People come to me to heal hurt hearts from family dynamics (both human and animal).
Heart-openings begin with tenderness toward what one finds in his/her own self!
Occasionally, someone assumes I will “fix” their animal or spouse! Somebody expects to drop off the human or animal family member for repair like a car! (If only s/he does what I will, all will be happy for me!)
Life has a sense of humor about this method which will never work. When someone is doing something we don’t like, there is an opportunity for us to make a change. This is not to say abuse should ever be tolerated. I am speaking about non-abusive but non-preferred behaviors. And of course, a two-way problem requires work on both sides. I am all for that.
I remember Dr. Bell who came in with his beloved friend Tori, the dog. Dr. Bell was bold enough to listen to Tori’s wishes. He learned that Tori was running away because Dr. Bell was fleeing from his own broken-heart. Dr. Bell chose to heal his own heart. Tori’s behavior shifted. (You can watch this on YouTube here.
Gratitude and self-introspection creates spaciousness inside.
This erases hurt! While we are tempted to eliminate our scars by changing others, it rarely works! Others change of their own will in their own time. When we look into what another’s behavior points to in ourselves, we have opportunity to find peace. When we find peace, those around us often change or back away.
I am amazed by the mysterious unwinding process involved in healing. One woman came to me because her husband was frustrated with career circumstances. She had a chronic sore throat. As she came to understand her husband needed patience to learn his life-lessons, her throat cleared. That shift happened in thirty minutes, surprising me. When we listen to another rather than impose our opinions, the unexpected can occur.
A man came in because his aunt interfered with his study process. She would not leave him alone when he studied for school. When we looked more carefully into the matter, it turned out that he had a lifelong pattern of feeling unsupported. By adjusting what was inside his own heart and mind, he felt supported. His aunt stopped bothering him. He found peace.
When we listen to animals and people with gratitude, they may start to find their way to healing. This heals us.
The animals are great teachers on how to open our hearts to one another. They teach us to listen in gratitude with no expectations, just openness.
Thank you to the animals for teaching us to listen with love and gratitude.
May we apply this to one another so as to prosper in happiness.
Laurie Moore
Read more posts by Laurie Moore here. Laurie blogs for JenningsWire.
