Keep your dog’s mind


active by providing games and opportunities for play. Daily walks provide not only exercise, but also mental stimulation.


~Lisa Lunghofer


providing games and opportunities for play. Daily walks provide not only exercise, but also mental stimulation,” says Lisa Lunghofer, Ph.D., executive director of T e Grey Muzzle Organization, in Washington, D.C. Pets with anxiety or pain may benefi t


from cannabidiol (CBD) products. Clarissa Valdes, a homemaker in Homestead, Florida, has a 15-year-old cat with CDS. Minini would wander around in the house, looking lost. T en, the all-night howling sessions began. “We started to worry that she was in pain,” says Valdes. However, a veterinarian diag- nosed CDS. “T e vet suggested medication, but I wanted to go in a natural direction,” says Valdes, who started Minini on CBD oil. T e cat fi nally slept through the night. A month in, Minini is doing better overall. With time, CDS patients may lose


hearing or sight in addition to experienc- ing a progression of symptoms. “Make sure your home is predictable and safe,” says Lunghofer. Use gates to close off stairs or move furniture or other items that could be hazardous.


Prevention on the Horizon Because infl ammation caused by an inap- propriate diet is the underlying problem of most chronic diseases in pets, T omas be- lieves that prevention for CDS is possible. “Feeding a non-infl ammatory, species- specifi c, balanced diet that is fresh and not heat-processed is critical,” he says. In addition, he advises his patients


get probiotics, digestive enzymes, omega- 3s and antioxidant nutrients. Vaccinations, when necessary, should not contain heavy metal preservatives. “T e goal is to keep the gut and immune systems healthy, avoid toxins that aff ect the nervous system and minimize environmental stress.”


Julie Peterson writes from her home in rural Wisconsin. Contact her at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.


inspiration


TIDYING UP THAT BUCKET LIST


Deciding What We Really Want by Carl Greer M


any people have a bucket list of things they want to make sure they experience in this life.


Tidying up that bucket list when it no longer refl ects a person’s values and deepest desires makes sense. When reviewing our bucket list, we


might feel inadequate or embarrassed because we haven’t accomplished what we thought we would. It’s okay if a goal is no longer as exciting as it once was. Guilt, frus- tration or embarrassment about what’s been lingering on a bucket list for years might be signs that it’s time to dream diff erent dreams. What’s on a bucket list might have


been based on a need to prove ourselves to others. If we no longer feel the need to impress people or win their approval, we can move on to new goals. Maybe our fam- ily has always talked about traveling to the land of our ancestors as an important thing to do someday, but we don’t feel the same way. We might prefer to travel someplace where we can swim with dolphins or meet people from a completely diff erent culture than our own. Releasing the weight of hav- ing a bucket list heavy with other people’s expectations can help us feel much lighter. Maybe those bucket list items still spark some excitement, but it’s time to


change the form of the experience. A goal to write a novel might turn into a goal to write our life story and turn it into a book. A goal to marry again might become a promise to ourselves to enjoy life with a new romantic partner, regardless of whether that leads to marriage someday. As we go down our bucket list review-


ing each item, we can acknowledge which goals still inspire us and which make us feel dispirited. Tidying up a bucket list writ- ten in the past can be a good exercise in becoming more conscious of what we want to experience and why—and what dreams we are ready to release—because we have new aspirations now. If we’re spending our time doing what gives us a sense of vital- ity, happiness and well-being and there is something we haven’t done that generates a feeling of joy and anticipation, it should go at the top of our bucket list—and we should fi nd a way today to start making it happen.


Carl Greer, Ph.D., Psy.D., is a practicing clinical psychologist, Jungian analyst and shamanic practitioner. He teaches at the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago and is on staff at the Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being, in Chicago. Learn more at CarlGreer.com.


January 2020 29


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