IGNITED LEADERSHIP: MY DOG IS A ZEN MASTER. I'M HIS STUDENT Three lessons in Ignited Leadership from a dog with a magnificent underbite

I've spent years studying leadership, reading books, meditating, and trying to figure out how to live a more authentic, joyful, meaningful life.

Turns out, my dog Buddy has been practicing his own version of Buddhism right under my nose.

And this four-legged Zen Master has a few things to teach us about Ignited Leadership.

LESSON #1: STOP GIVING A SHIT WHAT EVERYONE THINKS.

Buddy has a magnificent underbite.

Does he hide it? Apologize for it? Worry about what the other dogs think?

Hell no. He's Buddy.

He doesn't need fixing. He doesn't try to be anyone else.

THE IGNITED LEADERSHIP LESSON: Wholeness over performance. You don't have to shrink, change, or perfect yourself to be worthy.

LESSON #2: BE WHERE YOUR PAWS ARE.

Buddy doesn't spend his days replaying yesterday's mistakes or worrying about tomorrow's to-do list.

He sniffs. Eats. Plays. Loves. Sleeps.

He's not trying to become enlightened.

He's just living.

THE IGNITED LEADERSHIP LESSON: Leadership begins within. Stop living in yesterday's regrets and tomorrow's worries. Come back to yourself. Right here. Right now.

LESSON #3: YOU DON'T HAVE TO EARN YOUR JOY.

Buddy doesn't finish his to-do list before taking a nap.

He doesn't feel guilty about playing.

He doesn't measure his worth by his productivity.

He rests when he's tired. Plays when he's happy. Loves with his whole being.

THE IGNITED LEADERSHIP LESSON: Rest isn't a reward. Joy isn't frivolous. And your worth has nothing to do with how much you accomplish.

DON'T JUST TAKE BUDDY'S WORD FOR IT. SCIENCE AGREES.

Research backs up much of what my four-legged Zen Master has been teaching me.

• Self-compassion can reduce anxiety, depression, and stress.
• Play and joy are linked to greater well-being and connection.
• Autonomy—making choices that reflect our values—is fundamental to psychological well-being.

In other words, accepting ourselves, making room for joy, and taking ownership of our lives aren't selfish indulgences. They're essential to living well.

Buddy's been demonstrating these lessons for years.

No PhD. No self-help books. No five-year plan.

Just a magnificent underbite and the audacity to be himself.

FIVE IGNITED MOMENTS: WHAT WOULD BUDDY DO?

Tiny acts of rebellion. Zero guilt. Buddy-approved.

1. YOU DON'T HAVE TO FETCH EVERY BALL. Someone asks you to do something? Pause before automatically saying yes. Your time matters, too.
2. LET YOUR BELLY HANG OUT. Look in the mirror and say, "I am enough. Just as I am." No fixing required.
3. SNIFF OUT YOUR JOY. Follow your curiosity. Do one thing today simply because it delights you. No productive outcome required.
4. STOP CHASING APPROVAL. Catch yourself worrying about what someone thinks. Ask, "What do I think?" Trust your answer.
5. GIVE YOURSELF A TREAT. Buy the flowers. Eat the chocolate. Sit in the sunshine. You don't need a special occasion to celebrate being alive.

MAYBE THE SECRET ISN'T BECOMING MORE.

We've been taught to do more. Be better. Work harder. Look younger. Please everyone.

And somewhere along the way, we forgot how to simply BE.

Buddy reminds me:

• You don't have to be perfect to be whole.
• You don't have to be productive to be worthy.
• You don't have to become someone else to belong.

Maybe Ignited Leadership isn't about becoming more.

Maybe it's about becoming more of who we already are.

Thank you, Master Buddy. 

FIND YOUR PEOPLE. BE YOURSELF. GET LOUDER.

Tired of trying to be everything to everyone?

So are we.

LOUDER GIRL is a community of women who are done shrinking, performing, and waiting for permission to live their own damn lives.

Here, we share our stories, laugh, connect, challenge the rules, and practice becoming the leaders of our own lives.

No perfection required. No pretending. No fixing yourself.

Just you. As you are. That's enough.

COME ON IN. YOUR PEOPLE ARE HERE.

YES! I'M A LOUDER GIRL — JOIN THE COMMUNITY

We rise in circles, not ladders.