Willy Dogs Celebrates Thanksgiving Early

This is going to be unbearably long because it is going to tell you how to build a successful life and that is long and complicated. 

 When people tell you who they are, you need to believe them.  A little over two years ago I attended a public information meeting about the, proposed, Bruce Oake Recovery Centre.  Before attending this meeting, BORC was just an item on the news.  I was in favour of the recovery centre, of course, and just assumed that everyone would be in favour of it.  It was a no brainer for me.  I had no personal investment in the centre.  It was just the right thing to do.  I had heard that there was opposition to the centre being built on the old Vimy Arena site. I had a hard time understanding why anyone would be opposed to helping people, especially men in recovery.  I used to work with men in recovery and they would be on the most beautiful/painful journeys of their lives.  I assumed people in opposition just didn't understand this but once they had more information they would be jump on board.  I also thought people opposed to the centre would just oppose it in the privacy of their own homes.  I didn't think they would be brave enough to attend a meeting and publicly denounce recovery.  It turns out I was wrong.  There were people brave enough to voice their opposition publicly. After that meeting, I wanted to do what I could to get this thing built.  

I found the recovery community to be gracious, welcoming, and inclusive.  I made new friends and I was inspired.  Jason Walmsley had an authentic column in the Free Press chronicling his journey.  I found out that Westman Families of Addicts is a force to be reckoned with.  I met an amazing family who had only been one handshake away from me and I have fallen in love with their son/brother who died by suicide.  His mother had told me that if the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre had been in operation when her son was living with addiction that he would be alive today. She said it and that is all that I need to know.  I believe her. I have met many people in the recovery community over the last two years and my life is just better because of it.  

And, if you are going to follow the recovery community, you have heard of Will Gault. He is in recovery.  Since becoming sober his life has become bigger and better.  He and his wife, also in recovery, have two young daughters and his oldest one happens to be named after me.  (I am Miss Ireland) But, it is really his business journey that I like to watch.  

A few years ago, he decided how he was going to play the hand he was dealt.  He felt he wanted to be his own boss and open a small business.  He opened Willy Dogs.  

On Friday, it was his last day of the season for his summer location at St. Boniface General Hospital and he will be taking a few days off before he starts the season at his winter location, Deer Lodge Curling Club. He posted some pictures to celebrate an unusual 2020 season and he indicated he gave his last meat item and the rest of his inventory to a hungry stranger.  He did this because he understood what it is like to be a hungry stranger and he wants to give back.  It is about helping someone in order to keep yourself grounded and humble.  It is about acknowledging the other strangers who might have given something to him when he was down and paying tribute to that.  Essentially, we don't know when our actions are going to affect another person so we should take every opportunity to make sure our actions are mindful.  

What I like about watching Willy Dogs is that it is like watching a master class in business.  This guy is always thinking about how to grow.  Usually, his ideas also involve benefiting others.  Friendly cooking competitions with parts of the profits going to charity.  Partnerships with multiple organizations to provide caring for those in the organization.  Always thinking of how to grow and leave a positive footprint on the world.  

And, he is lucky.  He has found out that what you put out to the universe is what you receive.  What you get is what you give.  He who obtains has little; he who scatters has much.  Never has this been so obvious than 2020.  We have all struggled but much more so for those who are "obtainers".  The people who have measured their success by how much money they can accumulate.  They don't have other measures to determine their worth as humans and there opportunities to obtain have been limited.  Worse, they don't have opportunity to show off what they have obtained.  They have been forced to have their own personal reckoning this year.  They haven't realized that the more you give, the more you get.  

Contrast that to those who scatter.  Most of us who scatter have rich lives that have nothing to do with money.  We help others.  We care about our relationships and we don't take them for granted.  Those who obtain have been sitting home counting the ways they have been hard done by this year.  Those who scatter have been sitting home counting their blessings.  They are grateful for their lives and have great empathy for those in need.  Believe me, those who are "obtainers" are the ones in need.  They need to develop empathy and compassion for others.  

You can just watch Willy Dogs and see that he doesn't need a day on the calendar to remind him to be thankful.  When you are one who scatters, you are thankful every day.  

So, that is how you build a successful life.  It is long because life is long.  And, that is actually the good news.  Life is long which means you always have time to make changes, start over, and be patient for what is to come.  

But, it turns out, it isn't that complicated.  Be one who scatters.  And, for goodness sake, take time to enjoy a hot dog.