The Month of Love Continues!!!
February is the month of love, and this newsletter continues to focus on that theme. What, might you ask, does this picture have to do with love? Especially love of horses, when clearly these are, well…dogs!
Stay with me here…Love has many looks, faces and characteristics.
If we stop to notice, look and observe, we just may find it all around us! Clearly, these two dogs love the bed. And each other. Doesn’t it just put a smile on your face!! That is Honey Bear on the left, she is my three-legged tripod pit. Tank is the rather large Rottweiler on the right. I just rescued Tank, we have had him for a month. As you can tell, they bonded to each other, as well as to the bed, rather quickly!
Our wonderful four-footed friends can teach us SO MUCH about love…Here are 5 things horses can teach us:
5 THINGS HORSES TEACH US ABOUT LOVE
1. In today’s volatile world as well as business environments, unmanaged stress can lead to depression and anxiety. Being in the presence of horses can alleviate that. Horses, unless provoked, live in a state of satiation. They are able to self-regulate themselves. When we are with them, we can also self-regulate, become more content, and allow for connection. Such connection can enlarge feelings of awe, gratitude and, yes, even love.
2. Horses allow us the space and freedom to focus on Emotional Intelligence skills- soft skills such as listening and noticing. Such self exploration often leads to a greater sense of freedom, openness and love.
3. Horses help us to not react, not get caught up in drama, and to be in the moment, present with our feelings. Unconditional positive regard for the horses, as well as for ourselves and those around us, can enlarge our sense of love. As we view these exquisite animals with kindness, our capacity for compassion deepens. We increase positive neural connections-resulting in deeper love.
4. Horses take time to play, rest, roll, run. Self care is paramount for us. Mother Teresa said to “Do small things with great love.” As we tend gently to our own self care, it is a powerfully loving act.
5. When horses are distracted, they focus on the momentary distraction, and then they return to grazing, to self regulating. We need to do “the next right thing” and then return to a state of openness,non-judgment, and curiosity. Loves thrives in such an environment. Finally, Horses woo us to linger, to slow down, to stop. They desire us to just be. Not do. Be.
With them. In love.
Till next time…