I received a complementary copy of this book from Hay House for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.
Can a family dog teach life lessons to her human family? That’s the premise of Michael Chase in his new book “The Radical Practice of Loving Everyone: A four-legged approach to enlightenment”. I found the book full of light and fun stories about Chase’s pet, Mollie, and how her offbeat behavior showed the author how to live a better life.
“Who do I know that exudes the qualities of a great spiritual master—a person who lives in the present moment, is detached from the material world, embraces simplicity, has the joyful heart of a child, and loves without condition?” Chase asks early in his book. “The answer I had been searching for literally walked up to me and … licked my face.” I enjoyed the many stories of the author’s beloved Mollie in the book – from eating cookies under a neighbor’s Christmas tree, to an unexpected lick-to-the-face wake up call for the author at 2 a.m. one morning, to dragging Chase to navigate new streets in a circuitous walk home. These stories reminded me of my pet Sandy when I was growing up, and are sure to put a smile on any dog lover’s face.
Loving Everyone is more than just entertaining canine tales, though. Chase makes a spiritual point about each of the Mollie episodes he writes about, with chapter titles like “Wag More, Bark Less”, “Go with the Flow”, and “Dealing with Difficult Dogs”. Mollie faces each challenge with a cheerful, loving attitude and a sense of curiosity. In writing about questionable characters the two would meet on their walks, Chase observes that Mollie’s reaction “is always the same—joy, enthusiasm, and the desire to know the person better. She adheres to the suggestion often made by great spiritual teachers: See everyone you meet as God in disguise.” The book is not deep metaphysics – rather through humorous Mollie stories Chase skillfully slips in his observations on how us humans could learn a thing or two from our happy canine companions.
Chase makes changes to his own life thanks to Mollie. “I now apply four of her canine habits into my daily routine in my effort to duplicate her feel-good ways: 1) get adequate rest and take power naps, 2) make water my primary drink, 3) have portion control at mealtime, and 4) make exercise and play a daily part of life. It all may sound very basic, but Mollie’s health regimens have resulted in higher energy and lower weight for both of us—a significant reminder that tiny changes can have profound, lasting effects,” he writes.
I recommend Loving Everyone for the many Mollie stories that teach us life lessons in a fun and entertaining way.
Learn more about the book from this video by the author:
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