Approaching Mystery

My dog Stella's recovery progresses every day.  While she is still unable to jump and run after other animals the way she used to, I am happy to say she is now able to walk for an hour with minimal lag time.  The hills in our neighborhood have become more manageable and she attempts to run on occasion.  She now jumps and climbs low hurdles that we encounter in the woods.  She manages the stairs in the house, as well as maneuvers her way onto the living room couch and our bed, and it's all very welcome!

Today on our walk, she did something very uncharacteristic and it got me thinking about what a difference an approach can make on a situation.  As we walked the neighborhood, I noticed she picked up the pace and started to really dig her feet into the ground as she walked.  I could tell, if she had her legs of last year, she would have been darting off in a fury after whatever it was she smelled, but the situation being what it is, she was limited by her own weakness.   She was doing what she could within her means.   As we came upon a cluster of bushes, she casually, walked in to the brush, head firm and stared.  As I caught up to her, (yes, she was a head of me), there it was, a cat, sitting in the mulch, staring back at her.  The cat looked scared with it's back hunched up, and Stella looked dumbfounded.  Neither one moved and they remained transfixed for about 45 seconds.  Only when I called her off did she hop around a little, as if to say, "but I want to play".  The cat never moved, never hissed and never flinched.  It remained in it's post in the brush, just watching.  This was the same cat, that six months ago (and two healthy legs ago), Stella chased up a tree.  Her approach then was to barrel at the cat, running full force, with no plan but to get there as quick as she could and pounce. The cat, seeing a 65 pound beast darting toward it, had no alternative, but to run up the nearest tree, hissing.  That was it, Stella altered her approach and she ended up being the cat's meow!

That simple episode, made me realize that the end result is ultimately determined by the way in which we initiate action.  Tackle something with haste and fury, and that which you seek eludes you.  Come up to it calm and focused and you may find, you have time to capture the detail behind the mystery.