animal teachings

And this is Just How it Is.

Posted by Barbara Techel

kylie on bedIf I don’t make the bed right away in the morning, Kylie beats me to the punch and makes herself cozy after eating her breakfast.

And you know what I like about my wiser, older self?  So what. So what if the bed does not get made for a couple of hours. I just make half of the bed and let her linger as long as she wants. This is what matters–her happiness.

No one is going to care if my bed is made or not. But I care that Kylie is happy and content. This is just how it is and I like it. Such a relief it is to let go of so much perfectionism I had as my younger, not so wise self.

Me and My Shadow. My Aha! Moment.

Posted by Barbara Techel

me and my shadowI had an aha! moment as I was uploading this photo to edit it. I took it over the weekend while sitting on the deck. I love how you can see my shadow with Gidget looking on.

Gidget loves being with me, but she is also the first dachshund I’ve had that seems more independent. She is content to hang out beside me on the deck and doesn’t need to be in my lap all the time. Frankie and Joie, the moment I sat down in my Adirondack chair, would be at my feet pleading with their dark enticing eyes, “Please pick me up and hold me.”

As I thought about this looking at the picture, it struck me once again how we get the dog we need at different times in our life. I’ve become more independent, content to be on my own, and alone more often. I trust more in who I am and what I need. While I enjoy some social time, I also need lots of time alone.

This is where I am in my life right now. It wasn’t all this way. All those years of being in the “spotlight” with Frankie were times I wouldn’t trade for the world. But I have to say this “inner” work I’ve been doing more of lately, fits me too. Sure, sometimes I’m restless with it, but for the most part, I feel like this is the place I’m supposed to be right now in this space and time.

Gidget is that reflection for me. What a beautiful reminder this photo (and Gidget) is.

What if We All Along We Were Just Supposed to “Be?”

Posted by Barbara Techel

2014-04-24 14.06.26Won’t you come sit and just be with me?

As you know, I call Gidget my Buddah Dog. I continue to be quite fascinated as I journey down this road called life and realize how the right dog was here for me for what I needed then. Gidget is so perfect for me and where I am at in my life right now.

I’ve opened myself more and more to the teachings of my dogs and animals, which has meant for me delving into animal communication more, reading books on the subject and recently hosting a teleseminar with animal communicator, Dawn Baumann Brunke. You can listen to the replay here if you missed it.

As you may also know, I’ve had readings done with Dawn talking with Joie, Frankie, Gidget and Kylie. Each one revealing something about me that I needed healing for, something I needed to work on, or a glimpse further into who I am. I’m really starting to truly understand how very connected we all really are.

Dog’s and all animals, aren’t busy “doing,” and worrying about what is next. But rather, they really seem to get this just “being” concept that seems so challenging for humans to grasp. Okay, granted, they don’t have to make money to support themselves and pay bills. But the more I learn about animals and how they live each moment, I feel like the All American Dream of achieving success in terms of material things and social status was all a very big myth.

What if we truly are meant to just “be.” What if that has been the big test all along for we mere humans? When I think about the definition of the All American Dream I think of having an expensive car, a big house, lots of nice clothes and a corporate job. Then I think about what I would need to do to achieve and keep all of that.

Don’t get me wrong, this may be for some, it just isn’t for me. And there’s nothing wrong with a big house, nice car, etc. I just don’t care for the trade off of what that potentially means, is all I’m saying. It feels too stressful to me and too far from what I believe “being” is about.

I’ve been in that place of getting lost in that dream. Striving, striving, striving. Busy, busy, busy. And then I forgot who I was. What it was that really brought me joy. My chocolate Lab, Cassie stopped me in my tracks as if I’d been slammed against the side of the head, when she was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer. The reality was that my heart shattered in a million pieces. I was terrified of losing her.

But the last leg of her journey for eight months of living with cancer turned out to be a huge blessing in disguise for me. I stopped doing, doing, doing. I Thought. I Observed. I Pondered… and I found my way back to the center of me. The center of being.

Am I always at this center of being? No, of course not. It’s a daily observation of awareness that I’ve learned to listen to more carefully. For me, it’s a more deliberate way of thinking about what I want for my everyday life. Yoga helps me with this. My new practice of meditation is really helping me with this. But most of all, really being with my dog’s, taking in their wisdom of just sitting our walking with them, is a beautiful reminder. I love to soak in those moments. The more I do, the more I want. The more I want to “be.”