The Little Fears Will Destroy You

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." ~Master Yoda~

Be aware of your fears, face them with courage, for it is not that which you are afraid of that will destroy you, it is the fear itself that has that power. It isn't always the big fears that destroy our peace of mind, it is usually the little fears, called "worries" that bring us suffering.

What are you worried about? Being in the mindset of "what could go wrong" can work to your advantage if you allow it to push you to be prepared with a plan "B", or to take proactive steps to insure undesired outcomes are averted. In contrast, excessive worrying about things you have no control over will disturb your peace of mind.

Learn to distinguish between the two types of worries If you can take action to prevent an undesirable outcome, then be proactive or plan as you deem necessary. Then let the thoughts go, by reminding yourself that you have done what you can do and are prepared for whatever the future unfolds. If you have no control over what you may imagine happening, then there is no need to waste your mental energy upsetting yourself. Use whatever methods you find work for you to jump off of the worry train of thought. Being aware when you are caught up in worrying is one step closer to stopping it.

Lesson:

Worrying is a waste of mental energy and destroys peace of mind.

Exercise:

Begin to be aware of when your mind wanders onto worries. When you are worrying take appropriate action if possible to aleviate the worry. If the situation you are worried about is out of your control then jump off the worry train of thought. Take a slow deep breath and refocus your mind on being present or more uplifting trains of thought. The more you practice not worrying the less apt you will be to focus on things out of your control. All thoughts feed on attention. Don't feed worries and they go away.

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

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

The Worried Woman

(photo from mrhpngo.com

There once was a woman who had two sons. The first son was a farmer and the second was a brick maker. During the rainy season, she lamented and cried because the brick maker couldn't make his bricks. During the dry season, she complained and worried that her son's crops would dry up and burn. Everyday she would be worried about one of her sons. One day a wise old monk came to town. The worried woman asked the wise monk how she can find peace and happiness when each day she is worried about one son or the other. The wise monk said, "On the days of rain, rejoice for your son's crops as his fields are being blessed with water to yield a plentiful harvest! On the days of sun, rejoice in the heat of the sun baking down on your son's bricks, allowing him to be more productive in his brick making business." From that day forward, the woman was happy everyday. (based on an old Buddhist tale)

What you focus on affects your level of happiness or misery. 

Choose Happiness my Friends-

Laura Barrette Shannon

Are You Limiting Yourself?

 Our limitations all begin with what we believe. Believe you can't do something and you are never wrong. Question yourself when you find you have a limiting belief. Last night I realized I've been telling myself for years that I am a morning person, and as the day goes on I'm less mentally creative and therefore I never write at night. This belief limits my abilities, so I'm changing it. I now believe that I can get myself into a creative state of mind anytime of day. I'll begin practicing tonight and after a while it will be my new truth. All change starts with belief.
 Are you aware of any limiting beliefs that are holding you back from your full potential?
As you become aware of your various beliefs, ask yourself if they serve you or work against you.  Some beliefs work well for a time and then lose their usefulness, but because we never question them, we just keep acting on them.  For example, I used to believe that I couldn't sing well at all and that I couldn't ever learn to carry a tune.  So I never sang.  Then one day I decided to challenge the belief, to practice singing at home and then to sing karaoke to a crowd of people.  I did it.  I'm not afraid to sing in public now.  The old belief was limiting my self expression and served no purpose other than to back up my fear of singing in public.  
Take a careful look at why you avoid certain activities and you may discover that it is an old limiting belief that has been holding you back.  
Be Happy, my Friends-
Laura Barrette Shannon

The Wild Boar

Two men from different villages were out hunting for food. They both had hungry families at home waiting for some small bit of meat to cook into a stew. They didn't see each other in the dense forest, so when they both aimed and shot at a wild boar each man thought it was he who had hit it. As they approached the wounded boar, who was just lying there, they began to argue about who shot it and who had the right to bring it home. As they argued, they didn't even notice that the boar wasn't dead and had run away.

Don't be so caught up in arguing your point of view and trying to be right that you miss the big picture. When we come from a place of selfishness and lack, we are operating out of fear. The fear in these two men blinded them to the fact that there was enough to feed both families. Be aware of the benefits of working together toward a common goal.  When you are too attached to your view point it will hinder seeing other view points, which might prohibit you from seeing win/win resolutions to problems. Otherwise, everybody loses. 


Many Blessings-
Laura Barrette Shannon

What Would You Do if the World Ended Tomorrow?

