I’m trying to live and focus on the moment I’m in right at this point. It’s not easy I mean I’m always looking forward to events that will happen in the future. For example, I will have chrsitmass with my family and I’m looking forward to it at the same time I’m training dolphins what I should enjoy in the moment. If I’m too busy with what is going to happen in the future I forget what is going on in the moment. These days I’m doing more and more endurance sports, I’m reading a book that helps me going forward in this sport. The funny part is that when you do endurance sports that many endurance athletes will say that a lot is depending on what you are thinking. Especially when you want to perform or go for a long run.
I read a blog the other day about animals being always in the moment. What means that they wouldn’t look into the future planning choices for later events. It’s an interesting thought especially now we humans plan many things ahead of us all the time. Could animals do the same? Planning events to happen? While working out for my 2018 challenge I was watching a TedX about endurance sports.
The presentation was called, How endurance athletes are using the power of the now | Ned Phillips
Reflecting this to our animal training, are we thinking in the moment or are we only half there with our minds because of events we planned in the future? Our mind reflects completely to the animal’s mood. When we are happy most likely the animals we work with will be happy. Same when we take our frustrations to work. The animal basically suffers because our patience level is lower than usual. Conclusion might be don’t bring your mood to the animal’s environment if you can’t control yourself.
We should give ourselves to the moments we are in and enjoy 100% and not just because we have to. Life will change completely. Aren’t we too busy with recording our life with our phones than actually fully enjoy what you are doing? Lately I’m discovering that this world we live in doesn’t help us relaxing. A friend of mine once said we have to make thousands more choices a day as ever before. This reflects to our patience and stress levels. Practising being on your own or thinking in the moment helps you enjoying the moment. Another example is reading books, I find myself less focussed on reading books and I’m already not a good reader. But the addiction of looking on your phone gets me quicker and quicker. Then I wonder what did I look at when looking at my phone…. I can’t even recall this. I might have a problem.
The whole point is that if we are more in the moment we will be more effective to what we are doing. The focus is better and we make better decisions. The guy in the presentation explained to count your footsteps while running. He explains that when you count you are busier with counting instead of thinking that you are tired and can’t run any longer. We can’t fully give ourselves when we are on a strict time planner. Our minds control who we are and what we want to do. We forget what is now and get to busy with yesterday and tomorrow. But who cares about tomorrow? This is just a future talk nobody can predict and you know what yesterday you can’t change anymore so we should focus on what happens right now so yesterday will be great and tomorrow will still be the unknown.
You might think Peter what has this to do with animal training? Try to train your animals in the “NOW” and you will get it!
Happy Training!
0 Comments