Tigger's rules for living life well
The most valuable thing I inherited from my mother’s estate was her cat, Tigger. This little moggie was discovered at an animal refuge fifteen years ago. She was my mum’s constant companion and would sleep on the foot of her bed at night.
I have no doubt that she not only enhanced, but also extended, my mum’s life by several years. I think Tigger also sets a good example on how to live life well.
Tigger excels at both giving and receiving love and affection. I think she is the only cat I have ever known for whom being loved is more important than food. She is also very perceptive about what people need. When I have been sick or had a hard day, she senses this and curls up on my chest while I am lying on the lounge and brings healing through her peaceful purrs.
She is also good at requesting, not demanding, what she needs. Sometimes she will look at me and meow while I am sitting on the lounge, using her feline powers to influence me to lie down so she can assume her usual position.
She does not hold grudges. Even when she is stepped on by accident, she quickly forgives. She is even patient with me when I manipulate her ears and face to do various impersonations – Yoda from Star Wars, Bugs Bunny and her famous Vampire Cat impression.
Tigger rarely gets stressed, except when there are visiting children or dogs. She finds a good balance between pretending to be a jungle cat exploring our backyard and finding new places to sleep.
Tigger has won herself a lot of admirers. The evidence is that when we had a celebration for her tenth birthday, more people turned up for her party than who usually turn up for the family’s parties! She is a very special animal.
Perhaps we can look at special pets we have known and consider some of the important lessons we can learn from them – affection, loyalty, patience, and playfulness.
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Ken Warren, known as ‘The Doctor of Difficult People’, is Australia’s leading speaker on the topic. He can show you how to turn difficult customers and co-workers into pussycats, make great teams even better, and achieve better outcomes with challenging clients. Check out his free resources at www.positivepeoplesolutions.com.au
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