Often, all we need is a moment of pause to understand who we are and what we feel

Often, all we need is a moment of pause to understand who we are and what we feel. "What matters isn't who's been in your life the longest; it's who arrived out of nowhere and never left!" (anonymous) We can never forget that only that which stands the test of time is true. Perhaps that's why, more often than not, I'd choose a dog (I have one...Junior) over anyone I've ever known, or rather (thought I'd known). Dogs don't make promises they won't keep, they don't say one thing and mean another. They simply appear, without questions, without doubt. A dog's loyalty isn't conditional on how you are or where you're going in life; they are simply with you for the duration of your life. Humans, on the other hand, always have some angle, some expectation, peeking behind their words. "God has given animals a knowledge that surpasses our power to see: They know innately how to live, the very thing that requires us to work to learn." (Margaret Atwood) But a dog? They are there in the quiet, in the disorder, confusion, or disorganization without needing a reason. There is a simplicity in their presence, a kind of loyalty that people seem to misunderstand. In a world full of uncertainty, dogs are the only ones who never back down or waver in the face of the storms that come and who always choose hope over fear. Bento de Jesus Caraça's famous quote: "If I do not fear error, it is because I am always ready to correct it," a phrase that seeks to reflect an attitude toward the mistakes we all make, showing that the important thing is not to avoid mistakes, but rather to have the willingness and ability to recognize and correct them, learn from them, and move forward. Making mistakes is not the end of the road, but an inevitable and enriching part of the journey. Only then do we grow and become stronger and better! "Only those who risk going to great lengths, which others consider too far, can discover how far one can go." (T.S. Eliot - Thomas Stearns Eliot) We must be aware of the importance of the emotional impact we have on others, as emotional experiences tend to be more lasting than memories of specific words or actions, and that our interactions with others have a lasting impact, and that the emotions we evoke in people are more memorable than the specific details of our words or actions. "We have learned that people will forget what we said, they will forget what we did, but they will never forget how we made them feel." (Maya Angelou - pseudonym of Marguerite Ann Johnson, who was an American writer, poet, and activist)