I wish I had a solution on how to fix the homelessness problem in the country, and in my area… I don’t have a solution yet. I hope to find it one day. It is just very sad that it persists. I don’t judge the homeless people as irresponsible or addicts. Some ar whom else’s due to a health situation that made them bankrupt. If I decide to give them some money, I don’t worry about them using it to smoke, to buy illegal drugs or to drink alcohol. I leave that judgment up to Higher Power. Sometimes I ask them how did they become homeless. Sometimes I asked what can I give them that they could use. If I am able, I will bring it to them the next day or the same day. I feel compassion for them, especially when the weather is too cold or too hot. I feel helpless and hopeless for them. Please share your thoughts and feelings about this. Can you think of a feasible solution to help with this societal issue?

To have wellness with pets, what does it take? It takes basic training, obedience training (with gentle, not cruel methods). It takes establishing dominance with the dog. It takes walks and runs and hikes, depending on the dog’s breed and energy level. It takes a good fit among the energy levels of the owner and the pet. It takes a possible commitment of almost 20 years if the pup is very young. Turtles can live hundreds of years, so who will take take of the turtle if we don’t live as long? It takes more than food and water. It takes fresh, clean bowls for food and water every day, every 8 hours. Kibble is not good for the dogs, and the healthy chow for pets is expensive. It takes a financial commitment for vet bills. It takes deciding what will happen to the pet when/if a couple gets divorced, as pets are property. It takes writing it in our living will what happens to the dog if we were to “go too soon” or suddenly. It takes an allergy check test before we get a pet, so we don’t have to re-home the pet or return it to the shelter after we adopted it, due to discovering we have an allergy to dog, cat, or horse hair. It takes close supervision when little children are around, and teaching the kids to act gentle and quiet during their attempt to pet the dogs. Toddlers and babies should never be aloud to ride dogs as ponies. The dog’s spine is not made for that. Kids should never be allowed to pull a pet’s ears or tails. Many little kids have been bit by dogs because their parents didn’t watch them closely in the presence of the pets, or didn’t teach the child to respect a dog’s space and body. Dogs are not allowed in certain places, such as at the beach or restaurants. Understandable. However, we turn to them for sniffing drugs at the airport, rescuing people after an earthquake, tracking dangerous criminals, or used as service dogs or emotional support pets. What can YOU add to the list? What does it take to have wellness with and from pets?

When you want to share your opinion, do you feel free to speak your mind? If yes, is it difficult to refrain from sharing your opinion? Are you passive in your communication? Is it so difficult to stand up for your own rights that you would rather let others step on your rights and boundaries? Are you aggressive in your communication? Will you stand up for yourself and speak your mind no matter what, even when you step on other people’s boundaries or rights? Are you acting passive-aggressively in your relationships? You don’t tell people what you really think but you judge them silently, roll your eyes at their actions or words, avoid them, drop them, ghost them, unfriend and block them on social media or from your real life circle of friends? Please share if you wish to.

The only way I can avoid making mistakes is to do nothing. The more I do, the more mistakes I make, because mistakes are a natural part of learning. The only way to improve the success rate in anything I do is by practicing. I cannot have excellent results from the first few times I started something new: a habit, a project, a relationship, a job, etc. Excellence comes with months or years of practice, depending on how complex the new skill is, on how great a mentor we have guiding us, on our self-discipline, on how vast is our genetic potential, and on many other factors. I admire people who move on and try again when they make a mistake. Only those who do nothing at all can avoid the risk of failure. Yet, failure and mistakes are just names for words describing stepping stones to success and fulfillment. They can be “new mentors”, if we allow them.

Is it just another day? Is is happy? Is it sad? Is it bittersweet? Is it bringing our expectations high from our romantic partners or spouses? Do we brace up for disappointment? Are we scared to look at the fancy chocolates on the store shelves, because sugar and chocolate are calling our name and forget our New Year’s resolutions for avoidance or moderation of certain addictive food substances? Are you going to a party with friends? Are you enjoying a day by yourself in your own company and glad you don’t have to give your time and attention to another person? Please share, if you’d like to.