All my life I have loved animals, and I was able to understand and speak to them from a young age.
At 15 years old, I had my horse at a backyard barn. There was another man there who had a beautiful mare, that he beat regularly. One cold, wet and rainy night, he did what he usually did – brought her in, took off her tack and went home. He left her cold, wet and bleeding in her stall. I was the only person there when I heard a voice say “Help me. Please help me”. I turned around and looked at the mare who was in her stall, afraid and bleeding as he had taken her though barb wire fencing and left her to fend for herself.
Of course, I got her help, not really realizing that this was the first time I actually heard words in my head that came from an animal. This was my introduction into the world of animals and horses – and I now understood they could speak, they had voices & most importantly - they had an individual soul. What this also taught me, was that how they operate has the capacity to offer us guidance on where we can grow.
Flashback to 3 years ago at my previous barn where there was a woman who continually beat her horses. One night both of her horses asked me to tell her to “Please stop - I cannot jump any more, I am too old and my feet hurt”. The difficulty was, that I had not been asked by her for help – even though she clearly needed it. However, I knew that I could not ignore their important plea.
When I did tell her, she laughed – flatly ignoring her horse’s comments. It taught me 3 things that day:
I learned that I am the bridge from animals to humans and information flows through me for a reason. That information and reason, is up to you to decide what to make of it and how to interpret it in your life.
No matter what anyone thinks about you, you must find your strength and STAND IN YOUR OWN POWER - even if others don’t understand what you are doing. You may have a very different business than what others have, which could result in some way, shape or form of you not being accepted. Each of us are individuals and it’s ok if your closest family members don’t “get” you. However, you must stay true to you.
WE ARE ONE - Animals are on Earth to support humans and our growth. Many of them have no reason to ever trust or help us – yet they do. Do not underestimate the power of their support, as it is an integral part of our soul’s path to walk together with them, not separately.
YOUR TOTEM SPIRIT ANIMAL
Do you have a totem animal spirit you identify with?
The definition of a totem animal is “different power animals also called spirit guides, come in and out of our lives depending on the direction that we are headed and the tasks that need to be completed along our journey.”
Some Native American tribe’s tradition, provides that each person is connected with NINE DIFFERENT ANIMALS that will accompany him or her through life, acting as guides.
Many of you have been born with these guides and are familiar with them. For instance, mine is a Hawk or any bird of prey. When I see a Hawk or Hawk Feather, I know I am on the right track. I equate seeing them as a sign to me that all is well, despite the chaos or lack of success I may be experiencing.
If you are unfamiliar with your totem spirit animal, I would like to ask you to think about which animal you are drawn too. Many times, the attributes of this animal are there to support you on your journey through life. However, there is usually one spirit animal that is with you through life.
This animal guide offers power and wisdom to the individual when they “communicate” conveying their respect and trust. This means that you are open to learning their lessons.
SOME POTENTIAL QUESTIONS YOU COULD ASK TO FIND YOUR TOTEM SPIRIT ANIMAL
--> Have you ever felt drawn to one animal without being able to explain why?
--> Does a certain kind of animal consistently appear in your life? This doesn’t necessarily have to be a physical appearance, it could be represented in other ways such as receiving a card or letter with the same animal pictured over and over, or unexplainable dreams of a particular animal?
--> Are there any animals that you find to be extremely intriguing?
--> Is there a particular animal that you see frequently when you’re out in nature?
--> Have you ever had a recurring dream about a certain animal or a dream from childhood that you have never been able to forget?
In Native American Mythology, The Wolf conveys strength and courage. A symbol of freedom and wisdom, the Wolf often appears to guide your self-discovery.
One of my gifts, is being able to call in whatever animal attributes you need right now to help bring you confidence, change the game and up level your life.
For instance: If you feel alone on your journey, I would call in the Wolf who has an elaborate family unit with lots of support from the pack. They also hunt together and rely on each other for physical and emotional support.
