The Bigger Life

The bigger life. 

I was listening to the podcast Happier the other day where Gretchen Rubin and her sister Elizabeth Craft were sharing one of their Try This at Home tips. When confronted with a decision where the pros and cons seem relatively equal use the idea of the bigger life to decide. 

Now sometimes the bigger life includes more risk or work, but the payoff may be unmeasurable. Three years ago I made the decision to plunge back into puppyhood.  It had been eleven years since I had owned a puppy, but my life seemed to be missing the spark that I knew a puppy could bring. 

However, just like the pangs of childbirth, I had conviently forgotten about the "work" 
involved in training up a puppy in the way he should go. I don't think I slept through the night for at least nine months getting up to let the little guy out. I was constantly on sentry duty guarding against any chewed furniture. Ironically, it wasn't until many months later that we discovered the chewed leg of the dining room table. Thank goodness it wasn't Thomasville! Leaving the house now revolved around how long the puppy could be crated. Regular trips to the vet became the norm. 

Wow, talk about work, inconvience and sleepless nights. But you know what? It was soooo completely worth it. Talk about a bigger life. Cooper brought a whole new dimension to my world. Between the laughter, the snuggles, the kisses and the utter devotion, every sleepless night paled in comparison to the joy that one little curly haired canine could bring. 

So when faced with a decision in your life, ask yourself which decision would result in the bigger life?