The Cup is Already Broken

Shift to a higher awareness: The cup isn't half full, or half empty, it's already broken!

Instead of focusing on either side of the duality of life, become aware of the impermanence of life. All things, people, and relationships have a temporary and limited existence. Knowing this, embrace every moment of a relationship as sacred, and have appreciation for the string of ordinary moments that make up your life.

It is through appreciation and gratitude that life becomes a journey of joy! ♥

Be Happy, my Friends-
Laura barrette Shannon

"Where did you put my _____?!!

(image from sillyandseriousgirltalk.blogspot.com)

"WHERE DID YOU PUT MY ____!?" Does this sound familiar? One person gets frustrated because they can't find something, then starts yelling at another to release the anger by blaming them. The important thing is to bring awareness into the situation. If you are the one who is frustrated, as soon as you are aware of your irritation, take a few deep breaths, and then nicely ask for help finding y...our item. If you are the one being yelled at, take a deep breath, and remind yourself that it isn't personal, and offer to help without arguing back. It is challenging on both ends, because it is most likely a repetitive behavior on both parts. Either way, it is a wonderful opportunity to practice self control and awareness. Which ever part you play, do not let it spiral into an argument. This may seem trivial, but I assure you that it is in conquering the small challenges in life you will gain the most personal power and happiness.
Be Happy, my Friends-
Laura Barrette Shannon

1 Minute Story: Dream Your Destiny

A young girl asks, "Grandmother, I'm scared. How am I going to know how to to be an adult? How will I become wise like you, to teach my children and grandchildren. I'm afraid I'll never be able to learn everything I need to know, there is so much I don't understand."

Grandmother took her little hand in hers and led her to a small sapling apple tree, no taller than she. "Look at this tiny tree. Right now it is young, it doesn't provide much shade, and it's too young to produce fruit. What do you think will happen to the tree over the next twenty years?" The child replied, "It will grow into a big tree with lots of fruit." "Ah, my child, you are already gaining wisdom. You can see that its destiny is to grow into a mature tree. So it is the same for you. Your destiny is to gradually grow into the wise wonderful woman that you desire to be."

And so it is the same for our dreams. Never think that a dream is too big or too difficult to accomplish. Once you set your heart's desire and intend to follow a dream, you have set your destiny upon the path of fruition. Most dreams are accomplished gradually, one step at a time. The only fear you should have is giving up your dreams.
Dream big! Your dreams will guide your actions of today, and forge your destiny of tomorrow!

Be Happy, my Friends-

Laura Barrette Shannon

Tell Me about Yourself

WHO would you be without your story? When you define yourself by your life story you are limiting yourself. You are more than your past, no matter how delightful, painful, exciting, or dramatic it has been, you are just a character in the story, not the story itself. It can be tempting, when people ask who you are, to start telling your life story. The next time someone asks you to share about yourself, tell them your dreams, your values, what sparks your passion. It's not who you were yesterday that matters, it's who you choose to be now and tomorrow.

Be Happy My Friends-
Laura Barrette Shannon

 

Learn the ABC's

ABC's of responding to life:  
A- AWARENESS.  When you become aware of a negative emotion you have gained the personal power to respond instead of react.
B- BREATHE.  Take a few slow deep breaths.  FEEL the air move in and out of your body.  Feel your muscles.  Relax. This switches your awareness away from the charged emotion into your body and the the present moment.
C- CHOOSE.  Now that you have taken a moment to calm the emotion, you have the ability to choose an appropriate response.


Use the ABC's of responding to life, and you will feel less stressed and be in control of how you act and speak.  
Be Happy Now, My Friends-
Laura Barrette Shannon

Can You Feel It?

CAN YOU FEEL IT?  The voice of intuition is that feeling you get out of nowhere, the urge to go do something out of the ordinary, and the inner guidance that helps us when we need it.  The voice speaks through the body- you will FEEL it. To understand its message, you must clear your mind and listen.  By listening to the still small voice of spirit, you'll be amazed at how life is enriched. You could probably be happy without connecting with spirit, but why would you want to miss out on experiencing the mysteries and wonder of life, and the inner compass to truly find direction to a life of purpose?  The next time you feel spirit calling, stop what you are doing, take a few deep breaths, and answer the call.
Be Happy Now, my Friends-
Laura Barrette Shannon

Fearless Friday Challenge

FEARLESS FRIDAY- Today's challenge is to do something outside of your comfort zone. It can be as small as trying a new food (yes, sushi is good!), wearing something very different from your normal style (unusual hats are fun!), or more challenging like doing something that makes you feel very uncomfortable (perhaps singing karaoke?). You get the idea. You choose the challenge, jump out of your box, and conquer your fear. 

 When we fight our fears we are fighting our ego.  Ego has a set of rules that it likes to follow, making sure that it remains in power.  It convinces you that change is bad, makes you think about what other people think of you, and generally needs to keep you living in fear to maintain control.  Ego will argue for your limitations to keep your self worth down.  Successful completion of this challenge will earn you more personal power and a bit of excitement too! Have fun and please share your experiences.
Be happy, my Friends-
Laura Barrette Shannon

Self Love Is Not Selfish!

