In Memoriam: Salka
I am deeply grieved to report that we no longer have our Director of Marketing…
For the first time in 42 years I come home to a house empty of dogs. I guess you can safely say dogs have been an integral part of my life. They have been my companions and teachers and fellow beings for a long time.
I just lost my final companion Salka, an exuberant, passionate Alaskan Malamute. Those of you who have followed me and have been reading my newsletter or have trained with me are familiar with Salka.
He was the last of our pack of three. His pack mates, Waiki and Munai, were all named in Quechua words that have deep emotional meaning for Beth and I. Salka means wild energy—the wild energy of the Eagle as opposed to the domesticated energy of the chicken. In Andean cosmology “salka” energy is the wild energy of creativity and passion.
My big boy could not have been better named. He was my traveling companion, breakfast companion and my biggest cheerleader, sitting excitedly on the sidelines watching me play soccer. We once did a road trip through Northern California, hiking near Lake Tahoe and exploring the small mining towns of the foothills.
He had an amazing facility to connect with people. An animal communicator told us that what Salka enjoyed most was making deep eye contact with people—the kind of soul gazing that creates meaningful connection with all kinds, especially children and the vulnerable.
Because of the way he connected with people, I began speaking about him in my newsletter and created a special section—Salka’s Notes—as a way to impart messages from the perspective of a wise being. When I would travel and meet people at different conferences, we often talked about the use of newsletters to communicate our message. Almost everyone commented on how they enjoyed Salka’s Notes. As you can see from the photos, he illustrates the importance of living fully.
As I write this, I acknowledge the tears, the deep breathing and the sense of loss. His loss has made me miss his pack mates even more. Every time I lost one of my companions, I wrote about the lessons that they had taught me. I think one of the roles of dogs in our lives is to be teachers. I can’t tell you how often I would tell stories about my dogs that really imparted meaningful, heartfelt lessons.
Salka’s ultimate lesson for me was to learn to love myself as much as he loved me and to always be willing to connect fully and completely with people I meet. Those of you who know of his loss have reached out to me because you know the depth of my connection with him, especially those of you who have had a Salka in your life.
So this is as much a eulogy as it is a recommendation that you live the Salka life. Feel the creative passion, the heartfelt connections and always be ready to take a walk and enjoy nature.
Salka, I miss you.
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About Terry:
Terry Hickey, M.S., is a Certified NLP Professional Coach, Business Trainer and Consultant, a Certified Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and the co-owner of NLP Advantage Group. Originator of the Belief Breakthrough Method™, Terry specializes in teaching coaches and entrepreneurs how to rapidly resolve limiting beliefs about wealth and success. His tips and strategies can help you launch yourself into the future you want… NOW. http://terryhickey.com/
