An Ode to Mr. Darcy

My training studio sets itself apart from all the others because I have an indispensable co-trainer: my dog Mr. Darcy.

I love to learn, and dogs can teach us a lot about life. Of course there is the proverbial unconditional love, but there is also unconditional acceptance. A dog has the uncanny ability to look through all bodily imperfections and see the heart of the matter. It is not easy for us humans to truly accept others as they are.

Particularly in the field of fitness, people tend to seek out a personal trainer because they want to change something about themselves. I have never met new clients who told me that they love themselves just they way they are. Quite the contrary, people come with a list of inward and outward imperfections. I see negative self-talk, the belief that one will only be truly happy after a certain goal has been attained.

In comes Mr. Darcy with a smile on his face and a wagging tail. If he judges at all, it is only the individual’s ability to scratch his back and find just the right spot. He stands in eager anticipation for any client to come in, and, without fail, he is the first one to be greeted before any attention is paid to the human trainer.

Mr. Darcy sets the standard for me what it means to accepting another person and listening with full attention without interrupting. He also teaches that you should always stretch after you have been in any one position for a while.

However, he fails miserably when it comes to controlling his appetite and his food selection. I would not want to know how he would act if given free reign at an ‘all-you-can-eat’ buffet. (However, I am pretty sure that the evening would end at the vet’s office.) Even in this, he is teaching me not to feel superior towards those humans who have a hard time with that but rather to be compassionate. As far as food is concerned, Mr. Darcy proves my firmly held belief that virtue is usually lack of opportunity.

And if you have not yet met him person, please visit my web site www.meltnc.com
(MELT at my studio) to see him in all his glory. He even has his own “Mr. Darcy’s Friends” tab.