Meaning of ‘If you can’t run with the big dogs, you’d better stay on the porch’
What happens inside you when you see names like Tony Robbins, Helen Keller, or Marianne Williamson? What about Martin Luther King, Jr., or Oprah Winfrey, or Nelson Mandela?
These are people who have impacted the world on a large scale. If we (pardon the metaphor, Mr. Mandela) are all dogs, chasing the “bones” in life we feel are important, then these are Big Dogs who have chased Big, Important Bones.
Tony Robbins is chasing the bone of personal empowerment. MLK chased the bone of racial equality and freedom. Oprah Winfrey chases the bone of living your best life, no matter who you are or where you’ve come from. Nelson Mandela chases the bone of freedom, justice, and opportunity. These are no small matters these leaders have concerned themselves with.
And so the question is, what does this inspire within you?
If you feel a pull to play the game of life at a higher level when you see examples like this, a desire to “run with the big dogs”, you most certainly aren’t alone.
Being inspired by Big Dogs is a part of the gift of having Big Dogs as role models. And there are many people who feel that pull to contribute to others in big ways, and go about pursuing it.
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But what if you are inspired to be a Big Dog, but already have your life in motion in a “not so big” direction? You already have your own business, or vocation, and yet you see the Big Dogs and ask, “Am I really doing all I could? Am I running with the Big Dogs, or sitting on a cushion with the toy poodles?”
You don’t have to change your life to run with the Big Dogs. (You can if you want to, but it’s not required.)
Because there is more to that inspiration you feel than just living a big life in the world, or serving many people. It’s also about how you live your life, and are you living up to your own Big Dog.
My Big Dog?
Yessiree. You’ve heard of the “inner child”? Well, guess what? Now you’ve got an Inner Big Dog, too.
It’s the part of you that feels your potential, knows what you’re truly capable of, and what it’s like to stand fully in your value and your values. You, at your greatest, your most loving, your most empowered – that’s your Dog.
And this Dog’s straining at the leash to go running.
So what does it mean to let your inner Big Dog run?
Wanting to run with the Big Dogs of the world is great. But that yearning you feel is really the desire to be the Big Dog you are in yourself. To be your biggest. To say “Yes!” to who you really are, and embrace your potential.
Giving your Big Dog a chance to run means believing in yourself. It also means being willing to follow your dreams, and – most importantly – stepping in to the large, expansive you that you can be.
My Story:
I got bit by the “Big Dog Bug” after reading some inspirational biographies recently. And I was convinced that I needed to change everything about my work in order to serve people on a massive level… targeting people at the forefront of change, writing books about deeply-moving and far-reaching aspects of how spirituality can change the world, etc.But I wasn’t clear about how to bring it out. I knew I wanted to run with the Big Dogs, be a Big Dog in the world, and work with other Big Dogs, but the specifics were beyond me.So, I took some time to sit in my heart and feel what my intuition was telling me, hoping I could intuit my way to the Super Kennel of World Change Agents (whatever that would be).What I saw was that although I had pictures upon pictures about what I thought I should be doing, the real issue was that I wasn’t really showing up fully in my heart. I was holding back, afraid to take the next step.
And that’s when it clicked: No wonder I was inspired by examples of Big Dogs — their success in the world mirrored my yearning to show up fully in my own life, and live up to my own potential.
Here’s how you can do the same:
Connect with your vision
This has two facets, both equally important:
- your “Big Dog in the world” vision – how you want to be in the world-at-large, and
- your “Inner Big Dog” vision – how you want to show up fully in your own being.
Take some time to dream, journal, and talk with others close to you about your “Big Dog in the world” vision. It’s something that needs to be aired out, opened up, and given space to grow.
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At the same time, spend time in dialogue with the Divine around your Inner Big Dog – reflecting on who you are, what your strengths are, what your unique qualities are all about. Pay attention to where you feel the yearning to be “more” than what you feel you are now.
Where are you now?
As you get clearer on what feels possible for your Inner Big Dog, you’ll naturally become aware of where you still feel like a toy poodle.
No matter what you feel about the way you’re currently showing up, try to be honest with yourself – you aren’t accepting your fate here; just taking account of what is, for the moment.
Step into your Big Dog-ness
Becoming a Big Dog isn’t about pushing away your poodle-ness. It’s about recognizing your feelings of being small, being honest with yourself about them, and then opening up to seeing what you aren’t yet seeing about yourself (a practice done best with a heart-connection to the Divine… it’ll open the door to getting that perspective you need).
Stepping into your Big Dog-ness is a process – a process of honesty, and a process of saying Yes to being who you really are.
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Do I still want to be a Big Dog in the world-at-large?
Sure – I wouldn’t mind. But I feel a much greater sense of practicality and presence in my own world, by focusing on being fully me. I know that if I show up fully in my own way, I’ll be realizing the potential of my Inner Big Dog, and contributing as much as I can.
And then, if the Divine wants me to run with the Big Dogs of the world, I’ll be ready.
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