How to … move doggies from Jamaica to Canada with ease, grace and joy

Betty, Cloud and Itsy out for a walk in Toronto

One of my daily affirmations over the past 6 or so months has been: “The dogs move safely and happily to Canada with ease, grace and joy”.  Each morning I have repeated this affirmation, sometimes adding a visualisation of their journey and life here, sometimes a prayer of gratitude, sometimes a quiet meditation.

My words have come to pass.  The dogs arrived in Canada safely and happily on Friday night.  And they have settled in with ease, grace and joy, already adjusting to their routine of daily walks, squirrel watching, snoozing on the sofa or in the kitchen and curling up at night to sleep in their kennel.

Everything unfolded in the most beautiful and perfect way.  The children and I moved in August.  I decided that the dogs would come up in early October.  Would you believe that shortly after I moved to Canada a client in Jamaica asked me to do a workshop in Jamaica at the end of September?  And so my word of “I am bringing up the dogs in early October” came to pass – we all flew up on October 2.  The perfect boarding facility emerged – it was so perfect that my sister christened it the “Happy Dog Motel” when she first visited the doggies there.  I was clear to the kennel owner that the doggies had to learn to walk on leash and sleep in a kennel, something they had never had to do in the spaciousness and freedom of our previous home.   So their 5 weeks in the kennel was a time of adjustment and transition.  The doggies required Health and Export Certificates.  Despite a few hiccups, that too happened with ease and grace – or perhaps, I just decided to accept whatever happened with ease and grace.  Anyway, they got the certificates.  The folks at Air Canada were just wonderful – I was assured on the ground and in the air that my doggies were safe and sound.  There was a wonderful porter on duty at Pearson who calmly and happily loaded my 2 suitcases and 2 kennels and ushered me through Canadian Customs.  Within 1 hour of landing we were in a taxi on our way home.

How did this experience enfold and manifest so perfectly?  How do I make this happen in all areas of my life?  Here’s my 7-step process:

1. Be clear on what you want.  Visualise the process and the outcome, in particular the emotions surrounding the outcome.  I would often visualise the joyous reunion of the doggies and my children, seeing the happiness on their faces and feeling the joy of the moment.  I visualised verbally, silently and in my journal
2. Have a short, easily memorised affirmation to repeat throughout the day.  Whenever any niggling thoughts or concerns surfaced, I would go back to the mantra and repeat it over and over until I could feel in my body that my faith was renewed.
3. Take action – make plans and start moving
4. Be flexible – view any seeming setback as a message that there is a better way
5. Do not listen to naysayers!  There will be lots of people who are happy to relate horror stories – don’t listen to them.  When they are talking, repeat your affirmation
6. TRUST the process.  TRUST the outcome.
7. Be grateful  – express gratitude for the manifestation in advance.  That way you are demonstrating your belief and conviction that your desire is already a reality

This whole experience is a reminder of the power of my word when backed with faith and trust.   The 7-step process above is one that we can all use in all areas of our lives to create the experiences that bring us joy!   When we follow this process, it will seem magical – it isn’t – it’s just the way things work when we speak and word and believe.