There’s nothing I like better than going out for a walk with my humans. There are a couple of places that are my very favorites to go to. I start to get excited when I see that we have reached one of those particular places, because suddenly a hand reaches down and unclips my leash. With one joyous glance back, I get to bound forward in my newfound freedom. I’m off and exploring, nose to the ground, or tilted up sniffing the air. It feels terrific, the wind blowing through my curls as I run free. That first moment when I feel that weight of the leash lift off, there’s really nothing else like it.

Some days you may not feel like you have been able to experience many moments of freedom. I say you can find it where you are right now. Perhaps it’s mental freedom, allowing yourself to dump those thoughts that have been weighing you down. Often, negative thoughts can imprison us; they may make our situation feel worse than it is. Recently, my momma wrote down the negative thoughts that were causing her to feel anxious, and she noticed that shining a light on those thoughts was the first step to setting her mind free.

What if your first step toward freedom is identifying your own thoughts. How about trying something new, put your nose in the air, think about your thoughts! What do you notice? Are there any patterns? Try putting your thoughts on paper, simply moving them from your mind and writing them down to see in black and white could be insightful. Give yourself permission to acknowledge the thoughts that may be holding you back in one way or another. The next brave step could even be talking to someone about them.

When my leash is attached to my collar, I often wonder why my humans don’t realize that I want that to run freely. What is your leash? Do you allow it to keep you in place like mine keeps me with my humans? I wonder if you need it, or if you could unclip yours to be free. What’s holding you back? Negative thoughts can act as a leash and can keep you from moving forward. When my leash is taken off, I bound forward, a smile on my face and tongue hanging out, excited to explore what’s ahead. Oh, the freedom I feel; I want that for you, too.

Sometimes my leash is there to keep me safe, and other times it’s unclipped so I can run free. What if it’s time to remove your leash? You have the power to do so. Think about how that first moment of freedom could feel for you. Maybe it’s simply taking some time to listen to your thoughts, to see what might be going on. I say take that time, then let yourself bound ahead like I do. You won’t regret it. There’s nothing like that first moment of freedom.

Come walk with me, if you’d like.