Communication is key to staying sober.

What if we set about our day in the same way dogs do?

What if we freely expressed what we need and desire from others and situations?  And, boldly communicated without worry of what others might think of us? What if we didn’t filter our lives?

From what I can tell, dogs truly take care of themselves. They aren’t afraid to ask for what they want or need. They are not concerned with appearing overly needy.

If they are hungry, they sometimes push their food bowl around, signaling for a treat of some kind.

When they want attention, they make no “bones” about it. They come to us and gently nuzzle in. Or, in Stitch’s case, he quickly turns so that his rear end is the object of your petting hand.

There is no worry of what we might think about them.

They unapologetically ask for what they need. And they do it with love.

Wow! What a concept. They are great communicators.

They jump for joy when we arrive home, wriggling and licking us. When they jump, they don’t get offended when we ask them to stop. They will jump again the next day.

They are not passive aggressive and simply ask for what they want. If they don’t get it, they just keep asking until they do, and they don’t seem to get their tails all in an uproar.

My mom’s dog, Oliver, rolls on his back and wiggles all over when he greets strangers. He proudly relays “rub my belly.”

Boundary setting is easy for them. They may growl when we get too close to their face or if a stranger approaches them. They are not concerned that they might tick us off by letting us know that enough is enough. Communication is their strong suite even though they don’t have words.

Often, they follow us to the restroom and patiently wait outside the shower door. Pride doesn’t get in the way of taking care of their needs.

Dogs do not have ego minds telling them that have asked for enough or that they don’t deserve one more rub down or bacon strip. They don’t have an inner critic attacking them for wanting too much.

They don’t overthink things and wonder if we aren’t hanging out with them today because they simply asked for one too many things.

Dogs are free from ego.

They may not know it, but they have an innate sense that they deserve everything they want and need; an innate sense that abundance is their birth right.

It is ours too. All we have to do is ask for what we need. And, we can even ask for what we want. We were born in the light of love. May it continue to shine.