It's a Wrap

Together we have taken a journey through these pages. I commend and thank you for your sincere willingness to do so. By giving yourself such a road to travel, the biggest and most important step has been taken. Trust that the commitment to be open to the process of connection and soul retrieval has already allowed you to see yourself in a whole new light. Congratulations!

The catalyst for me to write this book has always been my belief in connection—connection to your animal and to yourself. We want and need connection yet we struggle to find it because our societal path has become so disorienting that we have taken ourselves off course. Connection in society is the compass that brings us back to clarity and balance, and promotes the even flow of universal energy. A collective harmony results that is in accord with our more tranquil minds and our clearer sense of direction. This harmony, of course, starts with you.

I hope this journey has brought you to the realization that it is okay to know and love who you are, to become more aware of how you feel, to form a friendship with your true self, and then, like Walt Whitman, to sing in full voice the Song of Yourself. Your internal harmony comes from the recognition and ownership of the mirror that reflects you in both your natural and unnatural light. The dissonance heard is when we make the conditioned choice to drape the mirror. This discordant act is what stops our life's progress. However, we know that we are ready to come out of hiding and do the hard work when we choose to rid ourselves of all our masks, cleanly connect with our genuine original self, and live our lives more freely and openly in both shadow and light. This freedom allows us to be more conscious of not only how we treat ourselves, but our treatment of others and our environment. Ultimately it dictates how, what, and to whom we give, and what we are destined to receive.

Energy works in quite an uncomplicated way. Once we connect to ourselves, we can then venture out and connect to another individual and then to another and another. This changes the vibrational energy and flow between each one of us and affects everyone with whom we come in contact. It actually switches all our energies.

I hope the Steps to Connect provided in Chapter Eleven will facilitate and encourage you to do energy work within yourself and with your dog. That energy, whether or not clear in the beginning, affects everyone we encounter. Period. It is a natural law—balanced, connected energy produces more of the same. Learning from animals how to live in the moment inspires contentment, and breeds a positive outlook that we all long to achieve. The practice of conscious awareness is a very powerful thing. It can improve your life and the lives of others.

When I considered how to wrap this up, I decided we could use a moment to take a breath and just be proud of the sheer beauty our dogs radiate. So, I thought it would be nice to share some of the wonderful things dogs encompass by giving you a few delightful traits of two more dogs I had the good fortune to meet while working with clients. As important as it is to make connections and do all the hard work, it is just as important for us to observe, celebrate and take pleasure in the shining light within which our dogs live.

Glory

When working with a little dog named Glory, the main theme for her and her human companion Jessica was balance. Both Glory and Jessica were searching for a more balanced life. Both enjoyed the “sweetness” of life yet felt some things were missing. As we worked to address the issues they shared, I came across a very interesting yet prudent trait that Glory possessed. It was a characteristic that probably traveled with her for lifetimes. And, Glory was terribly insistent to talk about it. It was her sheer love and need for candy!

Candy, in the form of just about every hard candy one could dream of. She loved it, craved it, and as a result her teeth weren't so great.

“If I could have candy with every meal—maybe a peppermint stick for breakfast, followed by a root beer barrel for a snack, and some cherry Life Savers for dinner—I would be perfectly content.”

I started to laugh when I got this and said to Jessica, “Boy, she really loves candy. She can't stress that enough!”

Jessica in turn broke into laughter and in full force said, “Yes, yes, yes! That is so true. She steals candy. She looks for candy and devours it when she gets hold of it. I don't know where that comes from.”

I then told Jessica that Glory also seemed to have quite an affinity for ice cream. “In fact, she could use a scoop as we speak.”

Jessica was beside herself giggling. I relished in watching how beautiful her enjoyment was. “Every time I walk Glory and we pass by this wonderful ice cream shop, she stops at their front door and will not budge! She stares inside in complete amazement like a child. Then I usually go on in, get a small scoop of vanilla, and we share it. She has this look of heaven on her face.”

As Jessica and I were talking, Glory lit up, indicating that this was definitely her element. Mind you, I am not suggesting that if your dog loves candy you should feed candy to them all day long! By all means, that is not what I am saying. It was just such an urgent and delightful topic for Glory to bring up. It was so childlike and clean. When Glory spoke of her love of candy, and then Jessica and I added so much energy and excitement of our own, it was as if Glory was floating on an energy stream of gum drops and lollipops. We took the ride with her. Through me, Glory could truly enjoy and play with her love of candy.

