Dog Take on Our Emotions

Were you ever crying in a room on one end of the house and were suddenly nudged by your dog’s wet nose underneath your hand, sensing its desire to bring love and comfort to you? You knew your dog was sound asleep on one end of the house, yet all of a sudden, here is your faithful companion reaching out for you…..longing to comfort you and restore peacefulness to your life? 

Stories like this happen more times that you may imagine. Perhaps you’ve realized this has happened to you before; or, maybe, this has happened without you even realizing your animal’s focused efforts to bring solace and comfort into your life. Like emotional sponges, our dogs take on so much of our emotions for us. Being the loving, selfless souls that they are, dogs especially seek to love us 


unconditionally. We can walk in the door at the end of a rough day, yelling and screaming, “GET OUT OF THE WAY!” Dogs back away and give us our space and then five minutes later, they’re right there on the couch, curled up beside us. If there’s been a death or loss in the family (through divorce or military deployment), you may notice that your dog is experiencing grief, much like us humans do. Therapy dogs can walk into Assisted Living Homes and nuzzle their way underneath an elderly, arthritic hand – the hand of a woman who appears to have been forgotten by family/friends and hasn’t spoke a word since being admitted; yet a therapy dog walks into the room and this very same woman’s face lights up, as she utters, “I love you,” to her newfound canine friend. Then there’s children who have been labeled dyslexic and cannot seem to read; however, a canine friend lovingly sits beside them and suddenly the child’s words are more audible and clear.

All animals are loving indeed. Yet, there is something extraordinary about the Spirit of a Dog. When I was afflicted with fibromyalgia for years, my beloved cocker spaniel, Tippy, “suddenly” developed rheumatoid arthritis (which has similar symptoms of fibromyalgia). This was Tippy’s way of lovingly and selflessly taking on “my stuff.” I’ve heard stories where someone in a family household will start to lose their hearing; when suddenly, the family dog is also hard of hearing. What living proof of the enormity of love they have for us. Even in animal shelters, where homeless dogs nervously sit awaiting new homes, dogs can take on the emotions and stress of the staff assigned to their care.

Realizing how loving and selfless our dogs are for us, it’s only right that we make sure we afford them the opportunity to release and clear all they’ve taken on – personally, as well as on our behalf. Whether a Reiki Session for energetic balancing, a Journey™ Process for cellular healing, or an Animal Communication Session to convey messages of the heart, the dogs in our world will greatly benefit. Just as we need outlets to clear our stress and emotions, so do our canine friends.  

As a Spiritual Guardian for Animal Wellness, I am oftentimes cautiously asked, “Why has the passing of my dog stirred up so much more grief and emotion, than the passing of my (mother/father/spouse)?” The answer: As much as our parents/spouses love us, we are all still human; and humans are not capable of being such Unconditional Love. Dogs, however, have mastered it; they apply it to life daily. Plain and simple, they give us something that no human ever can – the gift of Unconditional Love. 


http://www.AdvancingLifeNetwork.com 


Article By: Caly Lehrer,

 
Caly Lehrer, Founder of Peace-By-Peace, LLC, is Your Spiritual Guardian for Animal Wellness. Caly began working with animals by sharing, then teaching, Animal Reiki. She then tapped into her gifts as an Animal Communicator and Empathic Intuitive. As she went on to become an Accredited Journey™ Practitioner, she decided to take this work where very few, if any, have gone….into the world of animals and those who care for them. Since then, Caly has studied Pet Loss, Grief/Bereavement, and is presently learning how to locate lost pets. Caly is the former Director of Special Projects for SARA (Shelter Animal Reiki Association). Caly now volunteers her time with animal shelters/organizations worldwide, helping homeless and abused animals to find their way home.

Friday The 13th...Very Superstitious

On a recent trip to my acupuncturist, I was reminded that Friday the 13th is a really easy day to get an appointment. She told me that people won’t book appointments, because they won’t drive. Some people don’t even leave their house, or their bed! I was once again, for some reason, surprised; mainly because I consider myself to be a very non-superstitious person. I’ve actually been known to walk under ladders, as long as a black cat isn’t crossing my path at the time.

