Obsession

I often get my ideas whilst walking my dog. This one is, I am afraid, no exception. My dog, Merlin, is a Yellow Labrador Retriever. And as the name suggest, his instinct is to retrieve things. For Gun dogs this is obviously game birds, but for my Merlin it is balls. He is ball obsessed.

You only have to use the word “Ball” to get him excited and ready to run all day. If he sees a ball or even the “chucker” we use to launch balls for him, he is in an ecstasy or anticipation.

Now, here’s the rub. When he was less than 18 months old, he had to have a fairly major operation on his elbows, as he had both elbows displaced. The operation went very well and he was able to run and jump like any young dog. However, he did get stiff if over exercised and often we needed to use ice packs on his joints. Being a lab, he never complains. As a breed they appear to suffer pain stoically, but we always needed to be vigilant.

Merlin was eleven years old last May, so he is about 70 in dog years, (just like me), and arthritis has set in on these joints, (again, just like me).

We can, and do, give him massage, pain killers and all the Vet recommends, but he is still ball obsessed. BUT, and it is a very big if sad but, the Vet has explained that if we through a ball for him it will only make the arthritis, and the pain, much worse.

So, whilst his days of chasing balls are over, his ball obsession is far from over. If he sees another dog chasing a ball, or just a ball lying around, he will retrieve it to me and expect me to through it for him.

Now I don’t expect many of us are “ball obsessed”, but we do need to look at our own obsessions.

Are you so obsessed with making sure your work is done, you miss out on family and friends? Work-life balance is not just a phrase. Without a strong support network, just like merlin needs strong bones, your life becomes an existence and not an enjoyable one.

Or, are you so obsessed with keeping clients that you take hair cut after hair cut? The best thing for you and your practice maybe to put that client away, like Merlin’s ball, and concentrate on the truly valuable clients and services.

I know, in my own role, there are processes or collateral that I have introduced over my time with Praxity, which I am particularly proud of and connected too, But, I need to listen when others tell me its time has passed or it needs to be re thought. I too need to put my equivalent of Merlin’s obsessions behand me and move on. What was the right thing to do, or to produce even 18 months ago, maybe inappropriate now? I must not get too precious about anything and always listen to the advice about the best way forward.

So next time you find yourself being challenged on something, think if you are, like Merlin, so obsessed that you are playing with someone else’s ball, when you should let go.