As the candy conversation continued, Glory ran around and looked at Jessica with a gleam in her eye. Then all of a sudden Glory sat right in front me and expressed a desire. So often dogs will focus on the serious, immediate, and necessary issues in the household, and then by energetically communicating to me, they make a point to let me know about something that is lighter or something that they love, miss, or want.

For instance, at the beginning of the session, almost all dogs immediately let me know about the serious concerns they have for their human companions, we do the work in session, and then the dog again energetically communicates to me they would like a special toy or some kind of treat for communicating their companions' needs. I also think it's so lovely and special when they do this because it's their way of giving themselves a reward for all their hard work. In Glory's case, she rewarded herself for being very present, in the moment, open to the connection to Jessica, and for working on all the serious things that needed to be addressed. In life, it is quite a beautiful and connected way to live, and essentially how we should all live! It promotes balance.

We needed to find a way Glory could balance her desire for all things sweet. She was willing to try but certainly did not want to give it up entirely. As Glory got very serious with me, she let me know that she really wanted a candy cane. Now, granted, it was around Christmas time. She was compelled to let me know she longed for a particular kind of candy cane; not a small one, but a regular full-sized candy cane! I giggled when I received that information, and asked Jessica, “Do you have candy canes in the house?” Jessica shook her head “no” and asked why.

“Well, Glory wants one and tends to like them this time of year. I am not saying to let her eat the whole candy cane, but the pure satisfaction of being handed one would be just glorious for her. That's what she wants.” Jessica laughed and we both found joy in such a very simple yet beautiful request.

Dogs have those wonderfully interesting little passions carried with them from their beginnings or sometimes picked up from their human companion. It was interesting that the real reason for Glory's presence in Jessica's life was to find balance, and as light and entertaining as the subject of candy was, clearly Glory's boundaries and balance with candy were almost nonexistent.

As much as I promote very clean eating for animals, I strongly felt a little candy in moderation was something Glory could have. It actually would go hand in hand with the serious work we did earlier in the session. Once we attain balance and then have our candy “fixes,” whatever innocent amusement we celebrate will be appreciated even more as it makes life's little rewards so much more enjoyable. I guess you could say balance leads to a sweeter life.

That was the beauty about Glory and Jessica. They were both so childlike and free. If they could both work together to find balance, then when those innocent moments occurred, it would be even sweeter for them. That is why, in this case, when Jessica said perhaps she should never give Glory anymore candy, I disagreed. Now I am sure I will get a lot of heat for this, but quite frankly I stand by my theory. I thought candy could remain in Glory's life because I was confident in knowing Jessica would be able to assist Glory with that balance and obviously not feed her candy all the time. Glory could have those loving moments as long as the candy treats were used sparingly.

Whenever I leave a new client, I always write an email summary with some points to remember from our visit so the work stays in focus and we all stay connected. I never leave a client without some follow up. I am an advocate for “connection.” Some of the work we do can be so intense that it is very important to make sure both the dogs and the human companions know they are truly special to me, and that I am aware and in their lives. This occurs as soon as I walk through the door. Support is so important and vital, and something I handle with care for every single session. After emailing Jessica, I received a lovely follow up from her thanking me for our time together, along with a little story. When reading it, I smiled because I could feel Jessica's energy as she relayed this story.

After I left on the night we all worked together, Jessica went out to dinner. When she got home, she remembered that she had a good-sized candy cane in a basket in the kitchen. She pulled it out, and Glory's eyes were full and bright. She stared at Jessica as if Jessica had just opened the door to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory! Jessica said Glory did a little dance she hadn't done before. When Glory took the candy cane in her mouth, Jessica felt a joyful wave of energy go through her that was so sweet. She was right in the moment with Glory. Jessica was so connected to Glory that she could actually feel every vibration of enthusiasm and sheer joy that Glory experienced. Although Jessica didn't have a candy cane of her own, the moment she shared with Glory was so exquisite to her that I knew the work we did together had been a success. Jessica felt Glory's moment as if it were her own. In turn, Jessica used the energy to fuel her own life. It was truly very sweet indeed.

