This is Winston. More formally, he is known as Sir Winston Walter Julio Johnson Dostal. He is a 3-year-old pure bred English Bulldog and he has taught me a number of lessons in his short life that will stick with me forever. He doesn't know that he has taught me these lessons, but I will be forever indebted to him for showing me how to live a life of happiness and contentment. If you don't know anything about bulldogs, they are medically fragile animals. According to NPR, "a court in Norway banned the breeding of bulldogs, after an animal welfare group argued that chronic inbreeding and an exaggerated body shape was causing suffering for many dogs. Their flattened face and shortened airway can cause respiratory issues, sometimes requiring surgery. The dogs are also prone to skin and spinal problems." Without going into a science report or explaining the pros and cons of the bulldog breed, I can tell you that Winston has suffered some medical issues during his life. He has trouble breathing, gets ear infections, and has even thrown out his back to the point where we thought we would have to put him down. Fortunately, he recovered and thus began the lessons learned from Winston.
Winston is a temperamental dog. One might even go so far as to say he is stubborn. He is a picky eater, doesn't listen to commands, and rarely gives up his toy when he is playing fetch. Instead, he wants to get in a tug of war battle and show that he is the boss. I notice a lot of similarities in my own personality compared to Winston, but he has definitely taught me a thing or two about knowing when to stop, relax, and go with the flow. He has shown me that there is a time to work, a time to play, and most importantly, a time to sleep.
Winston has also taught me a lesson on unconditional love. No matter what, he is always there to greet me when I come home and he is always there to nuzzle up to me when I'm not feeling myself. He is the type of companion that wants you to know that he is always there for you no matter the circumstances. He knows that by showing love, kindness, and grace, he will always be able to make a situation better.
Indeed, we can all learn a thing or two from Winston. You don't need to be his owner to bask in his wisdom. For all intents and purposes, the lessons are pretty simple, but extremely powerful. Imagine what kind of workplace culture could be developed by showing love, patience, and humility even when we are being stubborn or hard headed. Imagine how powerful our relationships could be if our actions were louder than any words that could ever be spoken. What if we could just show unconditional love and grace for our colleagues even if we didn't think they deserved it? The answer to this question lies in the heart of a bulldog and we would be wise to be bullish about developing a culture based on the lessons we can learn from Winston.
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