6 Things Cats Teach Us About Being Strong, Happy, Confident Women
In a purrrfect world, we'd live by the cat code.
getty Did you know that there's an estimate of 200 million domestic cats in the world, today? Maybe you possess one, two or more, and I bet that you watch cats on YouTube doing crazy and funny things along with the rest of us!
In my family, we're big cat lovers and have had many wonderful cats, each with its own unique personality. Presently, two amazing, funny, quirky and demanding rescue cats own me.
The other day, as I was meditating to quiet my busy mind, I realized that cats represent the perfect role models for how to love yourself and live a stress-free life. Check out these six common cat behaviors that we should all learn from.
1. Cats live in the "Eternal Now."
They don't remember yesterday, nor do they worry about tomorrow. They're always in the now. Their "now moment" typically includes either sleeping or eating, but we love them either way.
2. Cats don’t hold grudges.
When my cat Xena wants to sleep with me at bedtime, I lock her out of the room. Surprisingly, she doesn’t howl outside the door, pleading for me to let her in. She only feels rejected momentarily.
Then she accepts what is and finds another cozy place in the house to curl up and doze off. The next day she greets me happily and meows for her breakfast.
3. Cats ask for what they want.
A lot of the people I counsel are unhappy in love, because they're afraid to communicate their feelings when they're sad, angry, or feel unloved. Cats communicate assertively.
Xena often seeks me out and herds me, like a sheep dog herding the flock, into the bedroom where she insistently meows until I sit on the bed and pet her.
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4. Cats eat only when they're hungry.
Cats are an inspiration for compulsive eaters who binge on lots of goodies even when they aren’t hungry. If a cat can eat only when he wants to and walk away from a bowl that still has food in it, so can you!
5. Cats accept themselves without judgment.
Whether a cat is an elegant purebred or a rescue cat (like mine), they strut through life with an air of regal entitlement. Those of us who love them do so unconditionally. Wouldn’t you love to feel that way about yourself, too?
6. Cats give unconditional love.
No matter how anxious, angry or tired I am, I can count on one, or both, of my cats cuddling with me. The only time they may grumble at me is when I don't feed them on time, or if they have to go to the vet. Otherwise, they provide warmth, affection and lots of laughs every day, year after year.
Gloria Arenson is Marriage Family Therapist and Diplomate in Energy Psychology. She has appeared on national television on Montel Williams, Liza Gibbons, and Gary Collins.