How Our Pets Inspire A Spiritual Journey

How Our Pets Inspire A Spiritual Journey

You know how much we love our pets! They comfort us when we are crying, help us exercise, teach us to keep our temper when they chew up your new shoes or spill the garbage. They are sometimes your best friend, bullshit meter and also a great caretaking responsibility.

You see the extremes of the pampered pet with a new outfit for everyday and their own stroller to the sad unwanted stray animal in the streets but they are here with us for a reason. They have a short life span in comparison to a human and so inevitably, we must grieve the loss of them.

But what is most important about the makeup of domesticated pets is they are here to touch our hearts and teach us how to be more human through their spiritual energies. Even when we see or experience the mistreatment of these amazing gifts, they still challenge us to open our hearts.

Here are some of the invaluable lessons our pets teach us while we search to find kindness and compassion for ourselves in a long and sometimes challenging life journey.

12 lessons we should learn from pets

1. They teach you to live in the moment. Mindfulness of the existence of now is not something they need to learn, they are in it with every breath. They don’t care if you are late or just gave them a bath, they just want to play or curl up with you.
2. They never question their self-worth. Never once have I seen a pet question whether they were more beautiful or smarter than the dog whose butt they were sniffing. They belong to you and that makes them gold!
3. Unconditional love. They forgive you everything and anything, regardless if you just smacked their bottom in anger, they will come to you with just a kind word and a treat and have the most amazing loss of memory. In fact, there is a certain region of their brain that allows them to recognize our emotions and facial expressions. This is what allows them to somewhat understand what we’re feeling.
4. They are the best role models. Love, mindfulness and simple joy are powerful antidotes to the world’s problems. If you’re having a difficult time connecting to your spiritual nature in any way, turn the spotlight to your favorite animals and you’ll gain tremendous insight.
5. Their instincts are infallible. If there is danger; they don’t go, they stop you from going or they will help the one that is in danger. Whereas a human will rationalize what our instincts tell us that this is not going to be a good thing and still do it.
6. They stay focused on what’s most important. On those days when it seems everything has gone wrong and we come home bummed and exhausted, our animal companions devotedly greet us with unfailing offers of love and affection. Giving love, compassion and kindness are always in abundance when we need it.
7. They don’t get bogged down what is being said but how it is being said. We often neglect to consider that the tone of our voice, our facial expressions, our posture and our movements communicate our thoughts, emotions, and intentions, often more reliably than the words we choose.
8. They take time to rest. Our pets always make certain they take time out of play or from their inquisitiveness to snooze and recharge.
9. They remember to play. In the midst of our day, when we feel the pressures from work or at home, a well-deserved break of something light and fun can help ease concerns.
10. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Ever look at the animal videos with the stupid expressions and things that pets do with their owner videoing them doing it. Doesn’t bother them one bit!
11. They have no attachment to being right or wrong. When we give in to our sense of pride and self-importance, we risk losing the outcomes and results we want most. Our pets don’t judge, they just want to feel happiness around them.
12. They forgive without conditions. Pets move forward letting past mistakes be in the past and stay focused on the next play time or good snuggle to come.

Susan Z

Susan Z Rich is an emotional addiction counselor, spiritual intuitive and holistic therapist. She counsels others to see life in a more positive way and teaches personal accountability for life choices. She is also the author of several children’s books and Soul Windows…Secrets From The Divine.