I’ve always believed that the Universe provides us signs; that is, if we’re willing to look for them. As I’ve continued on my growth journey these past years, I’ve become more attuned to the messages that are being directed to me. In more recent weeks, I’ve embarked on a self-help program (for lack of better terms) with a view of resetting myself. How fitting then that the program is called Reset?

As part of the program, I am meditating regularly, writing out gratitudes daily, looking for patterns in my behaviour and seeing if I’m activating and following my values. While I’ve always considered myself an observer, I’m being much more heedful of myself and my surroundings as I work through the process. As a result, I’ve started noticing more signs, messages and synchronicities presenting themselves.

One of the more prominent signs that I’ve come across in the past few weeks has had to do with dogs. Loose dogs, to be precise. The first instance that I can recall happened while my wife and I were out for a walk a few weeks ago. We randomly opted to take a different route through our neighbourhood and came across a friendly little guy who was just wandering the street by himself. We managed to eventually track down his home (at least, we think so…if not, the owners of the house had a surprise when they got home later that evening!).

Another random dog crossed my path a week or so ago. I was walking up the street, only a few minutes from my house when a dog came barrelling across the street towards me. I managed to get him to slow down and stop near me. A moment or so later, I saw a woman come around the corner of a nearby house, clearly looking for the dog. I yelled to her and she came over. He kept wandering up the street, but we both followed and she soon was able to grab him.

This past weekend, I was leaving the Starbucks near my house when I noticed a dog wandering freely across the street. He was wandering close to the main thoroughfare through town. I kept an eye on him as long as I could see him, but he wandered into some backyards and I didn’t see him again. After waiting for a few minutes, I headed up the street towards my house and, what should I see? You got it – another loose dog. This one was wandering through a yard without a leash. I then noticed a young girl (maybe 5 or 6 years old) walking around the side of the house towards the dog, tentatively. Worrying for her chasing after the dog should he bolt towards the road, I stopped and kept an eye on them. The dog would wander away from her, she’d slowly follow, and they continued this way for a few minutes, until they were around the other side of the house.

I still haven’t deciphered the message that I’m being given by these signs, but I firmly believe there is a message in there for me. Am I craving the freedom that these dogs have? Or am I scared by the freedom that I do possess? Or maybe it’s the Universe saying “get a dog!”

Regardless of what it all means, I’m grateful to be receiving these messages.

And what about you? Do you notice the signs and synchronicities that the Universe sends your way? What kind of messages are you receiving? What do you think my dog messages mean?