Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm your host, Andrew McGivern, for August 5th.Today is National Work Like a Dog Day, which is one of those holidays that makes you pause and think, "Wait, what exactly does that mean?"

On August 5th, National Work Like A Dog Day urges us to charge forth and meet every challenge we face. However, if you look to your dog for direction, you may be confounded. Because here's the thing – the English language loves to mess with us. We say someone is "working like a dog" when they're putting in tremendous effort and working tirelessly, but we also say "it's a dog's life" when we're talking about lounging around all day doing absolutely nothing.

So which is it? Are dogs the ultimate workaholics or the masters of leisure?

Well, if you've ever watched a working dog – a border collie herding sheep, a service dog guiding their handler, or even just your average pup determinedly trying to get that tennis ball from under the couch – you know that when dogs commit to something, they give it everything they've got.

Which brings us to today's quote from Vince Lombardi, the legendary football coach, who once said:
"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand."

Now that's a quote that captures the true spirit of working like a dog. Lombardi wasn't just talking about winning games – though he did plenty of that with the Green Bay Packers.

He was talking about something deeper: the satisfaction that comes from knowing you gave your absolute best effort, regardless of the outcome.

Dogs understand this instinctively. A retriever doesn't calculate the odds before diving into cold water to fetch a stick. A search and rescue dog doesn't check the weather forecast before heading out to find someone. They just go – full commitment, full heart, full effort.

And maybe that's what we're really celebrating today. Not the frantic, burnout kind of work that leaves you exhausted and resentful, but the purposeful, dedicated kind of effort that comes from caring deeply about what you're doing.Think about it – when was the last time you worked on something with the pure, uncomplicated determination of a dog chasing a ball? No second-guessing, no overthinking, just focused energy directed toward a goal.I have to admit, my own dog has taught me a lot about this. Every morning, she approaches her breakfast bowl with the same enthusiasm as if it's the first meal she's ever seen. She doesn't check her phone first or worry about her schedule – she's just completely present and committed to the task at hand: enjoying that food.

There's something beautiful about that level of focus and appreciation for the moment.So today, whether you're tackling a big project at work, cleaning out that closet you've been avoiding, or just trying to master a new skill, channel a little of that dog-like determination. Give it your best shot, stay focused, and remember – success isn't just about the outcome, it's about knowing you showed up fully.

That's going to do it for today. Work hard, stay determined, and maybe take a lesson from your four-legged friends about the power of wholehearted effort.I'm Andrew McGivern, signing off for now, but I'll be back tomorrow – same pod time, same pod station – with another Daily Quote.