If you feel stuck in your business, personal relationships or you long for something different - the Wolf offers the spirit of Freedom and a wildness you may connect with. If you feel alone, the Wolf supports you with the pack mentality and that you are part of a greater wholeness. We are one!
What I’d like you to remember is that you have help from the animal kingdom, both domestic and wild
and that we are all connected.
HOW CAN ANIMALS HELP YOU BE MORE SUCCESSFUL?
As you may know, each animal - be it a dog, cat, horse or other animal - has its own unique way of speaking, tone of talking and soul. In essence, they are all individuals and different, just as humans are.
Animals support us by offering messages of love and positive energy with their bodies when we need help.
For instance:
1. Have you ever felt sick and your dog came and laid with you on the bed?
2. Have you ever come home from the hospital and your cat sits right next to you, offering energetic support and love?
Animals are loved because they offer humans emotional support and unconditional love that many times, we do not extend to others, or even ourselves.
Animals offer us:
1. UNCONDITIONAL LOVE & ACCEPTANCE
2. FORGIVENESS OF SELF AND OTHERS
3. ANIMAL’S LIVE IN THE MOMENT AND DON’T CARRY YESTERDAY’S ISSUES INTO TODAY!
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE & ACCEPTANCE :
No matter what you look like (if you are thin or have gained a few pounds), no matter how you are feeling (sick or well), animals love us JUST THE WAY WE ARE.
Where in your business could you offer unconditional acceptance? Maybe you have an employee who is trying really hard to get all her work done, yet she is often short of meeting her work goals? Instead of berating her, there is an opportunity to extend your hand and sympathize with where she is – letting her know that she is on the right track and things will get better.
Or maybe you have been trying to get your new business off the ground and the normal “tried and true” methods of advertising and social media aren’t working. You’ve been taking it personally and beating yourself up with thoughts of “I am not enough”.
THIS IS A PERFECT PLACE TO OFFER YOURSELF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE
FORGIVENESS OF SELF & OTHERS:
Animals always forgive quickly and horse’s especially, don’t bring in yesterday’s issues into today’s space.
WHAT WE CAN LEARN, IS THAT ANIMALS ARE ALWAYS PRESENT. BY BEING PRESENT, THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN YESTERDAYS WOE’S.
Right now, this is an amazing opportunity for you to forgive those who may have wronged you.
As an example: Last year I was ready to bring my business to a new level with a new marketing company that made big promises. They took my money and didn’t follow through on their promise.
It was a total fiasco – financially and emotionally and I was upset about it at the time. I was angry and wanted to lash out. It was an important lesson for me to do more research about where I put my money and research the folks I am working with.
The bottom line is… we must learn to forgive others who have wronged us. It does you no good to harbor animosity towards anyone else. Forgive and forget as much as you can. Most importantly, FORGIVE YOURSELF FOR ANY BAD DECISIONS YOU HAVE MADE. You did the best you could with the information you had at the time.
The saying goes that we all make mistakes. I have changed that saying to: THERE ARE NO MISTAKES, ONLY LESSONS.
ANIMALS LIVE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT!
Are you one of those people who goes to work with negative thoughts because you are still dwelling on yesterday’s negativity? Do you start the day comparing yourself to others who are more successful than you are, causing you to feel bad about your accomplishments?
Imagine starting the day with a CLEAN SLATE EVERY DAY… FOREVER!!! You would be in an emotionally mindset and ready to vibe with your clients like never before. Think about what it would look like to start your day happy, excited and with a clear plan of what you and your prospective clients want to experience?
It’s all possible because the animals experience it every day. This is a state you can achieve, if you come to the table with zero negative thoughts from yesterday and an open, receptive mood that will allow you to work with others, no matter how different or difficult they may be.
When we apply animal attributes to our lives, both personally and professionally – everything changes to a positive state that encourages you to experience Joy, Love and Acceptance more frequently, instead just once in a while.
Julie