We take our little dog out for walks a few times a day. It’s such a great excuse to stop doing whatever it is we are doing and get out and enjoy the outdoors. During our walks, we get to check out what’s new in the neighborhood and talk to our new neighbors. There is so much to see when you slow down and look.

Periodically, one of the things we see is dog poop lying around. If the owner of the dog does not clean up, the owner of the house has to.

There is no poop fairy

This used to really bother me. We are very mindful of cleaning up after our dog, why can’t other pet owners do the same?

Slowly, it dawned on me that it only bothers me because I let it. Sure, if they make a mess on my yard, that’s a different thing. It would certainly bother me, and I would talk to the pet owner about it.

If it’s someone else’s yard, what business is it of mine? By getting upset, I’m getting involved in something that doesn’t concern me. I get to choose what I pay attention to and what I spend my energy on.

This simple shift in thinking applies to so much in our lives.

When do we let what is happening concern us?

There is no easy answer, it all depends on you. You get to choose what to be involved in and what to pay attention to. The key question to ask is why?  Why do you want to get involved?

When I saw dog poop laying around, I felt my job was to enforce the rules. It was my rule that people with dogs need to pick up after their pet. I took it upon myself to be the enforcer.

After thinking about this more, I decided I didn’t need to be the poop police. 

There are friendly neighbors to talk to, beautiful houses to look at and, especially this time of year, stunning flowers to admire.

Now, I let the folks who own the property put out their signs and if they choose to reprimand the scofflaws, so be it.

 I have better and more desirable things to think about and focus on.