Letter From A Friend – Guest Blog December 5, 2013

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started this blog. I just jumped in and started swimming (which is a big accomplishment for a dog). I know I’ve said it before, but I there is one thing in particular I wasn’t expecting when I started blogging all those months ago. The friendships. I had no idea how wonderful it would be to find a new family in this WordPress blogosphere, and yet that is what I’ve developed. Thank you all for being part of that for me.

In celebration of this, I wanted to share a guest blog I received a while back from my dear friend Ku from over at Haiku by Ku. In response to my request for a blog on Ku’s perspective on joy from the ground up: 

 

My dear buddy Wiley,

Having friends like you brings me joy. There are so many things in life that bring me joy, but what really brings me joy from the ground up is life! All the little things, all those little threads of joy that make life life all spring from the same deep root of life itself.

Life is filled with all sorts of things that make us smile, and frown, and laugh, and cry, and sing, and pout. But through the course of my puppyhood in the puppy mill, my rescue and healing journey, and now with my Mama and my new pack I have learned that all those things, all my experiences, both good and bad, are all a part of life. Without pain, there is no pleasure. Without fear, there is no love. Without suffering, there is no compassion. These are two sides of the same coin, the coin of life.

As the poet Kahlil Gilbran said, “The deeper that sorrow carves into my heart, the more joy it can contain.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. Though I am sure I would have been a sweet pup, had I not experienced the hunger, horror, and suffering during my first year of life, I do not think my heart would have the same capacity to hold and to allow to take root the eternal joy that is life itself!

Indeed, dear Ku, that is joy from the ground up. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. More importantly, thank you for being one of many of the friends who have become family over the last year.

For more by Ku, please check out his book to help support animal rescue,  as well as the other works of art listed below.

Through the Peacock’s Eyes, Insights for Spiritual Living

On the Streets of San Francisco, Photography

Facebook

Twitter

Haiku By Ku, A Poetic Pup’s Poem

Swami Zoe’s Yoga and Zen

My Love Languages August 14, 2013

Love. It sure does happen in a variety of forms.

As a puppy I was sure I had all the love I could possibly have in my heart for my mom. She was my provider, my rescuer, my hero, my mom. When I lost her, I thought for sure I would never know love again.

Then on the streets I met Tiger and his puppies and I knew I’d found it. Love. But it was different this time. Instead of bursting with love for the dog who gave me the gift of life, my feelings were overwhelmingly protective toward my adoptive street dog family. I loved her then and I love her still.

When I met Rusty at the humane society it happened again. He was wise, and he shared his wisdom with me. I loved him then and I love him still. He was probably one of the best friends I ever had.

And the love I have in my heart for my forever people is something I would describe as big love. Life-changing love. Unconditional love. It all falls in line with my general philosophy to love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe. I find myself reflecting on all of this today as I give thanks for a new set of friends I’ve made. My blog friends. I love you all so very much, in a very different way than I loved my mom, Tiger, Rusty and in a very different way than I love my forever family. And I’m fortunate that you all love me back.

It’s been a while since I last pawsed to say thank you for the myriad of awards you’ve all been kind enough to share with me. That ends today.

Thank you to my dear friend in optimism, Ute at It’s A Happy World , for granting me the Inner Peace Award and Most Creative Blogger Award.

 

Thank you to blogging inspiration DMaudlin at Mama Bear Musings for welcoming me as part of her WorldPress Family.

Thank you to fellow believer in chasing the stars, ChasingThePerfectMoment, for saying I have Awesome Blog Content.

Thank you to fellow dog blogger and inspiration to me on a daily basis, Harper Lee , for the Sunshine Award, WordPress Family Award, and Awesome Blog Content Award.

Thank you to a new friend of mine, Nodz, for the Versatile Blogger Award and ABC Award.

And last, but certainly not least, thank you to my friend in irony, Bacon over at Pig Love , for the bouquet of the Versatile Blogger Award, Sunshine Award, and Best Moment Award.

As many of you know, there are a variety of rules associated with these awards, most of which I intend to break today. However, the one very most important rule of all (in my humble doggie opinion) is to paw it forward. If you’re reading this, please consider yourself a member of the family who deserves the recognition of these awards. Take your pick. Choose one, or a few, but know that I am sharing these awards with my dearest loved ones who have supported and encouraged me to keep on the blogging path less travelled.

