Furry Influencer

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but apparently, an old dog can teach a seasoned facilitator a thing or two. Last week, Mr. Scoobs, my sixteen-year-old companion who has reached an age where most of his peers are either fossilized or featured in scientific journals had a stroke. It was a scene of high drama, one moment he was navigating the kitchen with the dignity of a retired admiral, the next, he was caught in a neurological whirlwind. I truly thought it was the end…but no! Watching Scoobs recover from a stroke is proving to be unimaginably inspiring!

They say resilience isn't about returning to exactly who you were before a crisis, it’s about the brain’s (or an organisation’s) ability to reorganise and find a new way to function despite any damage. 

When the stroke hit Mr. Scoobs specific neural pathways were damaged. Yet somehow his doggy brain, even one of sixteen years, evidently immediately began looking for workarounds.

The power of Scoobs work arounds and micro-wins played out in those first few hours then days right before my eyes. I was astonished as Scoobs one small step at a time, stood, lifted his head, took small shaky very slanty steps. To a casual observer, it was a mess. To Scoobs each movement was a triumphant!

In life we often push for a grand transformation but real change, the kind that sticks, is built on dopamine-driven micro-wins. Each small success reinforces the safety of the effort, lowering the brains threat response and allowing us to engage in progressing. 

As I type, one week later, Mr. Scoobs is currently blissfully snoring. He is 16, if you saw him you wouldn’t believe it, let alone that last week he had a stroke. He is a miracle. 

For every precious day we get from here on out, he is a reminder that whether you are leading a project, your studies, a government department or just looking for a snuggle, the goal is the same, keep your nose forward, find the new path, and never, ever stop your tail from wagging.

Our furry, feathered, or scaly companions might not be accountable for quarterly outputs, deadlines and meeting objectives but they sure do teach us so much!