We Play Full Out with Bart and Sunny

Labels Lie: How Our Bulldog Showed Us the Power of Reinvention

• Bart and Sunny Miller • Season 1 • Episode 56

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In this episode, we share the incredible story of our bulldog, Dozer, and his unexpected transformation from a laid-back house dog to a spirited cow dog. His journey got us thinking about the labels we put on ourselves and how they limit our potential. What labels are holding you back? Join us as we explore how breaking free from labels can help you discover hidden sides of yourself and unleash your true potential!

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to. We Play Full Out with Bart and Sunny Miller. Take it away, Sunny.

Speaker 2:

Well, you know, I recently unearthed a video of us.

Speaker 1:

So good.

Speaker 2:

Chatting about our unforgettable bulldog Dozer.

Speaker 1:

Oh man.

Speaker 2:

And it brought back a lot of memories and it also made me chuckle a little, because it's always funny when you see old videos of yourselves. Right, you're like, wow, it was a good one, that's great. But Dozer was a 110 pound white bulldog, but he had a personality that could absolutely melt anybody's heart.

Speaker 1:

Amen.

Speaker 2:

That dude wanted to be a lap dog so bad.

Speaker 2:

And at first glance his size could be really intimidating and I would forget that. Like we'd take him out on walks and stuff and I'd see people actually like leave the pathway and go you know somewhere else, or little kids like start shaking with fear or whatever, because he was a big dog, yeah, but the interesting thing about Dozer is he was just so calm. Like you would take him out on walks kids, adults, other dogs could be lunging, barking, doing whatever, and he would just ignore them. He would just keep on his little path there, calm as calm could be.

Speaker 1:

He lived in his world.

Speaker 2:

He did Now. He did have little bursts of energy once in a while and it was so fun to watch him because he would just get a little wild and be like five to 10 minutes He'd be going a little crazy over a balloon or something and then he was wiped out for like the next two hours. He was just exhausted. So that was Dozer. I would say, you know, to us he was our big, sweet, slightly lazy house companion.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, he saved my butt one day though.

Speaker 2:

Well and that was another thing he didn't like to be outside that much, like he'd go outside for a little while, but pretty soon he'd be pawing back on the door wanting to be let in. So we're going to talk about probably him saving your butt. So something wild happened. We got some horses, we got some team roping steers, and Dozer had never been around them before, yep, because we hadn't had them like. We kind of went through a period where we didn't have them for a while and one day he joined us in the arena and we saw a side of him that we did not imagine would occur. He transformed into a completely different dog. He was full of energy, he was barking, he was nipping at the stairs, heels and he was helping to herd him into the chute like a seasoned cow dog, and the craziest part of it was he just absolutely loved it.

Speaker 2:

He'd stay out there for hours, completely in his element. And I would say who knew that our chill little house dog had a fiery, determined cow dog hidden inside?

Speaker 1:

It was mind-blowing, it was totally mind-blowing.

Speaker 2:

Is that the story?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so when I was loading up some steers one day and he wasn't in there and he saw me, so, like you said, he was so passionate about it, boy, he was right by my side and the steer decided he was going to take me out. He was mean as all, get out and Dozer was going to have none of that. And let me tell you he took into that steer and saved my butt and put that steer right in the trailer.

Speaker 2:

Crazy and I guess part of the thing is like we know what bulldogs are bred to do. We'd never seen the side of Dozer Like he had, never shown an aggressive side like that.

Speaker 1:

Yep Never had the opportunity to, and even if he did have opportunities to, he never showed it like that, except for around cows that we did and where we're getting at today is what labels are you wearing or what is sticking to you?

Speaker 2:

Dozer's transformation God's thinking about the labels we slap on ourselves, often without realizing it. How many of us are Walking through life boxed in by labels like shy, not creative, too old or not athletic? These labels can trap us, keeping us from discovering what we're truly capable of. But here's this thing. What if there's an untapped, passionate side of you just waiting to be unleashed? What if you are one new experience away from a revelation about who you really are? Kind of exciting to think about, isn't it?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's really fun, it's awesome and if we'll just let it unlock Like that was. A beautiful thing about Dozer is is that I don't know where it came from. You don't know where it came from, but as soon as those cows were on the ground, it unlocked in him.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, he didn't have to think about it.

Speaker 1:

Nope, just yeah. He didn't have to think about it, nope, just happened, it was just game on. Game on, let's go.

Speaker 2:

Yep. So here's a challenge this weekend step out of your comfort zone, try something you've been hesitant about. Say yes to an opportunity that scares you a little. Let go of the labels, maybe even sit down and think about what those labels might be.

Speaker 1:

Yes, I think so many times we're not even aware of them. And see where it takes you. Yeah, I think that's great. In fact, I played pickleball today with a guy named Felipe and I don't know if Felipe reads this letter but if you were to pick Felipe out of a crowd and say here's a 5-0 pickleball player and you better watch out because he will move to places you cannot imagine? And return balls. That you cannot imagine. If you profiled him, you would never pick Felipe to be on your team.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I would agree with that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, like you just wouldn't. But at the end of the day, you better watch out and I would play any tournament with him any day, any, anything Like. I mean, this guy is wow, athletic, crazy and fun. Yeah, totally fun.

