animal teachings

How I Stopped Comparing My Dog Joie, to My Deceased Dog, Frankie

Posted by Barbara Techel
How I Stopped Comparing My Dog Joie, to My Deceased Dog, Frankie
JOIE

Last week in celebration of the release of my new book, Wisdom Found in the Pause – Joie’s Gift I did my first ever live event on Facebook. I was quite nervous, but afterwards I received such wonderful feedback from many – it made it all very well worth it and I’m so glad I  took the plunge. If you didn’t have a chance to watch live, you can view the recording here.

But one question I got, which I think is important to expand on is this one from viewer, Sharon: “How did you resolve your issue of comparing Joie to Frankie?”

I do write about this in Wisdom Found in the Pause, but what I came to understand is that I had so closely tied my identity to Frankie and all my work with her, that when she died, I felt like I had lost my sense of purpose.  And we all know how so many of us search a for what seems a good long time to find our purpose – and many that feel they never find one.

Even though I’d been feeling this nudge to expand, I didn’t quite know what that looked like. So it felt more comfortable to think I’d continue to do what I’d always done, instead of marinating in the feelings I was experiencing that I was being called to end the chapter I defined as “Frankie.” While I truly wanted another special needs dachshund to love and care for, what wasn’t clear was how I was going to move forward now that Frankie was gone.

Many of you know I adopted Joie four months after Frankie’s passing and I was so happy to have a little one to care for again. As the days started to unfold I was having a hard time feeling a bond with her, or feeling deeply connected, like I had with Frankie.

What I did was reach out to my friend, Dawn, who is an animal communicator. She had helped me before with Frankie and I felt confident she could do the same with Joie.

While I don’t want to give it all away (and you can read more in my new book), it was during the reading with Dawn that I had the courage to admit I knew I was comparing Joie to Frankie.  It wasn’t that I was really doing it consciously, but rather subconsciously. And the issue was really all about me. I was having a hard time letting go of Frankie and what was. I needed to let things evolve organically with Joie and let her be her own dog. I truly wanted what was best for her and wanted more than anything for her to feel loved, safe and nurtured.

In many ways I owed this to Joie – but I also owed it to myself to see the truth of what was transpiring. And the beauty of one of the many gifts that Joie brought to my life. She helped me to see that I could let go and move forward – that I could expand on who I was and it would all be okay.

Every dog arrives in our lives to teach us something – arriving at just the right time – and I knew it was up to me to open myself fully to the lessons Joie was here to teach me, not only so she herself could live a happy and quality life while here – but that Frankie could rest in peace – and I could live more from the truth of who I am.

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Tomorrow I’ll be sharing a link to auhtor, Jackie Bouchard’s blog, PoochSmooches. We did a recent Q & A about my book, Wisdom Found in the Pause, and one of the questions I enjoyed answering is this one:

  1. I really related to the quote from Sue Bender (p108) to “practice feeling good where you are.” I have to continually remind myself of the lesson from our angel Abby – to live in the moment. I think this is such a great lesson for everyone, no matter where you are in life. Can you expand on how you practice feeling good about where you are?

I hope you will stay tuned for my answer!

Thank you for sharing and subscribing to my blog updates.

The Royal Hummingbird – A Bridge Between Sky and Earth

Posted by Barbara Techel
The Royal Hummingbird - A Bridge Between Sky and Earth
Hummingbird from Animal Wisdom Tarot Card deck

This time of year feels bittersweet when it comes to my favorite bird – the hummingbird. I simply adore these little ones so much. But this time of year they are gearing up to head south. The flurry of “juicing up” on the feeder which hangs right outside my writing cottage screen door, and I can see from my desk, brings me so much joy all summer, and especially this time of year when there is an abundance of action.

But at moments I feel melancholy anticipating their departure soon. I hate to see them go. The hummingbird has great meaning for me having connected me to the other side after my dachshund, Frankie passed away in 2012. I’m quite positive two weeks after she died that she came to me as a hummingbird assuring me she was doing well, and that I too, would be just fine. It is a gift from Frankie that I still carry in my heart to this day – and I always will.

So thinking about the hummingbirds I’m reminded that letting go is part of life and we have many, many moments of them. That in doing so, we trust that what we love and enjoy returns – maybe not always in the same way, but it does return. Just like my little hummingbird friends will return in the spring.

I’m also recalling an online program I listened to a few weeks ago with Shaman don Oscar Miro-Quesada talking about the Royal Hummingbird. In part he shared:

In Peruvian shamanic traditions, the ruby-throated Royal Hummingbird symbolizes the ability to act as a bridge between Sky and Earth – – the traditional role of the shaman. By lovingly pollinating flowers and crops, the Royal Hummingbird gracefully weaves connections between terrestrial ecosystems and spiritual and material worlds.

The Royal Hummingbird shows you how to journey into the higher realms of consciousness and come back with guidance for your daily life. This special communication between worlds provides you with inspiration to manifest and express your greatest dreams.

You can get the free recording here if you wish to learn more. I found it fascinating.

And in honor of all that the hummingbird has been, and is, in my life I want to also share with you the wisdom of them from my friend, Dawn’s beautiful Animal Wisdom Tarot Card deck (picture of card above in photo). May Hummingbird’s message resonate with you in some way that guides you and enriches you, too.

Six of Branches acknowledges personal triumph, happiness, and healthy self-esteem. Gleaming with presence, sparked with joie de vivre, you may experience sudden illumination and a desire to share your brilliance with the world. Life feels balanced and good.

Hummingbird shares beauty, wonder, and joy as it pollinates flowers and spreads the sweetness of life. Dazzling and iridescent, with an amazing ability to fly backward, sideward, and upside down, Hummingbird’s small body holds the big energy of a free-spirited warrior. Enlivening and uplifting, Hummingbird encourages us to shine our magnificence while remaining grounded, in harmony with self and others.

Receiving this card may signify spiritual insight, expansion, or breakthrough. It cautions us, however, not to lose poise. A flash of arrogance, conceit, or out-of-control pride can ignite a wildfire within. Know that you are capable of success and inherently wonderful, whether at home, alone, or in the midst of an adoring crowd.

Like Hummingbird, align yourself with nature, Earth and Spirit; be fully present as you express radiance. This is how we inspire others and energize the world.

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