Confident

Luna decided to do laps around the house. She's kind of crazy. They're all like, "Take your dog for a walk to tire them out!" She is most hyper right after a walk. Sometimes I'll stick her on the line in the backyard for like fifteen minutes so she can play in the snow without being on a walk. She practically leaps on me when I come out to get her. Basically, everything we do to "tire her out" results in higher energy... for a while, anyway. Maybe it wears off faster or something.

Speaking of walks, I still have not had much success. Today was a lesson in tug-of-war. Either I was pulling her forward because she had decided to stop and smell the roses... or other dog crap... or I was holding her back because she just HAD to get to those two guys, or that woman, or whoever. I never knew walks were such a pain. I thought, "What, you just walk with the dog, right?" Nobody told the dog that.

Cesar Milan always talks about "calm-assertive energy" and how you have to project that to the dog. Something I read somewhere said he advised a woman to picture someone who inspired her and try to walk like she was that person. The woman chose Cleopatra.

I was trying to think of someone who inspired me like that. Ron Paul? Eh, he's not precisely physically inspiring. Anyway, I don't think of him as calm-assertive. When I saw him in debates, it seemed clear he was trying to explain what he considered obviously the best way to people who he probably considered a bit thick. So, more suppressed frustration.

I don't care much for Cleopatra. What a drama queen.

Finally, over the holidays, I discovered someone who had that great walk: Pepper Potts. She's the redhead from Iron Man I and II and makes an appearance in the Avengers as well. Now, I didn't even like Iron Man until they made the recent movies. Robert Downey Jr. is hilarious. Anyway, if you've seen them, you know Pepper Potts was his assistant in the beginning movie and he decides to she's attractive. Pepper isn't the hottest girl. There's a journalist/super model Stark sleeps with in the first movie who is much prettier. But Pepper has attitude, confidence, assurance, etc. Even before Stark goes after her, she is calm and in control and somehow able to put up with him. And as her and Stark's relationship gets stronger, she gets even more confident. She's able to walk around like she's the sexiest girl there and that's when you realize she is actually quite pretty... and has nice legs.

So, Pepper Potts would be the one I'd want to channel. Confidence, it seems, is the thing that makes girls sexy... even more than looks, sometimes. It doesn't matter what you look like as long as you know your worth and carry yourself like it.

Granted, I've had to work on that a lot. I came out of high school with about zero confidence as far as interpersonal relationships go... but plenty on my own, when it came to just myself. I don't know how much I've changed since then... but I think I know myself better and feel better about myself. Still a lot to work on. David seems to give his highest praise in the form of "she knows who she is." I don't think I'm quite to that standard yet.

So, trying to walk with calm-assertive energy and Pepper Potts confidence. Still didn't seem to impress the dog.