My Dog Dances in the Rain: Why I Want to Live Like Scruffy

I envy my dog. Seriously, if I could borrow a few traits from my dog, here's what I would tap into:

1. Persistence: If I were my dog, I would never give up when challenged by difficult tasks or missing objects. For example, when Scruffy really wants to locate a toy or a bone, he's persistent until someone in our home obliges. When he wants water, he pushes his water bowl across the room until he gets a refill. I wish I had a fraction of that persistence when building my emergency fund.

2. Love of Repetition: My dog could easily play fetch -- in all variations -- for hours nonstop. He never gets bored with the routine: toss, run, catch, run, toss... I would love to borrow that trait for just one month as I record my expenses. Tracking money can be boring. The routine gets old. But if I could borrow Scruffy's love of routine, I could cut even more fat from my budget.

3. Regular bedtime: Scruffy (pictured above) gets his quota of rest every day. Me? Ha! I run on fumes with my tank on empty. I know that my efficiency and performance would improve if I could be more disciplined about getting R&R. As such, I envy Scruffy's ability to just kickback and relax.

4. Dancing in the rain. My dog dances in the rain. On his hind legs and with his head back, Scruffy loves to catch rain drops that fall from the balcony above ours. He loves storms and dances in delight when the weather is bad. In contrast, when the sky is overcast or when times are difficult, I want to hide under a thick Mickey Mouse comforter with a hot mug of mint tea and a romance novel. Watching Scruffy dance in the rain, however, has taught me to make the most of every moment, even gray wet days in Miami.