You may have heard that there is a group of people who believe that the world will end tomorrow, May 21, 2011. There has been a man with a sign like this on a street corner warning people in my area for years about this coming judgment day. My thoughts about this are: Who knows if it's true, I tend to think not, but if it were true how would that knowledge affect your life today? Would you pay attention to the little things more, the birds chirping, the sun setting, your children vying for attention, the taste and texture of your food? Would you offer forgiveness of those who you hold grudges and resentment? Would you express your love more freely to those around you? Would you take time to pray, even though you may not ever pray? If so, why wait for your last day on Earth to do these things? You may have one day left, or 10,000. Either way, don't wait till the last minute to live in awareness, joy, and love.


Whether the world ends tomorrow, next year (Dec 21, 2012), or just ends for me when I die, I will not live any different than I do today.  I am not afraid to die.  I'm more afraid of not living while I'm alive.
Many Blessings-
Laura Barrette Shannon

Who Do You Choose to Be?

Take charge of life by accepting that who and what you are today is a direct result of all of the thoughts and actions that you have made in the past, not because of someone else, or something outside of yourself. Everyone has the power to choose to be any way they wish to be. Once one accepts responsibility for their own life, true change occurs.  

"Choose to Be"

I am now whom I choose to be,
Consciously guiding my destiny.
I once blamed fate for losing my way,
But, actions past formed me today.
I was asleep- slumbering life;
Dreaming daily; Seeding strife.
Now, I pick, plan persist,
Intending to be whom I insist.
Dueling demons; Fighting fear,
Actions my weapons; Thoughts my seer.
I will endure until the end,
Minding each moment that I spend,
Knowing that I'm forever free,
Being now whom I choose to be.
(from Awakening Perception, by Laura Barrette Shannon)


When I realized that I alone was responsible for my interactions with other people and responses to situations in my life, it gave me the power to make different choices.  I was no longer a victim of life.  I began to choose to look at myself and how I interacted in the world.  I discovered my habits based in fear were not working to create the life I desired.  I learned to face my fears and to focus on love, joy, and life's beauty.  In doing so, I chose to be a happy free spirit.  Who do you choose to be?


Namaste-
Laura Barrette Shannon

What Are You Worried About?

Master Yoda

"FEAR is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." ~Master Yoda~

Be aware of your fears, face them with courage, for it is not that which you are afraid of that will destroy you, it is the fear itself that has that power. It isn't always the big fears that destroy our peace of mind, it is usually the little fears, called "worries" that bring us suffering.


When a worry comes into your mind, recognize it for what it is- fear.  Do not allow fear to rule you. There is never a need to worry, because worrying does not change the outcome of an event.  It is wasted mental energy which will cause suffering.  Worry will destroy peace of mind and happiness.


Take a look at this chart:

Anytime that we allow ourselves to indulge in worrying, we have given into fear. Bobby McFerrin had it right,  "Don't worry- Be happy!"


Namaste-


Laura Barrette Shannon

Break Out of Your Box!

(photo from ambassadorscare.com)

BREAK OUT OF YOUR BOX- Conquer fear, do something new, something that pushes you outside of your comfort zone. When you break out of your box you push beyond self limitations, regaining personal power and freeing yourself in the process. 


When we avoid doing things that are new and different we remain inside our comfort zone.  This may feel safe, but it limits our experiences.  When you push yourself into doing something you normally would never do it is called a "Not Doing".  It doesn't have to be a big change to reap a big reward.  Even the smallest Not Doing will effectively decrease your self limitations and increase your personal freedom.


 The biggest Not Doing for me was overcoming my fear of the ocean.  I used to be afraid of sharks, so I would never go past my knees in the Gulf of Mexico near my home.  I had convinced myself that since there were indeed sharks in this area that it wasn't safe to swim over my head.  (Very rarely is anyone attacked here.) I decided to conquer this fear by swimming out to a buoy that was 30 yards out from shore.  I stood at the water's edge for a few minutes, pondering my fear, and my chances of swimming there and back without getting attacked.  Finally, I started walking into the water.  I was almost half way there, waist deep, when the most unexpected thing happened.  As I continued walking I was walking up hill!  By the time I reached the buoy, I was in two feet of water standing on top of a sand bar!  All these years, I never knew that my fear was unwarranted.  I realized that it was the fear itself that had paralyzed me.  I regained so much power from that experience that I can now swim without anxiety.  


You can start by Not Doing some little things.  One of my favorites is wearing silly hats. Change how you normally dress, or change your hair.  If you are an extrovert, try being quiet.  If you are an introvert, become the life of the party.  Challenge yourself to push beyond your self limitations.  What can you Not Do today?


Enjoy your journey~


Laura Barrette Shannon