We trained our English Shepherd puppy, Emma, from a young age to alert us when she had to do her "business." We then would take her out on the lawn to keep "things" in the right place. At first it was exciting to see Emma ring the bell or scratch at the door. We trained her! But over time the newness of the trick wore off. Some days we'd get lazy and after the third or fourth bell ringing, we'd finally let her out.
One day we misjudged the "ring-to-desperation" ratio. Sure enough, after a couple rings Emma produced a prize on the carpet - the "trophy of neglect" as I like to call it.
It doesn't matter how important the task is at hand. It doesn't matter how important we think we are. There are a few things we MUST do before it's too late. Just like staying sensitive to the dog's ring at the door, we must stay sensitive to how tired we get helping people. We cannot ignore our self care. There is a "trophy of neglect". It's called burnout. It's about "hitting the wall."
Remember to "take the dog out" occasionally and you'll be Serving Strong!
