Put Your Hound Dog Out of His Misery!

(Avoiding the 7 Rabbits of Highly Defective Hound Dogs)

by Roger Reece

“You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, just a'cryin' all the

time.” Who hasn't heard Elvis belt out that rock and roll

classic, but did you ever consider the hidden meaning

behind those words? Clearly this was a song about the

long-term effects of a negative attitude, and the hidden

implication is, “put your hound dog out of his misery!”

The Hound Dog Effect

A negative attitude has a way of giving your face and body

a whole new look. I call it “the hound dog effect.”  Your

eyes, mouth and overall posture begin to droop, and before

long you start looking like a Bassett Hound. The next time

you feel disappointed or discouraged, look in the mirror

and you'll probably see a touch of hound dog in your eyes.

Fortunately, it's a temporary condition for most people,

and will disappear as new opportunities and experiences

bring a new perspective.

“I'm Fine, Under the Circumstances”

For others the hound dog effect has become a chronic

condition. Ask a chronic hound dog how he or she is doing

and even the rote response, “I'm fine,” is generally

followed by “under the circumstances.” Chronic hound dogs

have a way of staying under life's circumstances, shrouded

by gloom and cut off from any vision of new possibilities.

Murphy's Law has become their motto: “Whatever can go wrong will go wrong.”  In essence, when the hound dog effect is allowed to become a chronic condition, you develop a highly defective personality.

Chasing Rabbits

It all begins with chasing rabbits. Hound dogs are

attracted to negative thoughts, which like rabbits often

run rampant through our minds. Without a hound dog to chase them, these thoughts tend to disappear on their own, but when the hound dog within you rises up, it can't help but

chase every negative thought that crosses its path. 

Elvis sang, “You ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't

no friend of mine.”  Hound dogs never actually catch the

rabbits they chase. Like the term “chasing rabbits”

implies, they simply get sidetracked from achieving their

goals and instead, become mired in the depression of

negative thinking. No one wants a hound dog for a friend.

Negative thinking and depressed attitudes are like

infectious diseases, and most people avoid hound dogs like

the plague.

How can you combat the hound dog effect in your life?

Learn to recognize rabbits when they enter your mind and

don't chase them. Rabbits are easily recognized because of

the negative places they lead you to when you follow them.

In fact, most negative thinking can be avoided by simply

ignoring the seven most common rabbits:

The 7 Rabbits of Highly Defective Hound Dogs 

(with apologies to Steven Covey)

1) “I'm Tired.” This rabbit will try to sidetrack you from

putting forth any extra effort to achieve your goals.

Follow it and “I'm Tired” will lead you to a whole nest of

rabbits where you'll learn to make a habit out of

rationalizing your laziness.

2) “I'm Scared.” You'll generally run across this rabbit

any time you venture outside your comfort zone. If you

chase it back into your familiar places, you'll learn to

replay all your worn-out habit patterns like broken

records, and you'll begin believing that it's better to be

safe and sorry than to stretch to the point of discomfort.

3) “I Can't.” This rabbit will cause you to give up on any

new pursuit at the first sign of difficulty. “I Can't” will

help you to accept defeat and failure and build them into

your self-image.

4) “I Won't.” Chasing this rabbit will take you down a

narrow tunnel where your mind will begin to close to new

ideas. You'll learn to make “no” your first response to any

request or suggestion. “I Won't” will lead you far away

from creativity and spontaneity, and will leave you in a

state of unwillingness to pursue even your own dreams and

goals.

5) “It's Your Problem.” You'll learn a new vocabulary

chasing this rabbit. “That's not my job” and “You made your

bed, now sleep in it,” will become familiar phrases as you

wander further and further from compassion and empathy

toward total selfishness.

6) “It's Your Fault.” This rabbit will lead you into the

mode of casting blame. You'll soon find yourself blaming

your parents, your boss, your company, the government and

everyone who makes the mistake of touching your life.

7) “What's the Use.” All the other rabbits will eventually

lead you to this one. Highly defective hound dogs are

usually spotted chasing this rabbit until they finally run

out of steam and give up on life. 

If you can recognize these seven rabbits and control your

urge to chase them, you'll be well on your way to

neutralizing the hound dog effect in your life.

Misery Loves Company

The hound dog rises up in all of us from time to time, but

when it does, don't encourage it. Hound dogs love the

company of other hound dogs, but you're far better off

seeking out positive influences when you're feeling down.

Remember, negativity is infectious, so if you see a hound

dog coming your way, run for cover.

Put Your Hound Dog Out of His Misery!

“They said you were high-classed, but that was just a lie.”

If the low-classed hound dog in you is “just a'cryin' all

the time,” it's high time you put him out of his misery.

How can you do that?  Stop chasing rabbits and start

focusing on new possibilities. If you find yourself  “under

the circumstances,” get on top of them where you can get a

better perspective. Figure out what you want out of life,

set some positive goals and then rock and roll! 

Copyright 2001, Fuddwhacker Consulting.

About the Author

Roger Reece is a motivational speaker, sales trainer and

marketing consultant, and delivers entertaining and 

challenging keynotes, seminars and team-building programs

as himself and as Buford P. Fuddwhacker. Buford is a

high-energy, down-home, country bumpkin philosopher

and geek, and is Roger's unique way of motivating people

while helping them laugh at themselves. 
Website: http://www.fuddwhacker.com

email: roger@fuddwhacker.com

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