Glory's story is illustrative of the fact that even when we focus on the lighter side of our connection to our animals, along with the charming traits our animals possess that are unique to them, it is important for us to remember that we can learn as much from these lighter moments as from the neuroses or psychological disturbances. If we work successfully on the connection between our dogs and ourselves, we can feel their joy as strongly as they do. Those moments can be so powerful and beautiful for us. This is because humans tend to lose the ability to have such poignant moments, even about the littlest things. Dogs have that ability. Their energy is alive, flourishing, and balanced. It's beautiful and quite divine.

Toby

In order to keep a clean flow of energy and to stay connected to yourself and your dog, it is so important to be kind to yourself! I will share my visit with Toby as a reminder of that. But first, let's look at what we humans do to ourselves.

We spend so much of our time beating ourselves up, thinking about what we should have done, and berating ourselves. We regress and anxiously focus on all the wrong things we've done in our lives—so much so that we lose perspective and our true light. Please take the time to be gentle with yourself, to be your own best friend, and to support who you are. Listening is an important key. Listen to yourself.

We are unfortunately our own worst enemy and sometimes we don't know how to stop generating the negativity created by our self-criticism. It inhibits all that we do. When we can get ourselves quiet enough to say, “I am hurting myself,” or “I am tired and need to have some quiet,” then we are connecting to ourselves. Try not to think what you should have done or how you are ill equipped to handle a situation. It throws you out of balance and stops your energy. It creates static energy that hovers, doesn't move, and won't let you move out of it. As your animal is its own energy source, so are you. Keep that in mind. If you degrade or destroy your source energy, then you can't move forward. That's why it's necessary to create moments of time to nurture and take care of that source. This will bring you a much clearer connection to yourself and to all things; a connection that vibrates out and gives you in return what is really necessary for your journey. Trust in knowing this. Your dog makes a point of this daily!

How often do you look down at your dog and see it just quietly cleaning its feet or chewing a bone in absolute joy, completely and utterly involved in its own quiet moment? So much so, that you make a point of it. Dogs take the time to be their own best friend. They enjoy and need it so that when a new moment comes, with an opportunity to take a walk, for example, they have nurtured their soul enough to eagerly move into the next moment. Even dogs that are in tight confined cages, whether in the pound or a rescue facility, take moments to nurture themselves. Although their destiny is not yet evident, they spend time to enjoy and take care of themselves in the process. Dogs don't dwell on or understand “future.” They don't worry about what will happen if something else comes up, will they get adopted, or is their food coming. None of that exists while they clean and nurture themselves.

We humans don't know how to do that. We have to book every minute of our time because if we don't, then, “What if? What if…” That's the signal that it's time to let go of control and become neutral. It is essential. We make self-defeating promises that we will take time for ourselves two months from now when we schedule a vacation because we convinced ourselves we can control everything until then. That's how we want it to work, but it doesn't work that way with connective energy. It just doesn't.

Time to nurture and be kind to yourself should not be “scheduled.” It is something that needs to be done daily, even in the smallest capacity. Being generally kind to yourself on a daily basis and listening internally means absolutely everything, and dictates what emanates from you. It lends color to the quality of the energy you send out. Again, you are the true source. If you dry up that source or kick it over and over, how do you expect to connect? It is when you find yourself in that moment that you look to and observe your dog. Look carefully as you will learn how to be kind to yourself and live in your truest light. Our friend Toby is the perfect teacher for this parable.

I came to Toby and her human companions Jane and Ronald to address some health issues not only with Toby but for her companions as well. The session was long and quite detailed. We visited the many possible roads that led Toby to Jane and Ronald, and along the way I discovered that Toby was a beautiful, quiet little dog who languished in quality time and sincere nurturing. I also learned that her special alone time that she so loved involved a little stuffed gorilla.

Toby let me know that she really loved a certain stuffed animal. When I relayed this to Jane and Ronald, they nodded “yes.” I said it was a stuffed animal that seemed to have arms and legs, and although she had many stuffed animals, she really loved this particular one. When you try to give her something else, she won't accept it. Jane said Toby really loved this little stuffed gorilla and that she had two of them. Whenever Toby was given any other stuffed animals, she would never take to them. All she ever wanted were these two gorillas. She played with them, and then after playing took them away somewhere so she could sit quietly and just stare at them. She put her paw over one, and snuggled with the other. She got lost for quite a long time in nurturing both the gorillas and herself.