SELF LOVE is not selfish- When you embrace all that you are, loving yourself with all of your heart, it is an act of personal healing and a step toward feeling whole. This is not an act of selfishness, for selfishness is an act of holding onto that which you fear to lose, or acting without regard for other people. True self love is recognizing your self worth, and when you feel your own self wor...th, you will naturally see the worth in others. How you feel about yourself is mirrored onto others. Having self love allows you to forgive not only your own mistakes, but everyone else's too. Love yourself first, then you will have a healthy and whole heart ready to love the world!
Believe that you are perfect just as you are today, even if you decide on a new definition of perfection tomorrow.
Be Happy, my Friends-
Laura barrette Shannon

(photo from holisticyogini.com)

Beware of Picking up Poison Bags!

If someone threw a bag of poison at you, would you pick it up, carry it around, and look in the bag once in a while, making yourself sick? When someone insults you, puts you down, or ridicules you, it is like a toxic bag of poison. If you walk away with those toxic thoughts in your head, they will poison your peace of mind and self worth.  Every time you think about it, it's like opening the bag and making yourself sick.  Do NOT take possession of it by paying attention to it.  Ignore the statement, because any defense just gives it more attention and power over you.  What you do not acknowledge as an attack, you need not defend. Walk away from it and think of it no more. The toxic bag isn't yours unless you claim it as such.   No one has the power to hurt us with their words, unless we give them the power by believing them.
Be Happy, my Friends-
Laura

Facebook Awareness

What you post affects the world.

For those of you who use Facebook,  what you share on your page is spread to all of your friend's news feeds.  I'm sure that most of you realize this.  But are you aware of the impact of what you post for those who read it?  Before you decide to share something with the world, ask yourself a few questions:
Is it positive?  Will this post plant seeds of happiness or seeds of drama and stress?  Will this post possibly be upsetting to some people?  Is this the affect I want to be in the world?  How does this post make others see me? What you put out on the internet is amplified much more than just telling one person.  Would you feel comfortable saying the same thing in a mass e-mail to your friends? Would you put it on a sign in front of your house?  Why or why not?  The affect is the same- mass amplification of your message.
Some of the negative posts I've seen on my own news feed were basically rants of people who are upset at the moment and post about it. This type of activity only increases the drama of the situation by pulling so many more people into it.  
If we only knew the dramatic impact we have on all the people who read our posts, would we be more cautious about spreading drama and negativity?  Raise your awareness, and be the change you want to see in the world.
Be happy, my Friends-
Laura

Two Men Go to the Park...

TWO MEN GO TO THE PARK: Mr. Happy notices the beautiful flowers, listens to the birds chirping, and enjoys feeling the sun on his face and the wind in his hair. Mr. Unhappy notices a few cigarette butts near a bench and starts complaining about how people are so inconsiderate. Then he starts complaining that the sun causes cancer, and the wind is messing up his hair.
They both were in the same place at the same time, but had two very different experiences. Happiness isn't caused by your external environment. It is the way you process the environment. You can either focus your attention on all the beauty, and what is pleasant, or you can focus your attention on everything that seems to be wrong with the world. The world is the same, it's the way you look at it that will make life either happy or miserable for yourself.
See Happiness, and Be happy, my Friends-
Laura Barrette Shannon

Remember to Relax

In honor of Labor Day let us be reminded of the importance of balancing work and relaxation. Many households need two incomes or multiple jobs to make ends meet. This can create stress and feelings of being over worked. Learn to incorporate mini relaxation breaks throughout the day to de-stress and relax. Here are some 5 minute break ideas:
* Get up and walk, going outside if possible. Even a... brief 5 minute walk will stretch your legs and boost your energy.
* Go outside and sit in the sunlight for a few minutes. Think of nothing but what you see, hear, smell, and feel. Relax.
* Rainy? Take a mini visual vacation: Sit somewhere with light, imagine yourself somewhere sunny, really FEEL the sunshine on your face, breathe deeply, energize, enjoy!
* If your job lacks socialization, take a few minutes to call someone to stay socialized. If your job involves an abundance of communication, take a few minutes to just be alone and breath deeply.
Happy Labor Day!

Laura Barrette Shannon

Eat Happy!

(photo from img.letmeget.net)

EAT HAPPY- When we make healthy food choices we not only promote a healthy body, we give our bodies what they need for a healthy mind. Foods that aid mood regulation are high in Omega-3 fatty acids (such as avocado, coconut, soy, flax seed, and fish), and high in nutrition (fresh fruits and vegetables). Foods that can work against you are high in sugar, high fructose corn syrup, most junk food, and fast foods. These tend to fluctuate the blood sugar levels to extremes which creates irritability and fatigue. 

 Learn to eat happy, and be happy, my Friends,

  Laura Barrette Shannon

Ego Awareness

EGO AWARENESS- The next time someone shares an opinion or suggests an idea that is different from your own, see if you can resist the urge to share your point of view or push your own agenda. This exercise can be as simple as not being a back seat driver when someone else is driving, or as challenging as listening to someone with a completely different political viewpoint.

 Be aware of how it feels to rein in your ego. The uneasiness you feel is your ego fighting for control. As you practice ego awareness it will become easier to recognize the ego's controlling manipulations and easier to ignore it. When we can come to a point of humility, not always having to prove our opinions, allowing others to have alternate views, it brings more peace to relationships and to our own mind.
Be Aware, and Be Happy, my Friends-
Laura barrette Shannon