Winter break in my home was exciting, to say the least. On Christmas Eve, my family brought home a puppy. In addition to my large dog and three sisters, the puppy in some ways made my whole family think we lived in a zoo.

Over winter break I spent a lot of time playing and taking care of the puppy. Because of this, I decided to write an article about lessons learned from a puppy. I think learning from the most innocent among us (even puppies) is important. So here are some tips to live a more innocent, less chaotic, life:

(By the way, if you think I only wrote this because I wanted to post a picture of my new puppy, you’re right. But anyway, enjoy.)

1. Be excited

See something you want? Run to it

Puppies have a tendency to run to everything. They don’t walk around when they are bored. They seem to never get bored or even sad. They run around and wag their tails so ferociously they fall down at times. I think everyone needs to learn to approach life with that level of willingness to look stupid for the sake of fun.

2. Take naps

Puppies sleep 18 of the 24-hours in a day. Granted, puppies live a simple life. Still, I think everyone can learn to listen to their body a bit more. When you are tired take a nap, then wake up and attack the day instead of meandering in a disgruntled fog of tiredness.

3. Love unconditionally

Are you excited every time you see a loved one?

I think puppies, and really any other dog, show the purest form of love. We can all learn to forgive and forget more in our daily lives. It's never too late or too often to be reminded of the fact that helping others makes you happy.

4. Be fierce

There is no toy safe from attack. Puppies, especially female puppies, attack the world with everything they have. My feet were not safe from this little ball of energy. The 10-week old puppy already won’t back down to my 50-pound dog when they play. I need to learn to stick up for myself and at times abandon all preconceptions on who should win and try anyway.

5. Play

You never see a puppy stressed or worried. Like a toddler, they do what they want when they want to. Puppies find contentment, curiosity, and a playful atmosphere in what for us would be mundane. I think it is important to learn to grow in the way we approach our situations, and reassess the perspectives we hold onto them.