How Pets Teach Us About Ourselves And Life – From Anxiety To Boundaries – 4 Real Mini Stories
- Jul 8, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 10, 2023
Written by: Ilaria Storch, Senior Level Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Each pet teaches us something. We all know that, yet it´s good to remember it from time to time. When growing up we lived in a cozy house with a garden, and stray cats were always welcome, with a fresh bowl of milk. My parents were not much into having animals. They were busy working and tending to family life and were somewhat allergic to furs. So, we saw to that these cats were cuddled and free to come and go. Children love animals, and at one time we even carved out a pond for tiny fishes, isolating the ground with a plastic bag and stones. Kids. Obviously, the water slipped right back into the earth and the tiny fish had to go back into a cute fishbowl. Cats and fishes lived well and in harmony, each in their element.
For me, the experience of falling in love with dogs started with my daughter, even though before that I used to look lovingly at them, never imagining we would have many pets.
Fast-forward some years later, and now we have had many stories and pets. They came to help our kids deal with anxiety and to stay away from the starting internet and computers at home, which were in some cases addictive. And the truth is, to this day, they are constantly helping me and the whole family to connect deeper and differently. I am so grateful for these loving furry beings.
Make yourself be heard!
Our first Yorkie, a male, named: Yoyo
Our first dog – a small Yorkie, with the face of a cute chihuahua, was a blessing that came for my then-teenage daughter, he was a bit aloof and just wanted to run around the house, eat, be cuddled, and play with his little elephant toy – he was the first step for her to connect again to having responsibilities, finding joy amidst the challenges of teenage years. He stayed with us for seventeen years and a half and taught us that whatever happens around you, stick to your plans and daily routines. And make yourself be heard by barking, oops, I mean, by talking to people around you.
Love goes a long way
Then came Polly, yorkie, female
When Yoyo was six years old, a female Yorkie came along, pretty, chubby, bossy, adorable. Little did we know that she had many health issues – like knees and breathing strains. She bonded with me and I with her. We took the town together by storm, and after every vet she went, (she had two knee surgeries), when she was well, I would take for a stroll and a car ride, and we would sit and have a cappuccino, or green juice me, and a puppy snack her. She taught us resilience and smiling, no matter what, and infinite love. Plus, she was very proud of herself and walked around like the queen she was, head up high, wagging tail and all.
Leadership and Boundaries
Yoda the Dobermann
Welcoming a Dobie at home is a whole new level of interaction and leadership. While even small dogs need training, an alpha male Doberman demands focus, clear commands, a lot of exercise, specific coaching and cuddling only when the time is right. Yoda came to teach us balance and boundaries – feelings and interactions among the family need to be addressed and solved, for he is very smart and senses when things are a bit off. Alignment in the family and with the other pets must be a daily routine, emotions must be in check and fearlessness and love in the right doses – all the time. Talk about life coaching. He also gifts us with many goofy moments, so adorable. Yoda is the whole package.
Visit the crowd at: Instagram: yoda_the_doberman
Joy and healthy play
The Biewer Sisters
These two cuties, Weeny and Teeny, are sisters and have amazing energy, and playfulness, and they wake up each day full of disposition to embrace the day, it can be sunny or rainy, warm, or cold. One is a size bigger and a princess, she always greets us with warm eyes, rolls up her tummy, and is ready to play, the smaller one is a little adventurer, and each day she discovers a new place at home to smell, paw and maybe turn a few dishes and bags on the floor. As puppies, they compete for toys and bark a lot when one wants to call the other to play. This shows the importance of playfulness, in sharing fun moments together.
For sure, I can say that our pets come into our lives to add love, joy, and chores yes, it´s part of taking care of another living being, and there is so much exchange!
One must remember this kindness, patience, and interaction with other humans too – one does not substitute the other, they all add up in this huge world. As a coach, I have helped women change jobs and countries, and millennials find help and retrieve their youthfulness with more purpose, and wherever you are, feeling at home is a matter of opening to what challenges you face and finding a deeper sense of connection to yourself while the answers find you. Never giving up and wagging tails, like our pets.
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This article and stories are to inspire and motivate, if you suffer from any medical or psychological condition, please seek medical professional help. And always seek a professional dog trainer to learn how to handle big and small dogs.
Ilaria Storch, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Ilaria Storch, a Life Coach Nomad, is the creator of Life Coach Nomads, where she shares her passion for travel and for inspiring people everywhere to access their true center and find more connection and energy on the way to more joy, fun, and fulfillment. She practices that following your emotions, wrapped up in a personal structure that can connect your goals, desires, and love, is the path to all real and true growth. Wherever you are, change is nomadic by essence, and it takes time, support and starts inside you when you absolutely desire to develop yourself and move on. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Advertising, speaks many languages, won a Fashion Illustration Award during College, and loves coaching her clients towards their expressive life journey.
