I love teaching tricks to my border collie, Emma, and she, in turn, loves learning them. She’s built up quite a repertoire, but I’m especially fond of her “wave hello” (right paw) and “wave goodbye” (left paw) tricks. As tricks go, they’re pretty simple; but she waves with such style and relish! What a comical picture she presents, with her wildly pedaling paw and her too-long tongue dangling from the right side of her mouth. I can’t help laughing when I see her.

A “stupid pet trick” with a twist

Apparently, I’m not the only one who enjoys tricks—YouTube abounds with videos of pets performing all kinds of imaginative tricks. Although I like watching those videos as much as the next person, most of the time, I don’t view them as anything more than light entertainment. Seeing a cute trick brightens my day, but I quickly move on without giving it much further thought.

Take a look at this trick, though:

This one made me pause and consider. Moved me, even.

Why?

What struck me so forcefully was the incongruity of the situation: the sheer joy of these dogs in performing a task that we humans usually consider a thankless chore. It’s a mundane job, carrying in groceries, but these dogs are delighted to be doing it—it’s written all over their bodies, right down to the tips of their madly wagging tails. Don’t you wish the two-legged members of your family would respond like this when asked to help with the groceries?

Oh, to capture that joie de vivre in our own lives! How to overcome the mindset of drudgery, burden, and obligation that we so often bring to the routine tasks of living?

Do these dogs, in their goofiness, have something to teach us? Can we delve deeper and unearth the root cause of their joy?

What’s your motivation?

Could the dogs be working for a reward? Maybe they’re showered with treats and praise for their efforts. For dogs motivated by food and social contact, the anticipation of a tasty morsel and a cuddling session would certainly be cause for happiness.

But it seems to me that it isn’t just about the reward any more. The opportunity to perform the trick has become its own reward, and they’re fully engaged in the moment. All that matters is to carry that next bag, that next box from the car to the house.

I believe it’s even more than that, though. These dogs are overjoyed to be with their humans. Their whole beings are focused on interacting with their family; it’s the relationship—not the task—that matters.

These silly dogs have the wisdom to see beyond the “what” to the “why.”

Marla Cilley of FlyLady.net, a site that teaches people how to get their homes and lives in order, also understands the power of connecting with the “why.” While her practical cleaning and organization tips are certainly helpful, the real genius of her approach is in her mantra that housework, even when done imperfectly, still blesses you and your family. Her system includes the insightfully named Weekly Home Blessing Hour: seven quick tasks that keep the household chaos at bay. Thinking of housework as “blessing the home” is a compelling motivator that helps us see our labors through the filter of love and caring.

Simple to learn, hard to apply

It seems like such a simple lesson, but it’s one I fail at repeatedly. How often do I let the “what”—shopping for groceries—cloud my vision of the “why”—nourishing myself and my family? But when I view the task in that light, it doesn’t seem so irksome, after all. Suddenly, the task has meaning and purpose.

PHOTO CREDIT: “CLEANING,” by MICHAL JARMOLUK / CC0

So here’s my goal for the next month: whenever I catch myself grumbling about some chore I dislike—doing the laundry, mopping the floors, cleaning the toilet—I’ll try to recall those sunny golden retrievers carrying in the groceries and let myself be guided by their example. I’ll try to appreciate the moment and find my “why.”

Will you join me?

What routine tasks do you sometimes find burdensome, and what’s your ultimate motivation for doing them? Leave a comment below.