Speaker 1:

But like I, like I said, that's the interesting thing about you know, bulldog is, you know, so many times we profile, we look at people, we think there's not, you know, the capacity isn't there, but we don't know what lives inside of them because they've never tried or taken the chance. And I think a lot of times the reason we don't is because it scares us to death and or we've been told that we shouldn't do that because of our size. For example, me, there's no reason I should be a calf roper. I'm too small, but I tried it. Now let's be clear, I was still too small. I can try to say I wasn't, but at the end of the day, like at least I went and proved to myself I was because I wanted to try it, where so many people won't, and they won't let their guard down for five seconds to just go and say I'm not going to hold anything up. I'm just going to try this and see if I like it, and I think it goes for foods, I think it goes for all sorts of things.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely.

Speaker 1:

Because I would need a tomato and probably tell two years ago yeah, and now I eat them all the time, so it's interesting.

Speaker 2:

It is interesting. So step outside your comfort zone and you know, I guess it is twofold. Like you said, we probably profile ourselves, but we also do to others. So maybe even open yourself up to the idea that maybe somebody you're profiling isn't who you think they are, and be curious and get to know them better.

Speaker 1:

And I think that's a lot more than we think to be honest with you.

Speaker 2:

Oh, 100% more than we think.

Speaker 1:

I think that there's a lot of people I've met and then when I all of a sudden really get to know him, I'm like what? Say what you know, like there's no way, and all of a sudden you find out way.

Speaker 2:

Well, that's funny that you said that, because we were just watching a video with a janitor who is Mr Universe crazy and that's a profiling example, anatoly is his name, if you want to look him up. Anatoly and he's freaking hilarious. So in this video he's walking around with a 700-pound mop and he's handing it to people to hold it for him and do all the things, and they can't even pick it up. It's just hilarious to watch.

Speaker 1:

It's so funny.

Speaker 2:

Finally they're. They're just looking at him like who are you?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's mesmerizing for sure.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, sweet. That's the message for today.

Speaker 1:

Let's go.

Speaker 2:

So Life Updates you spent the week in Wickenburg Arizona, and a little bit in Vegas. Yes, I did. Do you want to talk about that?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it was a great experience. We had quite a trip and you can read about it here. But I mean we had tire issues, we had this issue, trailer issues, I mean we had so many issues. But, that being said, we went out. I wrote better than I've probably ever roped and, you know, just didn't connect all the way, and that happens sometimes. But you know it was either a breakout of a barrier, you know, something caused something.

Speaker 2:

There's lots of variables If you're not familiar with team. You got the horse.

Speaker 1:

You've got the rider, you've got the steer, you've got the healer.

Speaker 2:

You got both ends doing the same thing.

Speaker 1:

Anyway, it wasn't my week, but I had a blast and we made it home safely, which is what we want. The animals all survived. We had no lameness in a lot of the ways that we could have had, so it was great, great trip.

Speaker 2:

Awesome and I spent the week just kind of catching up on candle orders because it is fourth quarter, let's go. That's going Keeping Xander happy, fed and off to school. But I do have a funny story actually about Xander. So I went to play pickleball with him one night. There is an 80-year-old gentleman there and we call him Cadillac, because whenever you hit a really good shot he goes ooh, that's a Cadillac shot. He's a pretty good pickleball player, I would say. You know, he's pretty good pickleball player, I would say for his age. But he grabbed Xander as soon as we walked in because he wanted to win. He's very competitive. And so the two of them finally got on the court and I'm looking at their opponents and I'm like, ooh, this is going to be a tough one Because both players were pretty good, you know.

Speaker 2:

So Xander man, 15-year-old, 80, 80 year old man, they're down seven to one. They've only got one point. Xander's over there stacking with them, which means Xander's staying on the forehand side. So he's the, he's the dominant player. He's showing Ken or Cadillac, cadillac, ken how to, how to stack, and he's confused. But Xander, just you know, and Xander just kept him. So hyped up and so excited he's like but Xander, just you know, and Xander just kept him so hyped up and so excited. He's like come on, come on, we've got this, we've got this. They came back and they won that thing. So good, it was just so fun to watch. It was, I guess, xander take charge and be so excited and like help somebody achieve something they wanted to achieve in such a good way.

Speaker 2:

It was so positive and just super fun to watch Great story. Yeah, fun, fun. Other than that, we're just back for the week and we're looking forward to all the things each new day brings. Yeah, we're going to have some company come in this next week.

Speaker 1:

Yep, we've got two people coming actually.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so that's a wrap.

Speaker 1:

Let's go. All right, you guys, this segment's brought.

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Bart Miller

Host
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Sunny Miller

Host