Its been a path with all kinds of different types of love. It sure does happen in a variety of forms. And I’ve got to say – I sure love each and every one of them.

No Place Like Home May 27, 2013

Wiley’s daydreams was on the short list of other possible names for this blog. I spend the majority of my time either daydreaming or dreaming in my sleep, so I thought it would be a clever way to illustrate all those thoughts in my little doggie mind.

Then the day happened that brought inspiration in the most unexpected of ways. Snow had been falling from the sky laying a beautiful blanket of sparkly diamonds on my backyard, and it came to me. My mom was so excited to get outside and play with me, she threw away caution with wild abandon, and she laughed. Oh dog, did she laugh to the point I wasn’t sure which came first – her joy or mine.

In that moment, it didn’t matter which came first. I felt such an overwhelming burst of joy I couldn’t help but want to find a way to share it with the world. Just as joy fell from the sky that day, I wanted to bring my perspective of joy to the world from the ground up.

That is among the reasons I know now with complete certainty I wouldn’t change the name, nor the path that brought me to where I am today. But that doesn’t stop my curious mind from occasionally wondering what it would be like to switch places with another blogger for a few days. Would my switcheroo be with a person or a four-legged friend? Where would this person be at in their life? Would it be a little person or an adult? A puppy or a dog? Would it be with someone in the United States or in a country far away? Oh, the possibilities! There would be so much to learn from a new perspective on things, and I’m never one to turn down a learning experience.

But I’m also not one to covet. I love everything about the people, places and things in my life, and I wouldn’t want to leave all that behind if only for a few days. There is a unique perspective to be offered by so many bloggers out there, and I can’t find it in my heart (let alone in my ability) to communicate that perspective as well as they do.

We all have our different reasons for blogging. It’s what makes us unique. While switching places might be a fun learning experiment, I fear the result wouldn’t be as pleasurable as many might have hoped. Instead I opt to continue reading the perspectives of my pals in the blogosphere, and learning life lessons through their stories.

After all, I’m really good at daydreaming.

Related Articles:

http://angloswiss-chronicles.com/2013/05/27/daily-prompt-switcheroo/

http://tarotalchemist.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/daily-prompt-switcheroo/

http://themotherofnine9.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/switcheroo-you-want-me-to-pretend/

Paw-sing to Share Love May 17, 2013

It began like a single snowflake falling from the sky on a chilly December day. Unique in its concept, it has grown and developed over time, and somehow the glimmer of hope that snowflake represented has become a reality.

Today is day 148 in a row of sharing my stories of adventure and joy from the ground up. I set out to blog every day for 365 days, and so far I haven’t missed a single one. But I can’t take all the credit for that commitment. There is something that keeps be going even when I’m certain my ramblings will echo endlessly through the night without touching a single soul.

Something I’ve learned right quick in this blogging business is that the connections we make are legitimate. Anyone who says otherwise clearly has never blogged, or at least not done so in an arena like this one. To each and every person who has liked or commented on a post, followed the blog or even just stopped by to read without making a virtual paw print: thank you for being a special part of my little doggie life.

You are what keeps me writing on a daily basis. As any blogger knows, that is not an easy task. We all have our good days and bad days. There are days I’m certain I won’t make it to day 365. But the support and encouragement afforded me especially in the comments are what get me through the days when I sit and stare at the white screen and cursor hoping a brilliant post will magically appear.

I’ve been doing a disservice to many of you who have taken the time to nominate me for awards lately. There’s no good excuse for this naughty behavior, but I shall attempt to write this wrong today by saying thank you and recognizing those who have awarded me that extra special pat on the head.

I am humbled to receive awards that feature adjectives like versatility, beauty, and sweetness. These are some pretty powerful vocabulary words if you ask me. My sincerest gratitude to:

Sofie’s Diary, Versatile Blogger Award                   Maria at Accelerated Stall, Liebster Blog Award    Best Moment Award

     

Mrs. Seeker, Versatile Blogger Award and Beautiful Blogger Award

     

PeaceLovenWhiskers, WordPress Family Award            Jill London, Super Sweet Blogger Award                 Huntmode (& Fam) Very Inspiring Award

           

Iamforchange, One Lovely Blog Award, Most Influential Blogger Award, Candle Lighter Award

       

Julianne Victoria (and Ku!), Super Sweet Blogger Award, Sunshine Award, Interesting Blog Award

         

Nikitaland, Dragon’s Loyalty Award                               Misufasa at the Presents of Presence, WordPress Family Award

    

Melanie, Because You’re Fantabulous Award and Awesome Blossom Award

  

As many of you know, there are a variety of rules associated with these awards, most of which I intend to break today. However, the one very most important rule of all (in my humble doggie opinion) is to paw it forward. If you’re reading this, please consider yourself a member of the family who deserves the recognition of these awards. Take your pick. Choose one, or a few, but know that I am sharing these awards with my dearest loved ones who have supported and encouraged me to keep on the blogging path less travelled. As American rock bank Fun. puts it “let our past be the sound of our feet upon the ground, carry on!”

