I have a pretty awesome connection to my Soul. I seek guidance from that aspect of myself that has all wisdom, knowledge and understanding – what I call my “Higher Self”.
During a healing session with my hypnotherapist about 18 months ago, I was told very clearly by my guides to “get a dog”. My very strong and immediate reaction was “hell no!”.
I conveniently forgot about it until late last year when I began having trouble connecting with my heart. This was very disconcerting to me as it’s the place I live from, so I reached out to my hypnotherapist for help in figuring out why.
As she ‘counted me down’ and I dropped into my heart she asked “what do you want Helen to know?”.
I heard: “Follow the first instructions you were given”.
I suddenly remembered being told to get a dog… and the huge resistance that came with it.
So we spent that session uncovering what was creating the resistance (fear).
It turned out to be 2 things: 1) Heartbreak and guilt about our beautiful Golden Retriever (Bailey) who I had given up for adoption when we moved from Florida to Maryland 10 yrs ago, and
2) A long forgotten incident with a pet rabbit who had been killed by our dogs when I was about 10 years old. I had not closed the door to her cage properly after feeding her and the dogs had gotten in and killed her. My Mother had blamed me and chastised me for not taking better care of this “poor, defenseless creature” who was my responsibility. As the long repressed memory came up, so did the feelings of shame, loss and devastation. I had not realized the traumatic impact this experience had on my young self.
I also realized I had never allowed myself to have another pet again. Bailey was my sons dog (even though I ended up taking care of her after the novelty wore off).
It was a powerful and deeply healing session. As I cried and released the long held emotions, I was told that the dog I was to get had to be a rescue and that we would help to heal each others hearts.
The next day I shared the story while chatting with my best friend. We had moved on to another subject when I heard her exclaim “She’s cute!”. She had gone online and found an animal adoption center near my home – appropriately named “Small Miracles Animal Adoption Center”.
She texted me a picture of Sadie. I took one look at her and said “Awww she needs love”.
“They close at 4:00 pm” she said, “You have time to go get her now.” We both felt it was important that I go right away.
I arrived at Small Miracles about an hour later and the place was swarming with people! I later learned that they get animals in batches from kill shelters in other states and they had just gotten a batch of digs in the night before.
As I walked through the door, I saw a lady who worked there and informed her: “I have come for Sadie”. It turns out she had just walked her, so she took me back and placed her in my lap where she sat calmly like she belonged there.No squirming, no heart racing. SHe was home.
She was an older dog – which was good. I didn’t want a puppy that would chew up everything. I didn’t want a “yapper” who would bark all the time.
It took me all of 2 minutes to confirm what I had felt when I saw her picture online. This was my dog. I asked for the adoption paperwork.
“Are you sure you don’t want to walk her first?”
“I don’t care if she can walk or not lady”, I replied matter-of-factly, then proceeded to share with her the story of how I came to be there. “It’s a match made in heaven!” she exclaimed and we both started to cry.
My angel at Small Miracles Adoption Center did a few things that day that ensured that Sadie became mine:
- She placed a “I’ve found my forever home” sign on the cage before I was approved when 3 other people wanted her. (If I had not acted on the sense of urgency my best friend and I felt about me getting off the phone and going right away, she would not have been mine).
- She had me leave out the information about giving up our previous dog Bailey for adoption as this would have automatically caused my application to be declined (even though we had gone through the vet and found her a good home).
- She wrote something on my application that caused the owner of small miracles to approve my application without the customary telephone interview. I simply got a text message on Monday morning to inform me that my application had been approved!
When Sadie first came home with us she did not bark or make a sound for 2 weeks. We thought she had been de-vocalized until one day she ran to the window when a stranger was walking by and I heard a single strong bark. I was actually on skype with a client at the time who also heard it. As I expressed my delight that she had a voice, my client said “Of course Helen! That’s what you do after all – help women find their voice!” Lol!
We have watched Sadie blossom and become younger and more energetic each day. I delight in walking behind her and watching her bounce along, stopping to sniff and smell often, as the schnauzer in her is built to do.
We often wonder who would have given up this sweet dog. She is so well trained and obedient. She is calm and loving. We will never know. I am deeply grateful fro the healing that allowed me to open my heart to her and receive all she has brought to me and our whole family!
I share this story to demonstrate how the inner healing that we do opens us up to more – opportunities, love, connections, clients, money, peace, health, trust, etc. – in ways that are often surprising.
So I invite you to contemplate: Where might you be resisting acting on your own intuitive hunches or divine instructions? Where might unresolved negative experiences from the past be blocking you from receiving more – love, joy, money, success? How can you let go and trust more?
I’d love to hear. Leave your comments below!