My dogs have an amazing ability to be still most of the day. Mostly they nap beside me or at my feet while I work. We go outside a few times a day and they run around, wrestle, and chase sticks; sometimes they chew their toys or chase a ball, and after work we go to the park whenever we can but for the most part they’re just…here. You might call this lazy. But I think this level of stillness is actually a talent. I could not do it. I would fidget; I would be bored and get in trouble. I can’t blame a puppy chewing out of boredom because I’d be bouncing off the walls begging for something to do.

Yet my terrier/collie mix (I’ll call her the G-Monkey) can just sit and stare for hours, doze off, and stare into the distance some more until it’s time to go do something. In the meantime she is literally doing nothing. And she seems quite content about it. And while we’re in the car driving somewhere she’s content to simply drive. She never asks how much longer. She simply enjoys the now-ness. Whether it’s to the park or to the store, she’s happy just to be going. Or not going. She’s quite content either way.

And when my dogs are in a situation where they are not happy, they have a stoic endurance to be admired. For example if it’s bath time and they are not enjoying it (they both hate bath time!), they do not growl at me, or bite the shower wand, or otherwise demand dryness. They do not rail at me for getting them into this unhappy bath situation, or hold a grudge against me later. They simply let their tail sag in not-happiness and get through it, because right now is wet. Right now is bath. And that is that. We’ll be dry (and dirty) again some time, but right now is bath.

I realized one day that I should be more like my dog. Especially in business. Projections and planning are very important. This is a human “thing” which is very desirable in other humans and in business. It has a place among humans. But not canines. If I tell my dogs they’re getting a treat later, all they hear is treat. Because now. “Later” has no meaning. In business, now is very powerful. We are with our teams now; we are doing the thing now, and we are pack right now. Now is now.

A human wants to know “when,” because we get preoccupied with time. We look at quarterly forecasts. We create critical paths and work towards goals. We measure time and output in ratios; we are ruled by clocks and schedules. We’ve been conditioned to be efficient; we’re tied to our phones, our alarms, and society’s expectations. We’re rewarded for what we do with time and we’re taught to manage it well.

But from my dog’s perspective now is now. She is not one bit concerned with the not-now. She can just be present with her pack now. Whether now is great or even if now is not great, it’s just…now. That’s all that seems to matter.

As a human, it’s up to me to use judgement wisely and know when it’s time to plan and forecast. But my dog inspires me to be still sometimes, to be present, and to simply appreciate this moment I have with them, and in the same way with my teams. It’s good to just be present sometimes and “here” now, whatever “now” entails.

This now-ness and mindful presence is a skill I’m working on improving with meditation. My mind naturally struggles with meditation and quiet. My head is always full of thoughts and chatter and remembering and thinking. I struggle to be still in my soul. But my brother suggested a technique to me: visualize my thoughts as if they were an open Word Document (or Google Doc!) I could save and minimize. Then I could open a new tab in which to simply be present and enjoy the moment.

I think this ability to be still within yourself is also the root of the Stockdale Paradox, as illustrated by Jim Collins in Good to Great. As a prisoner of war, Admiral Stockdale did not pin his hopes on optimism, nor let himself or his men wallow in pessimism. He did not let the future get in the way of dealing with the reality of now. I see a glimpse of this in my wet dogs at bath time.

Maybe some day I’ll master the art of being still in my soul and content with now on the level my G-monkey has inspired me to be. Just another way my dogs inspire me to be a better human.