My curiosity was once again aroused so I couldn’t wait to get home and investigate the whys, wheres and hows of this apparently wildly held superstition. The good news for those who believe in this superstition, is that 2011 only has one Friday the 13th, which falls in May this year. The number varies from one to three per calendar year and every month that begins on a Sunday, will have a Friday the 13th. Good to know, I thought. And, the longest period of time without a Friday the 13th is fourteen months.The fear of Friday the 13th is called friggatriskaidekaphobia (Frigga the name of the Norse goddess whom Friday is named after and triskaidekaphobia meaning the fear of the number 13) or also, paraskevidekatriaphobia. The impact of this day is so widespread that the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, estimates that 17 to 21 million people in the United States alone are affected by a fear of Friday the 13th. Wow, that is a lot of people. I wondered if these people will go to the horror movie Friday the 13th because I admit, I personally don’t like horror movies and always wondered about the type of person who does. That’s another story, so back to the major influence this day has. Donald Dossey, behavioral scientist and founder of the above Institute, also reported that “It’s been estimated that $800-$900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do”. That’s an enormous impact related to one superstition, some say the most prevalent superstition of all.There are varying reports on where Friday the 13th, as a superstition, started. According to folklorists, there is no written evidence of the superstition before the 19th century. There are several theories that it is a modern amalgamation of two older superstitions. The obvious one is that the number 13 is an unlucky number. The other is that Friday is an unlucky day. Being interested in numerology, I do understand that 12 is the number of completeness. We see this reflected everywhere in our world, in the twelve months of the year, the twelve signs of the zodiac, the twelve hours on the clock and even the twelve Apostles of Jesus. The list of 12s goes on and on. Because thirteen is irregular, it infringes on this completeness. There are both biblical and Norse myths which relate to the “unlucky” associations with the number 13. If I stop to think about it, the fear of the number 13 is so prevalent, most apartment buildings and office towers don’t even have a 13th floor and many don’t have any rooms with the number 13. When I was recently checked in to a room on the 13th floor of a hotel, I admit, I didn’t even realize it might be unlucky, until I was in the elevator with another guest who had been placed on the same floor. We fearlessly rode to the floor, commenting and laughing that we might be the only ones checking in who were okay to take a room on the 13th floor. For me, the positive was that I had a great view of the city.

Friday, however, as an unlucky day could date back to the 14th Century and The Canterbury Tales with other professions regarding Fridays as a bad luck day to start trips or begin new projects. Black Friday, the infamous stock market crash day, is just one of the unlucky associations tied to a Friday. Personally, knowing Friday is Venus day, I love it and look forward to it. I know there are many working girls and guys who spend many of their weekdays waiting for it and proclaiming TGIF, (Thank God it’s Friday) when it arrives. Maybe just not when it’s a Friday the 13th, I suppose.

There is so much written about Friday the 13th, I was encouraged to find that there is good news, relating to overcoming this fear of it. Dossey, among others, offers ways of changing the negative “bad” luck association with this day, by thinking positive, pleasant thoughts which in turn creates more pleasant feelings, which might then help diminish the overwhelming aspect of the fear. Folklore remedies offer up the following: Climb to the top of a mountain or skyscraper and burn all the socks you own that have holes in them. Or, stand on your head and eat a piece of gristle. Reminds me that if you are open to finding it, there is always hope.

So, whatever you decide to do this coming Friday the 13th, I wish you all good luck and an especially wonderful day. As for me, I know for sure I’m getting out of bed, leaving my house, getting in my car and driving to have an acupuncture treatment.Beverley Golden

Biography

Beverley Golden is a freelance writer and songwriter who lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Having written everything from full length magazine articles to song lyrics, she loves to research, design and build stories. She is the author of the upcoming book, Confessions of a Middle Aged Hippie, her first full length book; a memoir combining her anecdotal stories taken from her years in the entertainment industry, coupled with her stories of survival, from a lifetime lived with health issues. She has lived her life as a “self professed guinea pig” willing to find and test unconventional ways to take what she is told is impossible and transform it into possible.

