Trust Your Instincts
“There is a voice that doesn’t use words. Listen.” ~ Rumi
Dogs are good at following our hunches. We agree with the Joyce brothers that your hunches are “usually based on facts filed away just below the conscious level.” People tend to get too caught up in their thoughts, and don’t listen to their hearts. They forget that the truth lies in what they feel in their gut. We all have inner wisdom, and already know the right answer. Humans spend too much time doubting their intuition.
Ella
I knew to approach with caution if a dog or person didn't seem friendly. I was good at reading others. If I got a bad vibe, I steered clear, or gave a warning bark to keep them away from me. I especially did this when I was walking with mom, because it was my job to protect her. She told me that I didn’t need to worry, that she could take care of herself, but I wasn’t so sure. I felt compelled to scare away anyone who seemed like a threat.
I talked about my survival skills already. If I heard a storm rolling in, I would seek shelter. The bathtub was a great place to hang out during a thunderstorm. You never know what can happen, so it’s best to be safe. I knew that nothing could get me if I was in the bathtub or underneath the bed – including whatever was going to follow that terrible beeping sound that the smoke detectors made sometimes.
In our house in Broomfield, there was one smoke detector located on the vaulted ceiling above the stairs, which was really hard to reach. Mom owned a fancy ladder that you could set up in multiple ways, including on the stairs. However, she did not like ladders and wouldn’t stand on the highest rung ever for fear of falling, which was smart. One night the battery was low in that hard to reach smoke detector. It was driving me crazy, and mom knew that neither of us would sleep that night if she couldn’t get it to stop beeping. She couldn’t reach it on her own, even with the ladder. Mom grabbed the broom and smacked that smoke detector until she got it to turn enough to release and fall down. That took care of that. I appreciated that she didn’t want me to suffer all night with that annoying beeping sound. But, I digress, let’s get back to instincts.
Mom liked having me around, especially when we lived alone. I made her feel more secure. I told you that we hiked a lot, and mom felt safer being out there in the woods with me by her side. I could keep my eyes and ears open for any potential threats. A dog can alert you to anything that’s coming, because we can already sense or hear it before it’s audible to you. Colorado does have bears and mountain lions. We did see bears while out on the trails, but never a mountain lion. I suppose that doesn’t mean that they weren’t there, but if they were, they kept their distance.
I suppose dogs have more finely tuned instincts, or we just don’t get as distracted by outside factors as people do. Having a dog around can help you get back in touch with your connection to the natural world, and to your own instincts. Mom used to question her intuition a lot. She got caught up in thinking about everything a bit too much. She spent so much time in logic, that she lost touch with what her heart was trying to tell her. It’s no surprise that it was her heart that finally got her attention.
After mom survived a heart attack when she was 31 years old, she started meditating so she could slow down her thoughts, and reconnect to her gut instincts, and what her heart needed to stay healthy. Even though it wasn’t the most logical decision (in society’s view), mom eventually left her corporate job to follow her heart. She started her own business to help others on their paths to happier, healthier lives. Mom now leads yoga retreats all over the world, teaches wellness workshops, and coaches people to build healthy habits. I’m proud that she stopped getting so caught up in her mind and finally followed her heart. You can find out more about her business on her website, Firefly Community.