Last Thursday, our local Madison Mallards semi-pro baseball team edged out the Rockford, IL Rivets by a single run. They bounced back despite a slew of unforced errors. What was unique about the event absolutely packed with some 6,500 attendees was the presence of hundreds of dogs accompanying their masters in the ballpark.
Throughout the evening, we commented to one another how all the dogs around us behaved so well. Many of the furry creatures sat on their owner’s lap or right at their feet. Upon leaving the stadium after the last pitch, we saw an owner gently commanding its pet not to eat abandoned French Fries on the concrete. The dog obeyed.
If we were to use these vivid images of pride, contentment, loyalty, and entertainment to symbolize good fit with one’s professional career, wouldn’t we spend more time thinking about how our natural gifts and talents correspond to what we do at work? Wouldn’t businesses and organizations also dedicate additional resources to foster occupational fit?
Many pet owners have some characteristic of their personality expressed in the animal they take under their care. Sometimes the physical resemblance is striking. At a deeper level, owning a pet expresses our commitment to care for, feed, protect, and spend time with a creature tailored to reciprocate unconditional love.
How we match our current career path or job is of critical importance to health, well-being and prosperity. We didn’t bring our dogs to the park last Thursday. Maybe next year. Nevertheless, arriving home, our two doggies wagged their tails waiting to greet each of us. That made us feel welcome and happy to be home.
