“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

~ Philippians 4:8 NIV

How often do your thoughts stray from that Biblical advice? Regardless of your faith, consider the wisdom in such words. Consider how much more content your life might be if you embraced them.

Our thoughts affect so much about our lives. What we believe is important and where we place our priorities. Or moods. Our health. There is something to be said for mind over matter.

What happens when you allow your thoughts to dwell on mistakes and what might have been? What happens when you focus in the negative rather than the positive, or what you don’t have instead of what you do? Do those thoughts inspire you or contribute to feeling discontent? Do they help you move past unfortunate events or choices? Do they motivate you to pursue possibilities or to languish? Do they help you create a better future? Do they help you to do your best or be the best person you can be?

It seems negative thoughts can easily crowd out positive ones. It’s doubtful that they can share the same mind space. In a given day, how much “mind share” does each occupy in your brain?

Our thoughts affect our behavior and our success. So what you think has a significant impact on your future. It also affects how happy and content you feel today, how at peace you are with yourself. As Socrates said “Contentment is natural wealth.”

When you feel negative thoughts seep into your brain, or lodge themselves there, remind yourself of Philippians 4:8. Release those detrimental thoughts as quickly as they enter your consciousness. Keep your mind on that which is good, noble, lovely, admirable, praiseworthy, constructive and positive. Your contentment and future depend on it

After my workout the other day, I was washing my face at the bank of sinks when I overheard the end of conversation between two other men. Evidently they were discussing a situation in which one of them was treated poorly by someone else. The other man replied, “The more I get to know humanity, the more I prefer my dog.”

What a sad comment on humanity, yet somehow I believe it must be true for many, if not millions of people. So that got me thinking. What is it that many of us love about dogs that are shortcomings or less predictable in many people? Dogs are . . .

• Loyal and devoted
• Affectionate and loving unconditionally
• Playful
• Curious
• Protective
• Sociable

Additionally, dogs . . .

• Don’t care what we look like, only what we are like
• Will protect and love us when others might not
• Ask very little of us other than being be fed and walked
• Miss us when we are away and joyful when we come home, no matter how long we’ve been gone
• Are thrilled, happy, and devoted when we are kind to them, even in very small ways
• Sense when we need to be comforted and are a great source of comfort and companionship for people who live by themselves as well as those feeling lonely or ill. They love us and are our friends when we need it most.
• Follow rules and understand limits after being trained
• Adapt to our habits
• Live in the moment
• Enjoy expressing affection in public
• Just want to have fun when we play with them . . . and don’t make fun of how we throw when playing fetch
• Mean it when they kiss us.

Willie Morris, in My Dog Skip, wrote: “The dog of your boyhood teaches you a great deal about friendship, and love, and death: Old Skip was my brother. They had buried him under our elm tree, they said — yet this wasn’t totally true. For he really lay buried in my heart.”

And as Dave Barry said, “Dogs need to sniff the ground; it’s how they keep abreast of current events. The ground is a giant dog newspaper, containing all kinds of late-breaking dog news items, which, if they are especially urgent, are often continued in the next yard.” In this regard, dogs seem to have a definite set of priorities and know what they are looking for.

Perhaps we can learn from dogs how we can be better human beings.

Last night I had the privilege of experiencing the Hubbard Street modern dance troupe in top form. They were celebrating their 8^th annual “Bold Moves for Bold Women” evening. A reception before the dance performance, among wonderful hors d’oeuvres, featured the creative businesses of women from around the country. Tucked into one corner was the beautiful yet affordable jewelry of Stella & Dot. It was flanked by a wildly colorful table of unique women’s handbags crafted by Laudi Vidni. If you look closely, you will see that this business name is “individual” backwards. Another business had assorted candies on the table. You selected your choice and as the women bagged them, they read your personality based on the candies you chose. The highlight of the Bold Moves for Bold Women evening, however, was the featured choreographer for this season’s Hubbard Street performance, Sharon Eyal, an Israeli choreographer who is making her name around the world. This was the first piece she choreographed in the United States. As she was milling about the room, we had a chance to meet her and her partner and speak with them for a while.

The reception was everything it promised to be: a smorgasbord of bold ideas, bold colors, bold photos and artwork highlighting bold women, all adding up to fun. With slides of the dancers gracing the back of the room, it built up to a strong anticipation for the performance.

And there was no let down. While Eyal was the “bold moves” choreographer featured, there were two pieces performed. The first was by another Israeli choreographer, Ohad Naharin. Hubbard Street featured the evening as “This is NOT your mother’s Hubbard Street, and it truly delivered.” The choreography was, as the title suggests, bold, unique, in moments simple yet complex, and wild, stretching the boundaries of what we call dance by filling it with colloquial gestures, vocal expressions by the dancers, and an eclectic sound track ranging from songs and tonal music to words. It was a bright gift of the unexpected. Solos, small groups and large groups of dancers filtered on and off stage, some still while others danced, other times with all dancing different steps as if they weren’t aware there were others on the stage. Two duets were of note, one with a man and a woman which was quite sensitive and graceful, and showing a role reversal once or twice when the woman supported the man, and another, with two men dancing quite beautifully, powerfully and intimately in the type of duet that one usually sees reserved for a man and a woman. The dancers danced tirelessly and seemingly effortlessly, in two very physically demanding pieces, exhibiting only joy.

All the events of the evening reflected one element: passion. From the energy of the coordinators of the reception to the women whose businesses were highlighted, to the excitement of Sharon Eyal, enhanced by her boldly colored Israeli tunic, to the choreography itself and the exceptional performance of the dancers, what came through everywhere in the evening was the passion of everyone involved. It fed the reception so that air was singed with it. It was evident in the designs of the dances by the choreographers, and oh so visible in the dancers themselves, who never lost the smiles and openness in their eyes throughout a very rigorous and demanding evening of movement.

Each of us has a passion. It is what brings excitement and fulfillment to our lives. What isyourpassion? Is it for the arts or crafts, as in those involved in “Bold Moves for Bold Women,” or does it lie somewhere else? If you are living your life expressing your passion, you know exactly what I mean when I say it brings excitement and fulfillment. If you are not exploring and involving yourself in expressing your passion, why not? If you aren’t sure what your passion is, there is no time like the present discover what it might be. And if you do know what it is, today is a great day to take even a small moment to invest in bringing it into your life in a more tangible way. Boldness awaits!

Robin Damsky