How I use FEEL4 to walk my dog and feel better for it

Life can get pressured. Stress is one of the biggest killers on the planet. Did you know stress kills off brain cells?

FEEL4 is a formula and way of life that defeats stress as much as is humanly possible. So I thought it would be good to show you a real life example of how I incorporate its four steps into something as simple as walking my dog, Bella (a Boston Terrier before you ask).

Firstly, if you need to get up to speed with the four steps of FEEL4 I recommend you read the book and or run through the free course.

Presuming you know a little about the four steps (Focus, Energize, Engage, Learn) then let me begin...

So when it is time to walk Bella I literally run through the first step in my mind to lock me into the right mindset.

Step one (FOCUS) is simply about stating what it is I am focusing on. Therefore I think the following:

I am focusing on walking Bella for the next hour

Next step two (ENERGIZE) is all about making me feel pumped to get outside and walk Bella. It is also about taking a moment to energize myself with reasons I should be grateful for going on the walk.

Note, you can write things down, FEEL4 is a personal thing and it is up to you if you feel writing things down enhances your steps (if you have read the book writing a FEEL4 journal is crucial for the larger paths you take), but because walking Bella is something I do often I tend to think and feel myself through this step.

So I tend to think the following things to make me feel pumped and grateful for going on a dog walk:

I feel energized to want to do this walk because I want to remain fit and healthy. I want to keep my body in good shape in case one day the right person comes along (note energizing factors are personal and can be as wild as you want, whatever gets you going)! I want to give Bella an amazing life and I know exercising her is something she loves and needs to thrive. One day Bella will not be around and I know on that day I will yearn to be back in this moment walking her, seeing her happy face as I let her off the lead.

Every day the above energizing factors may differ slightly, but they also tend to become etched into your psyche which means you remain grateful and can "feel" pumped a lot quicker than someone who just thinks "Oh no it's raining why is this damn dog making me go outside".

Also note that steps 1 and 2 only take seconds, especially to someone who has been practising FEEL4 every day for years. FEEL4 helps you get into a positive state of mind very quickly. So usually by the time I have placed the lead on Bella I am feeling like going for a walk, even if the weather is bad outside. In fact, if it is bad, I start to list out why I am grateful for it being wet (e.g. rain helps nature grow, water is the life source of everything, it would be far worse if there was a drought etc).

After energizing I go to step three (ENGAGE) and I quickly work out the list of things I need to do to have a great walk. Again this actually takes a few seconds no more. I tend to quickly list out things like:

Put on appropriate shoes and clothing, put Bella in her harness and attach the lead, take a full water bottle for her, pat her to make her feel loved - then I think slightly ahead in time - where will I walk her today, which paths will I take etc.

Before I know it I am pumped and out of the door engaging, I am in the car playing music that energizes me further and soon we have arrived at our destination somewhere in the country.

Although step four (LEARN) is fourth it is also something you do naturally throughout the other steps and after taking them. You are always learning. So once again, this learning step comes naturally and automatically, learning takes seconds. If I reflect on what I have learnt to make Bella's walk better then that can take longer of course.

So for example, I have learnt which leads are best for different walks, an 8 metre extendable lead is great if I am walking in a park with other dogs, a shorter lead is better if I am walking through fields of livestock. I have learnt which shoes are better for wet and dry weather. All of these lessons learnt stay with me and can be recalled quickly.

Besides the learning step integrating with the other three steps, the same is true of all of them. When you get to an experienced level of using FEEL4 you will be able to "flow" from one step to another. Let me give you an example.

Today I was on the walk, I had obviously already run through the steps I have written about above so to those who are not experienced in practising FEEL4 you might think that is it. But as I was walking I was looking around at nature and running through all four steps again and again. I looked at the beautiful view of the coast and focused on its beauty. I instantly energized myself with how lucky I was to be alive and have all my senses to witness such a sight. All the while I was engaging with the moment (yes this is mindfulness and that is a by-product of using FEEL4) and learning how I could make the moment feel even better. I learnt that seeing Bella sitting beside me panting made me feel happy, it seemed she too was enjoying the view, I learnt that stroking her made me feel happier.

All of the latter was happening in real time and very rapidly. The point is that I genuinely felt better during the walk and after the walk. I certainly felt less stressful because I was focusing on the positive and good part of the experience (another thing you learn as part of the three FEEL4 golden rules - please read the book!).

I realise it is hard to sometimes grasp a concept without experiencing it for yourself so I hope in the future to be able to run courses for people to practice it and feel its power. FEEL4 is so powerful it is a formula that runs through everything you do, this was just one (needle in a haystack) of examples which show you how it can be applied.

Take care today 🖐️

Cn

Author: Cn

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