My daughter Molly, along with her husband, Nelson, and two boys, Quintin and Bauer, love all animals. They have always made room in their home as foster parents to abandoned dogs and cats. Last year they rescued a young dog that had lost one of his hind legs after having been ran over by a car. They named him Falcore after the magic dragon in the movie Never Ending Story, Molly’s favorite movie growing up.
A few months ago, Molly opened an Instagram account for Falcore as a way to share this amazing dog with the world. He is a remarkable dog. Without prompting or help, Falcore has adjusted to his disability as though it was never there. He can run with the best of them. There is no activity he shies away from. His exuberance for life is addicting and one cannot help but smile watching this canine tripod manage life without fear. It is no wonder Molly greets newcomers to his Instagram account with the words F-A-L-C-O-R-E, Loving Life on 3 Legs.
Dog versus Man
I started my Instagram account last year. I blog every week and post it on my account. Posting a weekly blog is hard work. First, you need a good subject people will find interesting and helpful. You must compose catchy headlines that will attract a reader to your article and find a corresponding picture that fits your topic. Thorough editing is also required to ensure that your piece is readable. When ready, I post the blog on my website, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and The Good Men Project.
After a year on Instagram, I have about 150 followers. Falcore had over 3000 Instagram followers after one month. WTF, after all the effort I put in, how can it be that I don’t come close to Falcore’s following and all he does is live his life? Is it because humans like dogs better than they do people? I know better than to compare the simple life of a dog with that of a human, but I realize why this is happening; Falcore is teaching important life lessons.
Falcore’s Nine Most Important Life Lessons
1) Live a life like you were meant to. Every living thing was created with his/her/it own purpose and journey. You never see Falcore shy away from the dog he was born to be. Our human journey also calls for us to become who we were meant to be. We are the ones who stifled our possibilities. If we are to find the meaning of our lives, we must cast aside our impediments and be willing to live it out to the fullest.
2) Anything can be overcome if you set your mind to it. Falcore is living proof that shit happens. Poor dog never knew what hit him when a car took his leg. He suffered pain and grieved his lost leg, but he gathered that if he didn’t adjust to his new reality, life would pass him by. Many of us give up chasing our dreams for much less of a loss than Falcore’s. His example reminds us it is never useless to keep trying.
3) Set goals but don’t compare yourself to others. I am the one comparing myself to Falcore. He is not. Our culture teaches us we are winners or losers in life. As long as we perceive that someone else is doing better, we become dissatisfied with what we have accomplished. This is incorrect thinking for we cannot take into account the advantages or disadvantages that someone else is dealing with. Like Falcore, we each have our own path, our own set of circumstance, and our own lessons to learn. We want to transcend our challenges but we need not be comparing them to what someone else has on their plate.
4) Do things because you believe in them and not because you want a big following. One thing about Falcore is certain; he could not care less about his following. He is just living out his life to the fullest without regret. You cannot force people to like you, so why bother doing so. Helping to create a greater good is its own reward. It is nice to make money and a following, but that should never be your primary purpose.
5) Love those who love you and stay away from those who don’t. The love and support Falcore gets from Molly, Nelson and the kids allows him to thrive. They don’t just feed and house him, the look out for him and put a value on his wellbeing. Falcore doesn’t mingle with those who mistreat him, he runs away. The same thing applies to us, shed yourself of those who undermine and abuse you. If you live in the light of those who care for you, your life will go much better.
6) You will accomplish nothing in life if you are afraid. Anyone who follows Falcore can see he is an example of overcoming fear. We know he didn’t get to be such a healthy, happy dog without taking chances and making adjustments he was unsure of. The only thing that stands between our dreams and us is our fears. If you can get past them, you will reach your dreams.
7) Have fun. I remember how my life changed when I recognized work as fun. Once I stopped focusing on the grind of putting in long hours, I began to enjoy how much fun it was to accomplish great things while working with talented and interesting people. Falcore knows this. Everything for him is fun
8) Live in the now. Falcore turns to—like the song says—every season. When it is time to play, he plays, time to eat, he eats (although, he also plays with his food), time to nap, he naps. Our lives would be better served if we understood there is a time and place for everything. We don’t have to force things to happen, our path is in the present.
9) Oh the places we will go. Falcore is open to the adventures that come his way. He does not allow fear to paralyze him. His eagerness to join in opens him up to countless new experiences and knowledge. We humans are so conditioned to stay safe and comfortable that we often close the door to new experiences. Fear of losing what we have or of failing keeps us trapped into a meaningless existence where we become comfortably numb. Stretch yourself and wonderful places and experiences will open for you.
Conclusion
Just because people might like dogs, it doesn’t mean they don’t like you. Stay the course listening, following and acting on your inner passions. Good things happen in their own time. Follow Falcore on Instagram by searching for falcore_loves_life.
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