Zen Chick

Zen Chick

Slow down. Simplify. Love your life.

"There is more to life than increasing its speed. Slow down, breathe and enjoy. "

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Massage Therapy and More!
  • Archives
  • Contact

Archives for February 2014

Life Lessons From A Little Donkey Name Willow

By Gay Barefield Leave a Comment Feb 22

“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude,

then animals are better off than a lot of humans“~ James Herriot

The trailer pulled out to the barn and the precious cargo was unloaded, a 7 month old donkey that I had named Willow. When I had put the word out to my friend Jane that I wanted a donkey, it became her mission to make it happen. I’m also lucky enough have another friend, Lois, who has the ability to make horses appear on my farm like magic 🙂

Willow is the first donkey I have ever owned so I set out to read everything I could to make sure that she and I started out on the right foot/hoof. Little did I know that Willow would soon become the teacher and I the student as she settled in on our farm.

Willow’s first introduction was to Henry, our dog, to make sure she understood that he was a part of our family. One of the reasons of owning  a donkey is to keep away coyotes so donkeys dislike dogs that are not part of their family. Little did I know that this first encounter would begin Henry’s love affair with Willow.

I had no idea that Henry would display such love and affection to Willow by licking her on the nose and laying on his back in front of her to show his submissiveness. Then it was play time, Henry started running around Willow and she joined in the play chase. Every day since their first meeting, Henry goes out into the pasture to greet Willow and have playtime with his new friend.

Life Lesson #1: You never know who could end up being an important person in your life so keep an open mind. 

When you are adding a new member to any herd/pack/flock, there are always lots of adjustments until everyone decides who fits where and who will teach the newcomer the rules. My two horses, Gabby and Joleen, would become Willow’s new herd mates so the introductions started slowly, first over the fence so everyone could touch noses and smell each other. After a day of that it was time to put the “herd” together and this is when Willow really became the teacher, reminding me of some very important things that are easily overlooked in our lives.

Gabby, the leader of the group was the hardest nut to crack but Joleen’s mothering instincts had kicked in so she was much more receptive and tolerant of Willow. Willow knew that time was on her side where Gabby was concerned so she was never pushy and gave Gabby his space.

Life Lesson #2: Patience really is a virtue.

Every time Gabby would pin his ears and try to keep Willow away from food or water, Willow would wait and slowly move in as Gabby was leaving or sneak around to the other side.

Life Lesson #3: Sometimes you have to find other ways to get to your goal so don’t give up.

Click to Tweet!

Despite the ups and downs of settling in, Willow is always happy to see me at the gate, wants to be close to me and the other horses (and of course Henry), runs, plays and doesn’t worry about laying down around Gabby and Joleen. She takes everything in stride.

Life Lesson #4: Sometimes you just have to trust that everything is going to be okay.

Click to Tweet!

Donkeys have a reputation of being stubborn and sometimes they really do earn it. But most of the time when they appear to be unwilling to do something they are simply analyzing the situation deciding if it is in their best interest.

Life Lesson #5: When you feel passionate about something in your life dig in your heels and stay strong. 

Click to Tweet!

Willow in her short time with us on Big Sky Farm has been an inspiration and wise teacher at her young age. Her patience and go with the flow attitude helps me remember what is truly important in my day to day life.

We all need that little reminder to awaken the inner wisdom we all possess and we never know who will spark that awakening. For me, Willow has been my spark and I know that she will continue to remind me of the important lessons in my life.

Look around you and see who may be teaching you some life lessons today. I would love to hear about any animal teachers in your life and what you have learned from them. Share your stories in the comment section below.

Share the love of this post with someone in your life who might need their inner wisdom awakened and let a little donkey name Willow ignite that spark for them.

 

 

“The Joy In Your Heart Will Set You Free.”

By Gay Barefield Leave a Comment Feb 8

“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.”
~Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon

“The joy in your heart will set you free,” is what was whispered into my ear on my morning walk the other day.

The word free is one of my core desire feelings for 2014 so I’ve been thinking a lot about how to achieve it in my daily life. One of the things I have really been working on is not holding onto conflicts with other people. You know the type of things that are resolved but you keep going over the details in your head to the point of insanity!

