This is my gorgeous dog Bobby. Everyone thinks he’s cute. He is friendly, he’s a puppy, he’s happy, he’s well behaved, he’s cheeky….
Actually, he is cute, except when he has stolen food he knows he’s not allowed.
He is friendly towards every human being and he loves playing with very big dogs because he thinks he is an Alsatian. The big dogs are a little scared of him and the small dogs annoy him if they get too close. I would say he’s a tad antisocial.
He is not a puppy – he’s just turned 11 years old but he thinks he’s a young dog and behaves as such. He’s well behaved most of the time until he thinks he can get away with whatever crime he has committed. He always looks happy and content.
Cheeky? Definitely! And everyone loves him. This is Bobby after a close cut to remove some matted fur.
This is not the same dog you might say. This poor sad dog has been abused, several people have said. He’s too thin. He’s vulnerable. Poor thing.
The thing is, his fluffy hair defined him. When that was necessarily removed, it revealed how thin and vulnerable he was. His eyes looked sad. One observer commented, “His eyes tell of horror and pain!”
Let me make this quite clear. He was groomed professionally by a reputable company. They treated him gently and with care. He is essentially exactly the same dog except everyone feels sorry for him.
It makes you think though. How do others perceive us?
When we’re tired and fed up, when things aren’t going our way, when our appearance reflects this, some people show concern, “Are you ok?”
When we are nervous, our body language reveals this and that makes some people uncomfortable, particularly audience members watching nervous performers.
We can only be who we are. We can’t help how we feel.
True.
But when we catch ourselves giving others a negative impression of who we are, we can do one small thing.
Smile
Think of something funny or cheeky and you’ll stand taller.
When we’re confident, comfortable in our own skin, we feel that we can do anything and others see us as capable, friendly and reliable. They may even see us as funny, great company and attractive.
Two weeks on, Bobby’s hair is growing back nicely and he is showing his cheeky side. He is cute!
