Living in SF with a Dog

My dog is here with me now in SF. I am less homesick, and we are adjusting to a new normal. For me I find a greater sense of purpose, to be able to provide care to my dog. Summer the dog has “forced” me to be a morning person (most days we are up by 6 am - today we were up by 4:30 am), and I now have time to eat some breakfast before I go to work. 😋. What we’re trying to work on is lessening his guard dog tendencies (barking at the wee morning hours/night and especially his digging underneath the small wood house in the backyard). What’s this all about? I suspect there’s a skunk family there...I saved us from skunk spray last week. Yup. It forced myself to wear fragrance at work for the first time in years. 😆. 

Now, we are working on having my dog and the landlords’ dog get more accustomed to each other. They have a few walks together now, and so far, they’ve been rather smooth. 

What I wish someone told me earlier: figure out what matters to you and prioritize that. Sounds simple, but this is a work-in-progress. Yes, I needed a stronger support system. I needed my dog to be here with me.

For each season it may be a different priority, and that’s ok. The things that matter to you are often aligned with your values. Taking the time to figure out what aligns with your soul now is setting yourself up for success, based on your terms. For example, if you are working in a toxic environment, why are you choosing to stay there? Recognize that you are in a position of privilege and assess your satisfaction with it. Start to notice how you feel within the environment. 

I have a few questions for you.

• What are your top 3 values? 

• Do your actions align with your values?