For the Asking

The other day, I was supporting some workflow changes at a clinic when someone from the HR department dropped by with a therapy dog and his trainer. He was a big golden retriever named Aspen, and he was the perfect dog for the job. If you knelt down in front of him, he’d sidle up to you and push his massive head into your belly, basically demanding that you pet him. And when you did, he was in complete bliss. He would have stayed there all day, as long as someone kept petting him, and we all lined up for our turn to do exactly that. 

It had been a stressful day. We were rolling out a new process, and everyone was struggling a bit to adjust. But as soon as Aspen showed up, we were all smiles. He got us out of our heads by demanding that we scratch his--and it totally worked. He was a remarkably effective therapist, but he only had one technique: he requested, accepted and appreciated our love.

We humans are not good at asking to be loved. Deep down, we worry that we don’t deserve it--or at least that someone else might think we aren’t. What we forget is that the exchange of love benefits both parties, no matter in which direction it flows. 

The next time you need love, remember that  there are people in this world who would really appreciate the chance to love you. You just might make their day.