Puppy Chronicles

Today I finally had a dog trainer come for some obedience training. My little pupil, Tetley, did so very well today. Dave (the trainer) helped me to enjoy my dog more. We had so much fun today, guiding her and playing with her. I felt none of the frustration that I had been feeling in the past week or so. I have heard that you don't get the dog you want, you get the dog you need. This is true in my case, I have to say.

When I was a kid, we got a puppy who we named Lady. Lady was a Blue Heeler ... if you know about dogs, you know Blue Heelers have a crazy amount of energy, and they are also a herding dog. Lady intimidated me because she was always nipping at my feet, pushing into me to get me to move, and basically treating me like a sheep. My daughter is with Tetley the same way I was with Lady. Every time the dog comes near her, she yells for me, turns away, then runs away. I am trying to explain that we mustn't allow Tetley to push us around, that we need to shuffle through her, etc. It's not helping, because my daughter's natural instinct is to be herded ~ it's just that it's usually me herding her! I see so much of myself in her :o)

One day, Lady got away from my sister and I, while we were playing in the front yard. When we caught up to her, she was biting a man on his leg. Needless to say, Lady was gone from us after that. This morning, during meditation, I was trying to focus on why Tetley gets me feeling so angry sometimes ... I was directed to thoughts of that childhood memory of Lady getting away, and I realized that I felt truly angry about what Lady did. I forgave her this morning ... for just being a puppy, for not knowing any better, for not listening to me. And I allowed myself to let go of Lady. It is amazing what we hang onto throughout our lives. I always expected to feel guilty about Lady ... but it was anger I was feeling, and now it's gone.

I am so excited when I interact with Tetley now, because I can see the dog she is going to become. She is a sweet, loving, loveable, obedient canine! And she is the dog I need.

Come From a Place of Love

Dealing with a new puppy, on top of my usual routines and responsibilities, has been .... busy. I had a few tough days where everybody in my life seemed to be challenging me. It is possible that was just my perception, but seriously, it seemed like even the dog was talking back! I have wanted a dog for a very long time, and I found I was getting frustrated by her behaviour at times, and questioning whether or not I had made a mistake. What a horrible thought. In the first day that we got Tetley, she has brought me so much joy. We are into our second week now, and I can't imagine life without her, let alone my childrens' lives without a dog.

During my meditations, once I get into that quiet and open space, I sometimes ask for a message ~ "Is there anything I need to know right now?" What I got the other day was "Come from a place of love". This message seems so simple, but it absolutely makes sense to me. If we could all come from a place of love in everything that we do, not only would we each feel great, but so would every person we came in contact with. In spreading the love you feel around you, you are making an investment into that person, place or thing. An investment that will inevitably pay you back one hundred times. As for Tetley the dog, I think she notices when I am doing things out of love for her. She does seem to respond much more positively when I discipline her out of love, or ask her to wait for her food, or to genuinely tell her "Good girl! What a smart puppy!"

So I am starting anew today, coming from a place of love, and enjoying each moment with my children, the puppy, my husband ... well, you get the picture. Enjoy your day ~ With Love, Nicole

Infusing Positivity

If you can live your life, every day, with a spirit of openness the universe will respond to you in ways you never dreamed. Is there a secret to attaining openness? Absolutely ~ Remain Positive~ Do things that make you feel great!

Positivity is something that you can infuse into every minute detail of your day. Pay attention to your thoughts, and you may be surprised at how much negativity you are focusing on. It all adds up!

~ being impatient while waiting in a line, when you could practice truly living in the moment. ~

~Trying to get around small children walking slowly, when you could watch how they move, what they notice, what they're talking about ~

~You feel offended and upset that someone was rude to you, when you could say to yourself "That's their stuff, not mine"~

Like a duck in the water, allow negativity to slide off your back like drops of water, and you will begin to enjoy each and every moment of your day. And most importantly, remember that you are in charge of how you feel. No one else can control your emotions but you.