A Little Sunshine Goes A Long Way March 19, 2013

 

I do feel different at the end of today, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence. Today someone confirmed that my words brought sunshine to their day by nominating me for the Sunshine Award. As that was my goal of the day, that would be success in itself. But because I started my day sharing the challenge, the sunshine was powerful enough that I want its rays to spread into the lives of others.

“The Sunshine Award is an award given by bloggers to other bloggers. The recipients of the Sunshine Award are: Bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere. The way the award works is this: Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them. Answer questions about yourself. Select 10 of your favorite bloggers, link their blogs to your post and let them know they have been awarded the Sunshine Award!”

Thank you very much for the nomination, Matthew.  Gratitude is no small feat in my life, and I owe my sincerest of it to you.

{QUESTIONS and ANSWERS}

What inspired you to start blogging? I live a very joyful life, and I recognized one day not that long ago that my joy is best when shared with others. There is nothing like a contagious smile.

How did you come up with the name to your blog? Wiley’s Wisdom: Joy from the Ground Up was a combination of inspiration that is alliteration, and my desire to share my unique perspective on joy with the world. My world starts on the ground, but the sky is the limit for my dreams.

What is your favorite blog you like to read? I can’t answer this question honestly, since there are far too many favorites to mention. Animal and humane, I do love my all beloved members of my blogosphere, as you continue to offer me insight and inspiration.

Tell about your dream job. My dream job is inspiring others through the written word, and travelling the world with my mom to share our mutual appreciation of joy from the ground up. I want to be the change I want to see in the world, so every little bit counts.

Is your glass half empty or half full? If there is milk involved, it is definitely more than half empty. I love milk, even though my mom says it is bad for me. But I digress. I seek to see the best in all people and things, so my philosophical glass is most definitely half full. And if it’s not, I make it a goal to fill up the glass of whomever will let me.

If you could go anywhere for a week’s vacation, where would you go? Somewhere outdoors and fabulous with my people. If I ever won money, I would buy or rent them a fabulous trailer to take us all anywhere we want to go in the country. Exploring is one of my most favorite things.

What food can you absolutely not eat? There’s a bunch. I do know that grapes, onions and garlic are big things to avoid. Not that I choose to pay much attention. I am a doggie vacuum cleaner.

Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? No chocolate for this doggie. I want to live long enough to make a difference in this world, and chocolate of any kind would surely see to it that not happen.

How much time do you spend blogging? Next to chewing on my favorite toys and spending time with my people, blogging is my most favorite hobby. I love words, how they come together, and how they bring stories to life.

Do you watch TV, and if so, what are some of your favorite shows? I love the moving picture window, perhaps a bit too much! My most favorite shows might surprise some people though. I enjoy the obvious shows on Animal Planet like the Dog Whisperer and Too Cute, but I also appreciate good writing in people shows like Big Bang Theory and The Vampire Diaries. Plus the werewolves on The Vampire Diaries are all rock stars in my doggie book.

{NOMINATIONS}

Most inspiration starts as a creative thought or art coming to life. For me, these folks bring art to life in their daily breath on the blogosphere.

Amba: My dear pal, you should know you are loved

Hope, my happy hugger. You bring me joy, and I hope I bring it back to you

Melanie, you are a constant source of happy stories and inspiration. Thank you.

Misifusa, the Presents of Presence, you are always an inspiration to me

Chatter Master: Your chatter is always appreciated

Ms. Seeker: You continue to be an inspiration to me

My pals in the UK: The Barkshire Post

C-Sweet: One of my favorite sweethearts

Kirby: One of my newest blog pals. 🙂

Thank you all for being you.

I started today with a challenge. And it is not a coincidence that I end the day feeling better than when I started.  My ongoing effort to be the change I want to see in the world proved successful today. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.