Jennifer, Editorial Assistant

I spent the past weekend dog-sitting Ivry, the most adorable 6-month-old lab you have ever seen. But there was a catch—this dog doesn’t like to go for walks! Have you ever heard of such a thing? It was a gorgeous weekend here in New York. The sun was shining, there was a nice breeze blowing off of the Hudson and birds were singing. OK, I don’t really know if birds were singing, but if my life were a movie they totally would be. Basically, it was the perfect weekend to walk a dog. Unfortunately, my dog didn’t agree. She would stand on the sidewalk outside of the apartment with her front paws stretched out, firm to the ground and refused to budge. To coax her, I got down to her level and encouraged her to come forward. It worked—we moved a whole four feet! So back down I went to coax her again. This went on for a few blocks until we made it to the river. As soon as the grass was between her paws and the breeze was blowing on her face Ivry got over whatever was holding her back and actually started to enjoy her walk. From time to time I think we can all feel like Ivry, not wanting to get out there and get moving. In the end, though, it’s usually worth it. So the next time you’re standing there with your “paws” to the ground not wanting to move forward push through whatever is holding you back and make yourself walk. You’ll probably be glad you did.