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In Service
"If you assume that there is no hope, you guarantee that there will be no hope. If you assume that there is an instinct for freedom, that there are opportunities to change things, there's a chance you may contribute to making a better world. That's your choice."
-Noam Chomsky
We can make the world better for each animal and each person that crosses our paths. To be in service means helping on many levels: physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. And every time we help someone, we lift ourselves up from despair and discouragement. Look for opportunities to walk dogs at a shelter, sing for those in a nursing home, feed a friend's horses when she is ill or sad, mow a neighbor's lawn or talk to an elderly relative. You don't have to be perfect, just be there for someone.
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Greetings!
Taking care of our animals and each other is more an honor than a duty. I had the opportunity recently to be "horseless" and now that I am responsible for 4 horses, 5 goats, 5 dogs and a cat, I feel valuable again. Not to mention a long list of humans that receive regular distance Reiki from me and more. Whether I had one horse or 30 (the most I have had at one time), I always knew that someone appreciated me!
You are valuable. You are appreciated. If one animal or one person depends on you for care and affection, your life is one of service.
"I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
I awoke and saw that life was service.
I acted and behold, service was joy."
-Rabindranath Tagore
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Responsibility
 Responsibility for an animal requires a selfless way of living your life, yet provides the most valuable gift of all - Love. So our days are enriched by contact with our pets and companions and all they require from us are the most basic elements of survival: food, water, shelter and compassion. With this responsibility comes the obvious need to care for yourself. If you are not strong and healthy, who will care for your animals? We believe that good health is the natural condition and that you nourish it with everything you do. You actually create your body from the foods that you eat (do you feed your animals better than you feed yourself?). We have created a Natural Nutrition Guide that presents a simple system of mindful eating for human beings - especially those with a lot of responsibilities. The system uses whole, nourishing foods, prepared easily and spread throughout the day instead of having 3 big meals. You will be able to balance your weight, energy, internal and external health with these guidelines. Go to www.naturalpaths.org to order this $5.95 manual and start healing.
Our healthy diet guide provides information for those who eat chicken or fish, but is a Vegetarian guide with Vegan examples. It really is a Nutrition Guide for Animal Lovers. Our pets and companions are a part of a bigger picture that includes all life on this planet.
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Companionship is necessary for good mental and emotional health for human, canine, equine, etc. The remarkable thing is how circular the energy is as one being connects with another, the benefits are mutual.
While there is "legal ownership" of an animal, they are never truly owned, but are shared with us by the Natural World that entrusts their wellbeing to the hands of humans. The more we understand this fact as a contract we enter into each time we bring an animal into our family, the more likely we are to view this animal as a true sovereign being deserving of the best we can offer.
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Compassion
 The Compassionate Heart sees dogs and horses and cats and llamas and pigs and cows and birds and lizards as brothers and sisters on this Earth with feelings and thoughts that are every bit as valid as are a human being's. They may be quite different; but are important.
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COMFORT
A friend told me about asking one of his friends if she "was happy?" - She told him that she was COMFORTABLE. He was saddened by that and I understood at the time. But now, comfort seems a lot more valuable because I think it is a prerequisite for happiness. Seeking joy from a state of chaos will be much more daunting than from a meditative state that provides that bit of comfort (if only temporary) needed for focus.
We all need quiet comfort. Humans, horses, dogs, cats - all of us have to relax to keep healthy emotional bodies working. Years ago I went to an "Angel Workshop" where a teacher worked with us discovering our connections to those other realms. It was fun. She was intuitive and introduced us to the energies of our personal guardians. Other people had sweet, light, comforting angels. When she came to me, she felt that I had a "warrior angel" (?), a very "Klingon" like being full of courage....I thought, "well I'm glad one of us is courageous!" At the time I wanted someone comforting and ready to soothe my spirit as my personal guardian.
Now, I realize that kindness and compassion ARE the marks of a true warrior. The courage that a "warrior" spirit exhibits actually comes from being totally comfortable. Relaxed, unhurried, uncomplicated - these states of being are needed before anyone can comfortably become happy.
And you are the source of your own happiness. Even if being around your animals, spouse, children makes you feel happy - you are still the source, they are not responsible for your feelings but are just partners in your dance.
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If you are looking for inspiration and information in articles written for animal lovers, go to the ARTICLES page at www.dharmahorse.com for free downloads.
Thank you for your time today.
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Sincerely,
Katharine Chrisley
Natural Paths
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