I then turned back to Toby. She requested a whole “litter” of gorillas. She wanted six or eight of them. Not because she longed to truly be a mother, but because she had really connected to her own mother who radiated such calm when she nurtured her litter. She didn't feel a loss of her mother, rather, quite the opposite. It was the reliving of a nurturing moment and she felt reconnected. Toby needed and wanted that calm as it was where Toby felt at peace. However, she wouldn't find it with anything else other than those gorillas!

I watched her with the two gorillas. It was extraordinary how she found such a quiet comforting moment. There was no need to judge her choice, or why it worked that way. Toby simply received comfort and peace from the gorillas. As Jane, Ronald, and I looked at her in that moment, she returned the beautiful calming energy to each one of us.

Whatever your “gorilla” is, it is not for anyone (including you) to judge. Just get quiet and enjoy the moment, and that moment will bring many more wonderful moments. You will feel better than you ever imagined. Trust!

Poor Jane and Ronald, who were just so wonderful and open to the process, struggled with the uncertainty of whether they could find more of the exact same gorillas. Toby would not take any imposters. They found the gorilla online, but the last time they checked, there were none left. After our session I did a brief search online to help facilitate the purchase of six gorillas. Lo and behold, I felt I may have found it! I wrote a little email to Jane attaching the link to where I believed the gorilla was for sale. I waited for a response as to whether that was indeed the correct gorilla. Moments later, Jane confirmed I had found it. Jane was elated and such a wonderful participant in this process. She wanted to encourage a calm, emotional state for Toby and set out to purchase six gorillas. Toby now has the “litter” she wanted.

This event only furthered the connection between Jane, Ronald, and Toby. It supported Toby's need to nurture and feel nurtured whenever she had her own alone time, and was necessary for the many other connections that were made that day in our session. Toby was avidly working to produce harmony and good health in the household. She was greatly concerned for Jane and Ronald. She came to them for additional reasons, each of which required Toby to fulfill a job. She was destined to do so.

Jane and Ronald had become connected to Toby's energy, and Toby to theirs. Both Jane and Ronald had a soul retrieval, and identified with the one that occurred for Toby. They saw how crucial it was for Toby to value what is important to her, in both quiet and play time. They support what is important to Toby as Toby supports what is important to them. This keeps everyone clear and connected. The connection allows Toby to appreciate the quality of those moments in a new way so that when she steps out of the moment, she is ever present to continue the journey she is on with Jane and Ronald.

The art of connecting to your dog and then to yourself is a practice. Being aware is a practice. Changing the flow of energy is a practice. I emphasize this because we have all become so obsessed with instant gratification. We have lost sight of everything else. What is instant is a real connection to your animal, which opens up a connection to yourself. What is also instant is the energy you put toward your dog, the Universe, and yourself. You suddenly become aware. Being aware and connected changes everything for both you and your dog because your dog's energy has been identified and connected to you. Your dog is right there with you and it's a beautiful feeling for the two of you to know you are in this together.

The work one has to do to stay present and connected is not instant. Yet once we make the connection, our whole life is opened to new avenues we never expected. Taking ownership of various contradictions and inconsistencies within ourselves becomes easier, and we walk down a clearer path because of that awareness. Your energy gets stronger and radiates out to both your dog and to the world. It is clean, connected, and fruitful. When you hit a bump in the road, it is not as discouraging, and you are able to take the right steps to get reconnected. Every time this is done, we are more heightened, and that is what this process is all about. Inevitably this makes you more and more connected to who you really are, why you have chosen your dog, why your dog has chosen you, and what all this has to do with your life in the moment. It is up to you how you will utilize that connection and the energy it generates.

The tools provided here and the practices described to make use of those tools open up limitless possibilities. Your dog is one of the best possible guides you could have to help you navigate your journey of discovery and happiness. Although I am not physically working with you, you have the ability. You are fully equipped. So go ahead. You will be fine. You can do this. Now let's connect.