As a child, my dad used to tell us the story of the dog that chased a bus.
This sort-legged dog always looked for ways to get out of the yard, waiting at the roadside to chase any wheelie passers-by. Some cars and motorbikes he caught, but others, like this specific bus, were always too fast. He had a few close encounters and even brushes with death in all his attempts to be able to catch the bus.
This little doggie ate all his good food and exercised his little body to get fit to be able to catch the bus. Some nights he even dreamt of catching the bus. And one day it happened – he caught up with the bus! The sad thing is he didn’t know what to do when he got it.
This is what obsession without planning does to mankind. You run after many things (some are good quests) but don’t know what you want to achieve. Many times, it is not catching the bus that is the achievement but getting fit enough to run after the vehicle or what you have learned or the journey or the personal growth.
According to the website, https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/behavior-appearance/why-do-dogs-chase-cars, dogs are chasing cars (or busses) because it is an instinct. A dog recognises a vehicle as ‘prey’ they must run after and capture. But we are human beings with the gift of choice and the opportunity to live with purpose.
I believe you must have a WHY before frantically becoming a #BusChaser, running after any ’bus’. This WHY will help you continue long after your legs grew tired because if it is only an instinct to do what you are doing, the novelty will soon wear off. That’s why I believe in always asking myself, ‘What is chasing me to run after something (or someone)?’
A strong WHY will give you the grit not to give up on that thing you are chasing. It will give you the perseverance to not stop trying. Sometimes only continuous attempts make us the winner because the more we are trying, the better we will become and, in the end, you are only winning.
And if you do reach your goal, what then? This was the moral of my dad’s story – the dog did not know what he wanted to do with the bus. When you reach the goal that you have chased for so long, it is not necessary to feel lost or deflated like the dog who got his bus.
Life is constantly evolving. It is good to remember that you are never done when reaching a goal. A new ‘bus’ will arise, and you start this journey of chasing another one again. It is like reaching the top of a mountain to realise this is the foot of another bigger mountain. The strength and fitness gained and the lessons learned in getting there are the building blocks for climbing the next one. KEEP going #BusChasers🚍🏃♀️🏃
Copyright Annalie Anticevich© October 2022
Photograph, thank you to https://thewiddershins2.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/dog-and-car-2.jpg for the image that helped me tell my story.
#WordsDrippingWithHoney 
