Relationship is everything.
Relationships (of all types) are some of life's most beautiful teachers. Within the container of relationship lies the opportunity for immense growth, healing, and connection.
Through the power of relationship, unresolved life patterns and core wounds reveal themselves through attachment styles, "triggers", and also what plays out subconsciously (what's "comfortable" and "familiar"- because it's "known", will usually play out in life naturally... even when it's not good for us). These things continue to surface in various ways until we take heed instead of denying, avoiding, suppressing, and resisting.
Rumi said, "The wound is the place where the light enters in."
Our wounds don't need to be closed off, stuffed down, or doused with more judgment and shame, they need to been seen and recognized. To have a voice. To be embraced. To feel accepted and understood. And to have the permission to show us what they need us to know so we can move forward with more grace, peace, and love. Move forward with more strength and resilience. Move forward in our power and in the truth of who we are, and not the lie we were led to believe. We become lighter in step, and more courageous in action. As Robert Frost once said, "The only way out is through."
When awareness is developed, the lesson is embraced and actively being worked through, this - eventually- gives way to healing. The open sore becomes a scar~ a loving reminder of the courage we had to give it what it needed so it could heal and change form.
These lessons are no different when it comes to the relationships we develop with our dogs. Relationship is everything, and is the determining factor of how effective or impactful any training program will be. If we don't have sound relationship with our dogs, any training program will have its limitations and caps. We simply can't build a strong house on a shaky foundation.
Dogs are always offering the most honest, authentic feedback. Through our connection with them, we receive information on our attachment styles, how proactive or reactive we are, how we perceive challenges and how we handle them, and level of patience. We're also getting information on the type of relationship we have with ourselves, how we feel in our own skin and what we're bringing to the table, the type of energy we're bringing into each space and if we may be having an "off" day, how safe and comfortable they feel looking to us and following our lead..... how they perceive us. We're always in conversation with them (and they with us), especially and even though we're not speaking at all.
Part of "life" is simply allowing. Not judging, labeling, or controlling. Learning how to get comfortable with the uncomfortable (there's something about "emotions" and "feelings" that make many feel very, very uncomfortable. My question is why? It's information). Getting curious and attempting to find the lesson. Changing the inner dialogue from "why is this happening to me?" to "what can I learn from this?" and "what is this trying to reveal to me?"
Relationships bring all of this to the surface in order to get our attention and crack us open, so we can walk forward in our truth and authenticity.