So when that little whisper of a mantra dropped into my head, it clicked….the aha moment! I was on the right track of letting go and clearing out some useless clutter in my head so the joy in my heart was the key. Easy enough I thought but little did I know that this was just the beginning.

Here’s what started happening after my aha moment. During those morning walks I was now faced with a continuous stream of negative conversations. Conversations with the people that I felt I had unfinished business with, allowing me to say what I felt needed to be said.

Puzzling, right?

Trust me I was completely baffled because if joy was to live in my heart so I could feel that wonderful freedom then why was I having all of this negativity in my head now?

Just as before, my wise guardian spirit whispered in my ear and gifted me with this gem; for me to make room in my heart for joy I had to move out the negativity. So these conversations were my heart’s way of clearing space, telling me to say what I felt needed to be said so it could then fill that space with joy.

“Joy blooms where minds and hearts are open.”
~Jonathan Lockwood Huie

The side benefit to all of this was the more conversations I had the freer I felt too. So I stopped beating myself up for what I thought was bad and accepted it as a very good thing.

When you stop and think about it, how many things like this do we squash or deny because it seems illogical or bad karma? Sometimes you just have to open your heart and listen closely letting it tell you what it wants and needs.

I know that most of us have conversations in our heads about different things but did you ever stop and think that the reason behind it was to free up some space in your heart and soul for good stuff? Personally I had never allowed myself that thought or possibility until it was delivered to me by divine guidance.

Then I decided to take things one step further, wondering about the rants of my inner critic, if these too could be space clearing events? So I’m taking this on as an experiment, seeing if letting these rants flow without the accompanying guilt will also lead to an opening up of more space for joy.

Who knew that negativity could lead to the path of joy and freedom? This was truly an eye opener for me.

We are all experiments in this journey we call living and I hope that you too can take away something from one of my gems and try it out in your life.

I love your insights so I hope you will share them in the comment section below. Share this post with someone you know who might be looking for a little more joy in their life!

 

photo credit: Tim Shields BC via photopin cc

Zen Chick Tribe

Join our Zen Chick tribe and start simplifying, slowing down and enjoying the life you are living right now!
No spam here, just lots of good stuff!

Welcome to Zen Chick!

This is a place where we learn to slow down, enjoy our lives as they are right now, and simplify through reconnecting with nature and the moon. Learn more on the About Me page.

Charities

These are charities that I believe are making a difference in our world. I welcome you to check them out and please donate if one speaks to you.

World Central KitchenWorld Central KitchenI believe that food, shelter and water are basic rights for every human on this planet. Jose’ Andres’ and his WCK group step in to provide beautiful, nutritious food during disasters, the pandemic, and any other opportunity where people need to be fed.Learn More Foothills Humane SocietyFoothills Humane SocietyThis is my local shelter, in Columbus, NC, doing a wonderful job at remaining as close to 100% no kill as possible. Animals make us more human and I believe in adopting not shopping for pets, saving a life with a new beginning.Learn More Trees, Water & People Trees, Water & People Caring for Mother Earth by planting trees, helping people live sustainably and decreasing our carbon footprint are things that I see as very important for the next seven generations.Learn More Lakota Law ProjectLakota Law ProjectI have a strong kinship to Native people and this group works to change many of the injustices done to the first people that still go on today, such as the right to vote.Learn More

Popular Posts

Life Lessons From A Little Donkey Name Willow

Be a Rule Breaker and See This Year Differently.

Stop Running Toward Your Life and Start Living It.

Emotions. Don’t Judge, Just Flow.

“Don’t Fence Me In” – The Truth Of Why You NEED Boundaries In Your Life

The Invisible Force That Can Stop You From Getting What You Want.

Simple Isn’t Always Easy

The Art of “Not” Mothering

Zen Chick
Follow on
Twitter
Connect on
Facebook
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Massage Therapy and More!
  • Archives
  • Contact
Copyright © 2023 Zen Chick · (in)SPYR Theme by Genesis Developer: SPYR Media