How can he love so much?

Anyone who knows me well can easily understand why I named my dog Yoda. It’s not really that I’m a Star Wars fan (which I am) or that I collect Yoda figurines (which I do), but that the symbol of this wise, mentor-archetype has always struck a deep chord with me. I know I’m not alone in my affinity and fascination with this character since new Yoda figures tend to sell out of toy stores within hours of their release.

But it seems I have greater lessons to learn from my 13-week-old yellow Labrador than from the all-powerful, 900-year-old Jedi Master…

Even though Yoda has been in my life for only five weeks (I picked him up from the breeder when he was eight weeks old), we have completely bonded. He follows me wherever I go around the house, and I can’t imagine my life without him. However, training a rambunctious little puppy is a full-time job that takes an endless supply of patience, energy, and compassion. (Surely dog owners reading this are nodding in agreement.)

House training, one of the most important life skills for a puppy to master, can be the most challenging. You praise your puppy when he does his business outside and you reprimand him when you catch him soiling your dark cherry-finished, hardwood floor. Eventually, he gets it. There really isn’t anything extraordinary about this process.

What is extraordinary, however, is how Yoda (and most puppies/dogs) react to a scolding. I scream “No!” like the Alpha wolf barks at the Beta wolf when he does something wrong and bring him outside to show him where he is meant to relieve himself. But when I put him back down I’m always amazed at his reaction. Besides hanging his head in a submissive position (acknowledging he did something wrong), he begins wagging his tail and trying to play with me. I bark and he licks. In the presence of my anger, Yoda sends love. In fact, no matter what I do, Yoda still just gives me love.

Think about this for a moment. How do we react when someone attacks, “barks,” or even simply contradicts us? Is love one of your top ten most readily available emotional responses? It hasn’t been for me either. But what if it was?

No matter how irked I become at something stupid that Yoda does, he always knows how to diffuse my anger and irritation … with the power of love. Apparently, the Force is strong with this one. (Sorry, I had to say it.) Try staying angry at a little puppy wagging his tail and attempting to lick your face (not to mention those puppy-dog eyes). It simply isn’t possible. Love defuses anger.

We all know that this is a terrific principle, but a very difficult one to live. A Course of Miracles says that in any conflict, you have two choices: to be right or to love. I had heard this many times before and had given it lip service, but I think Yoda has convinced me to integrate his way of being into my personal philosophy.

Think of a conflict you currently have in your life—big or small. How would choosing love positively impact the fate of that adventure?

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey