What you Resist, Persists

Eearlier today my dog, Maura, ran away while I was taking her for a walk at my mom's house in New Jersey. She darted across the yard into the woods despite my angry yells. Although we have a 2-acre yard, I've always walked her on a leash. Otherwise, she runs away. As I ran after her, I was picturing her dead body on the road after being hit by a car, which is what happened to the dog I grew up with.

Today, when I finally caught her, I decided to try something new. Instead of yelling at her, I showed her love. Instead of angrily pulling her on the leash, I kept her leash off and let her follow me home (which to my surprise, she did!).

Often times, parents are the largest deterrents of their children taking risks to follow their dreams. Not out of anger, but out of love. They are afraid to give their child freedom for the same reason I'm afraid of walking Maura without a leash. Today I learned that what you resist, persists. If you believe in people more than you fear for them, you may just be surprised.