How My Pooch Helped Me Reframe Failure

Enzo showed up in my life in 2011, thanks to Anastasia Taylor and Tamar Geller of The Loved Dog. Tamar ran a wonderful program for war veterans dealing with PTSD, in which they trained unruly dogs, and it turned out one of their pooches had failed the program because he was too obedient.

Tamar called to tell me she’d found the perfect dog for me—a sweet, obedient boy named Chewie. Turns out a sweet, obedient dog was just what I needed! I renamed Chewie “Enzo,” and he entered my home and heart forever.

This got me thinking about how we deal with “failure.” While personalities might not be right for a particular job, relationship, or friendship, that doesn’t necessarily mean we need to change for it. In my experience, staying true to yourself eventually leads to the right people being drawn to you, and with them the right opportunities.

In addition to all the love, exercise, and companionship Enzo has brought to my life, the greatest value, perhaps, has been the realization that there truly is a seat for everyone at the table; we just need to find the right table.