At the end of the day, when you look back at what happened, you'll be so proud of yourself for how you handled your life.

Puppy!

For years, I have wanted a dog. For some reason, it was never the right time, but I think puppies are like babies ~ there is never going to be a "perfect" time to have either come into your life! Our new addition arrived on Saturday, her name is Tetley and she is eight weeks old. She is adjusting to our home pretty quickly, and is figuring out the routine already.

Our cat is less than impressed. In fact, I think she is quite shaken, but perhaps there is a lesson in this for her. Perhaps she will learn how to deal with dogs she doesn't know once she learns to deal with Tetley. I suppose we all have our chosen paths. I am trying to be compassionate toward her, but it is hard when she is scratching at my bedroom door all hours of the night. She'll soon figure out that Tetley is confined to the crate at night, and poses no threat, aside from the sound of her occasional howling.

The kids love her most when she is calm, and often go and talk to her when she's sleeping. She can be a bit rough with the kids, but she'll learn. I am constantly telling her what her boundaries are, and I think she'll start getting it over the next few months. Having babies has taught me that a month is a tiny droplet into the huge pond of my life.

Getting Tetley at this time may not have been the most well laid plan, but the rewards are greatly outweighing any downside. When I see her running around with the kids, laughing and playing, I feel so much joy. I am so excited for the possibilities that exist with having a dog, because dogs know how to have a good time! I am really looking forward to taking her trail running in the Spring ~ she will love it and so will I!

Sure, I have to wake up a few times in the night to let her have a pee. And sometimes she howls and cries when she's lonely, bored or frustrated. But Tetley is helping me to live for the moment, and I am a better human for that.

The Reflective Power of Autumn

I find myself in a space of contemplation today. Perhaps it is the beautiful fall weather ~ crisp, cold and reflective.

As I get older, I find myself going with the flow of my life, rather than struggling to attain that which I do not have. On another day, a year or so ago, I wouldn't have felt comfortable with the silence of the afternoon. Today, I feel so comfortable and so at peace with who I am; with who I have become in the past year.

In writing this blog, I always try to be as honest with myself and you, the reader, as I possibly can. I am a spiritual being having a human experience. For me, it is so important to remember this truth. We are here to experience every single aspect of being human ~ the innocence, the naivety, the failures and the successes.

My oldest child will be four years old this month, and I find myself amazed that so much time has gone by. I am so grateful that I have stayed home with my children because I am having the time of my life. My children bring me so much joy everyday. I am so lucky. Soon I will be coming into a time when I will have to begin letting go of them. Thankfully that day is not today.

Enjoy your Fall.

Subtlety

I have been meditating for the past three weeks, and patiently waiting for some results to show. I'm not sure what I expected, but I realized this morning that the changes have been taking place, however subtle. During my waking hours, I feel much more present to the moment, and I am wholly enjoying the experience of being in that space. I have started to notice more details in the faces of my children, and I feel as though I am in tandem with their joyful natures.

For me, meditation is beginning to feel like I am "plugging in" to our vast Universe. Although I haven't had any brilliant insights, or spontaneous healing moments, I can still feel my soul stepping in tune to the Universe. It is a slow, subtle process that involves much patience, but it is absolutely worth my time.

My husband bought me a great book for my birthday titled "The Meditation Bible". The first meditation noted in this book is titled "Watching Your Breath". Apparently it is the first meditation taught to Buddhists.

Get comfortable. Sit cross legged if you can, or sit in a chair with your back straight. Place the tip of your index finger on the tip of your thumb, forming an O. Relax your mind. Bring awareness to your breath, and when you're ready, begin counting your out breath from 1 - 10. Then start again at one. If thoughts begin to surface, send them off as clouds or as helium balloons.

Try meditating for 10 minutes a day, or as long as you can handle it. Come back to me in a few weeks, and tell me how it's going!