The Courage To Quit

If you have fond memories of 2011, consider yourself lucky. In reflecting on what’s transpired, most think of sky-high unemployment, rampant economic insecurity, and job satisfaction being at an all-time low.

In today’s difficult economy, it’s never been clearer that the only one you can count on in life is you. Lifetime employment has become a laughable oxymoron and being able to keep your job simply because you’re good at what you do is an illusion.

2012 doesn’t have to be a repeat of 2011 and holds meaningful potential if the right steps are taken. To thrive, emulate the 5 Key Steps of the Successful. If you do, 2012 will be an amazing year.

1. Begin leveraging your WHAT—the one thing you were born to do. The successful understand that there is ONE thing they are compelled to do and pursue this with reckless abandon. Until you identify your WHAT, life will feel out of your control and lack meaning or purpose.
2. The successful set deep anchors into their soul. They are crystal clear on who they are, why they do what they do and, most importantly, who they were born to be. Those who don’t set deep anchors operate like windsocks—their lives forever shifting based on outside influences. With these anchors, you’re clear on where you’re headed and life’s pity distractions won’t keep you from achieving your goals and objectives.
3. The successful operate as smooth rocks, not craters. Like water off a duck’s back, if you operate as a smooth rock, the waterfall of life simply continues downstream. If you’re a crater, life puddles. You think about everything, hold on to it, and life is defined by what currently engulfs your mind. As life’s next challenge reaches you, it washes out the old concerns and replaces them with new ones. If your life reflects a smooth rock, you’ll maintain comfort and happiness by refusing to expend energy or additional thought on that which should have long since moved past you.
4. The successful understand the power of patience. Some of the most recognized people of our time began just like you. Richard Branson began his Virgin empire selling one record at-a-time via mail-order catalog. Mother Teresa brought comfort to one person in need. Sam Zell convinced one landlord to let him manage his apartment building. In today’s instant gratification society, we are programmed to want everything… NOW. This is not realistic. Anything worthwhile takes time. Anyone who tells you differently is full of crap.
5. Lastly, while it may seem appealing to quit the job you loathe today, the successful let others fund their transition. Having the courage to quit is enough to get you fired up to make an inordinate difference in our world, but doing so without the means to replace your current income is ludicrous. Become clear on where you’re headed, what you want to do, and then enter THE TRANSITION. It’s at this point where you’ll hone your skills, learn what others are doing that is of interest to you, and begin putting your plan of action in place to derive 100% of your income from what you love. Like a recipe mixture, right now your life is comprised of 0 parts living your WHAT and 100 parts not. As soon as you take that first step towards your destiny, your mixture has shifted to 1 part living your WHAT and 99 parts not. As more of your income is derived from what it is that you’re compelled to do, you’ll reach a point in time when you can cut the cord on what you abhor. There are a LOT of hours in the day. Invest them wisely.

To make an inordinate difference in your community and, perhaps, across the globe, a monumental shift is required. The time is now to reinvent your life no matter your age or where you stand in your career path.

2012 is the perfect time to create the life you want and heed your inherent blueprint. Within this blueprint, you’ll discover your WHAT—the one thing you were born to do—and, once revealed, everything else (almost magically) falls into place.

The bottom line is that we are each put on this planet to do ONE amazing thing and it’s our responsibility to cultivate that which we are naturally compelled to do. Your soul wants you to discover your WHAT and by following the 5 Steps of the Successful, you have significantly increased the odds of finding it.

Steve Olsher is “America’s Reinvention Expert.” A successful entrepreneur who has applied his street smarts, business acumen, and communication skills to a wide range of endeavors, he is the co-star of the ground-breaking film, The Keeper of the Keys with Jack Canfield, John Gray, and Marci Shimoff, Founder of the Reinvention Workshop, Host of Reinvention Radio, Author of USA Book News’ “Self-Help Book of The Year” Journey To You: A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming Who You Were Born to Be, and an in-demand media guest who has appeared on ABC, FOX TV, and more than 200 radio shows including Lou Dobbs, Jim Bohannon, and Mancow. For a free copy of Steve's book, please visit www.JourneyToYou.com.