What Would Janet Do?
A couple of months ago I was in a meeting with colleagues. This wasn’t a planning, get it done kind of meeting, but a much welcomed (and needed) check in with each other — to see how we were doing, what we needed and how we could best support each other.
When it was my turn to speak, I was at a loss for what to say. Not because I didn’t have any needs or requests, but because they were so numerous I couldn’t prioritize a number one. I finally mumbled “Think of me when you’re engaging with animals”.
Fast forward to the recent past……
…..when I was chatting with one of my colleagues from the meeting. We were wrapping up our conversation when she mentioned the request I had made. She said she thought of it as “what would Janet do” and it had deeply resonated with her. It had almost immediately impacted her interactions with her animal family.
Surprised, I asked her what changes she had noticed. She thought for a moment and said “Instead of telling them what to do, I found myself asking them what they wanted, and what worked best for them. I can already see the positive difference it is making in our relationship!”
Action Steps
I’m going to ask the same thing of you: think of me when you’re engaging with animals. If it helps, ask yourself “what would Janet do?”. If you need a refresher on my views about true kinship with animals, check out my writings here on Medium, the blog, Instagram or sign up for the Deepen Intro email series. If you have specific questions, feel free to leave a comment.
Finally, if you care to share any differences you notice with yourself or the animals as you practice this, I’d love to hear about it!
Janet Roper is an animist, elder and communicator and for 20+ years has helped people restructure their relationship with animals. Two of her most popular resources are her monthly newsletter and her 5 email introductory series to her signature program Deepen
