Spiritual growth - energy and focus

I am still reading Cesar Millan's "Be the pack leader".
It is such an interesting book but it's a big book and I don't have a lot of time to sit and enjoy reading books usually so I still have about 2-thirds of it left. I have renewed the check-out period with the library.
Although I am progressing slowly, the more I read it, the more inspiration I get and things definitely start making much more sense.

Here are some quotes from the book that I would love to share with you (the quotes in green)

DOG PSYCHOLOGY BASICS

• Dog s come into the world using their nose first, then their eyes then their ears. Smell is their strongest sense. "I'll believe it if I see it" for dogs translates to "I'll believe it if I smell it". So don't bother yelling at them; It's the energy and scent they pay attention to, not your words.
•  Dogs are communicating with one another (and other animals) all the time using scent, body language, and energy. They are also communicating with you all the time, though you may not be aware of the signals you are sending. You absolutely cannot lie to a dog about how you are feeling.
• Dogs have an ingrained pack mentality. If you're not asserting leadership over your dog, your dog will try to compensate by showing dominant or unstable behavior.
• Dogs never "think they are humans", as many pet owners would like to imagine. They are exceptionally happy just being dogs. If you are telling people your dog thinks he's a person, chances are he's a dog who knows he's your leader. 
• In a dog's world, you're either stable or unstable, a leader or a follower.
• A dog's natural "goal" is to be connected, to live harmoniously grounded, and balanced, in tune with Mother Nature.
• Dogs live in the moment. They don't reminisce about the past or worry about the future; therefore, they can move on from unstable behavior very quickly - if we let them.

Are you a leader or a follower?
Are you stable or unstable?

I was shocked when I read the part;

You absolutely cannot lie to a dog about how you are feeling.

I knew it. I knew I was making the dogs nervous when I was upset about something.
It can be anything - kids, husband, work, traffic...whenever the tone of my voice changes, Ginger picks it up so fast and goes into an apologetic mode. She starts licking my face frantically looking for forgiveness. And it's usually not because of her that I am angry.
I'm always telling her not to worry because she didn't do anything wrong - but

It's the energy and scent they pay attention to, not your words.

so still, she is very nervous, and stays in a panicky mode until I calm down. I mean, not acting as if I was calm but feeling truly calm. Then she finally relaxes, too.

I am always amazed by her sensitivity.
She is always paying attention to me. When something is wrong with me, Ginger is the one who picks it up first - not my human buddies whom I have lived the last 5-10 years.
While I am very thankful for Ginger's love and attention, I feel sorry for the fact her world is revolving solely around me.
I am a selfish person who gets mad and frustrated easily by many things, she has to live with that everyday.

I always tell her not to worry so much but I'm guessing she will stay the same way all the way to the end.

I want to be a more balanced pack leader.
I want my dogs to feel at ease and follow me without too many worries.
I have to start paying more attention to my energy and focus. Once I'm a more balanced person, everybody around me - not only dogs but also my family and friends, will sense it and be able to trust me more.

We watched a DVD "Karate Kid" yesterday.
The kid's master, Mr.Han says "Kung Fu is your energy and focus. Everything is Kung Fu".

I think it's your spiritual-self that really needs to learn and grow up in order to live a hapiper and more fulfilled life as a good human.
I will try to stay focus on what's really matters and not get upset over small things like my kid's noises or messes or stupid drivers out there...wow it already sounds almost impossible.

I'm sure it's going to be a life-long quest for me but hey, I won't mind because I believe it's still worth taking a life time and it doesn't even cost a penny.

It's never a bad idea to try to be good to others - animals or humans.

I want to make Ginger's world a better place