Mike, the Labrador looking worried said nervously “I feel it in my gut”

“Something bad is going to happen. I can just feel it”

Ronnie, the German Shepherd paused to think and then said “where do you feel it?”

Mike looked down and said “in my belly. I just know it”

Ronnie exhaled a snorting  noise from his nose, paused and said “Mike I want you to close your eyes”

Mike the lab with a coat like silk said “huh?”

Ronnie said “close your eyes. Take two short quick breaths in through your nose. Then a long slow exhale from your mouth. Do this 3 times. Don’t rush it”

Mike slightly confused but intrigued did what Ronnie told him. 

Ronnie the German Shepherd said gently “now open your eyes and tell me what you feel. Not what you think”

Mike frowned “not what I think?” Feeling surprisingly relaxed.

Ronnie said “Yup. Too often in times of stress we confuse our gut instincts with what our thoughts are telling us. We are so smart that our mind can easily play tricks on us for a variety of reasons and that’s not gut instinct”

Mike smiled for the first time today and calmly said “I see. So differentiating gut instinct from an anxious or clouded thoughts of the mind?”

Ronnie nodded.

Mike said “ It makes sense. A lot actually, I feel that the thought of something bad happening to me was created by my worried anxious thoughts, not what I really felt. I can’t control what happens but I can control what I really feel to what I think”

“But how will I know when it’s gut instinct vs thought?”

Ronnie distracted by a stick being thrown across the field said without looking at Mike “Trust yourself Mike. Trust you”

As Ronnie began to sprint away he turned around and said “oh Mike… don’t think too much”

Mike said sharply “what?”

“For another day Mike, for another day. That stick is #*#*# mine!”