Fitness by Finn -Eliminating Excuses

We've probably all seen the viral video of the middle-aged overweight guy who adopted a middle-aged overweight dog, and watched as they became fit together.  This story of mutual rescue is inspiring.  Watch it here: Mutual rescue .  In general, though, research suggests that people who neglect their own health neglect their pets in the same way and vice-versa.  When you care about yourself, you care about your pets.

As usual, the truisms on this topic make me nuts.  They just don't seem to match my experience.  Naturally, I have to go about this in a bass-ackwards way.  I care mightily about my dog.  I cook his food.  I arrange for training and exercise.  I don't think I do enough for him, (doing more to control his environment springs to mind) but I have the groundwork in place.  I am trustworthy on this point of caring for him.  Caring for myself, that's a different matter.  Finn eats better than I do.  He plays more. 

Finn, of course, does many things for me.  He's companionship.  He's fun.  He's smart and intuitive.  He's not a great conversationalist, but he's a brilliant listener.  Because of him, I've met new friends.  And he is one way that I am eliminating excuses for myself.

Who wouldn't take that sweet face for a walk?  Really.

I am a master at coming up with true and reasonable excuses as to why I can't do the thing I ought to do.  I'm sick of doing it, but I don't stop.  So, Finn is one of the ways that I get out of my own way on this point.  I ought to walk.  I ought to run.  But it's raining.  Or it's super-cold.  Or it's a more important use of my time to do some writing, or house-cleaning, or something.  But I won't fail to take Finn out, and no short little walk is going to wear this man out.

So, there it is.  I'll get fit, in part, because I love Finn rather than because I love myself.  (I don't hate myself.  Don't go there.  It's just that my motivation for this project is coming from the one place rather than the other.)