It May Not Be You, Just The Format.
Q&As: the Good and the Not So Good
Some people love the convenience of having answers immediately available to see whether they got things right. This kind of structure also feels safer — like baby steps — and more controlled than having a freestyle conversation where "anything can happen" and you are leaving so much to your imagination.
On the other hand, using set Q&As is restrictive. This style doesn't leave room for error or differences in perception or interpretation. And it doesn't allow for a fuller picture. You either got it right or you got it wrong. And if it was wrong, it can be a confidence-buster that can make you feel like you failed, are just not good at this, and that maybe you should give up.
On the other hand, using set Q&As is restrictive. This style doesn't leave room for error or differences in perception or interpretation. And it doesn't allow for a fuller picture. You either got it right or you got it wrong. And if it was wrong, it can be a confidence-buster that can make you feel like you failed, are just not good at this, and that maybe you should give up.
The Truth About Q&As
The truth is, even experienced communicators — including professionals — can and do get Q&As wrong! This format tends to shift your focus from a heartfelt connection with the animal to a more clinical "answer the questionnaire" approach. It most certainly can be helpful and plenty of people report accuracy. But it may not be the best approach for some people, depending on how you learn or how far along you are in your animal communication training. Also keep in mind, that the answers given are from the animals' people, who may have a limited perspective or may not know the animals' deep down answers.
A Better Approach
A happy medium is to try the Q&As, but remember you are speaking to an animal, not a computer screen. Visualize the questions as you ask them. So if it's "What color is my bowl?" you could visualize the animal eating from the bowl — and then note what color that bowl is.
Try to ignore the feeling that these are like disassociated "test questions" and instead ask the animal directly. Be sure to record your answers. And also be open to other information you may receive from the animal. Then, no matter what your results — even if you found you got every one of them wrong — submit them, along with any other impressions, variations, or notes, to the animal's people.
Try to ignore the feeling that these are like disassociated "test questions" and instead ask the animal directly. Be sure to record your answers. And also be open to other information you may receive from the animal. Then, no matter what your results — even if you found you got every one of them wrong — submit them, along with any other impressions, variations, or notes, to the animal's people.
Why Submit Your Answers?
Learners have reported that even after absolute failure at answering the questions as listed, feedback from the animal's people reveals much better success! That's because not everything is so black and white. Often, you get visuals or answers or feelings that may not seem correct, but the animal's person might know exactly what it means. So if it was "What color is my bowl?" and you got the answer, "White" when the answer listed was blue, you would think you were wrong. After a check-in with the animal's people, you may discover that the animal does have a blue bowl, but he also gets to lick the person's white plate at the end of every meal. Turns out, you were right after all, but wouldn't have known it if you didn't get feedback.
It's also possible that, without feedback from the animal's people, you may be comparing your notes with outdated information. Though all Q&As are reviewed and updated every six months, Benny the dog may have gotten a new bowl last week, making your connection with him inconsistent with the provided answers.
So, send in your notes. And better yet, start having freestyle conversations with the animals — and send in those connections. You will begin seeing that you are not only more accurate than you thought, but your connections will feel better — because they are experiences only you and the animal have shared. And you can't get those wrong!
It's also possible that, without feedback from the animal's people, you may be comparing your notes with outdated information. Though all Q&As are reviewed and updated every six months, Benny the dog may have gotten a new bowl last week, making your connection with him inconsistent with the provided answers.
So, send in your notes. And better yet, start having freestyle conversations with the animals — and send in those connections. You will begin seeing that you are not only more accurate than you thought, but your connections will feel better — because they are experiences only you and the animal have shared. And you can't get those wrong!