Three weeks ago I adopted a new little dog, Tucker, from the Humane Society. He's part Chihuahua and part Dachshund and looks like a tiny red deerhound. Tucker has a new lease on life and seems very happy in his new home -- with one hitch. Last night was our first really cold night, and it seemed to trigger some old pattern in the poor little guy.

Always at my feet, whether I'm working my home business, cooking, or just hanging out, Tucker rarely lets me out of his sight. But he was nowhere to be seen most of last evening. He would come in from the back yard through the dog door whenever I called him, looking worried and confused, but then dash right back outside.

Finally, when I was ready to go to bed myself, I figured I'd better find out what was up and discovered him outside, curled up in a ball and shivering like a leaf next to the door. I had to carry him in and affix his leash to the bed post in order to get him settled in and warm for the night. After an hour or so he was okay and slept peacefully all night, cuddled up beside me.

Tucker is a tiny little boy with very short hair who gets cold very easily, so this new behavior didn't make sense at all. When I quizzed him about it, he showed me that he used to have to sleep outside all the time at his other home and absolutely dreaded it when the weather turned cold. He had to be forced outside bodily sometimes, and he was miserable! So, in his little way, he was just preparing himself for the worst, finding the warmest spot he could outside before the night got any colder.

Aach! How close this is to some of my own approaches over the last few years when it came to changing my life from a routine of drudge work to one of fulfillment running my own home business. Watching Tucker go through the motions of an old habitual response was a great reminder to me to stay focused on the many forms of enjoyment I can create while being my own boss, and not to let old patterns that are no longer useful get in the way.

I'm happy to say that most my old habits have changed, even though I need to keep an eye on them, and my home business is going great! To see what works for me and my business partner, please be sure and click on the link below.

Now I've just got to get Tucker convinced that part of HIS new home business is keeping me toasty warm at night by sleeping right by my side. He can let the three big dogs take care of the outdoor night patrol!