Going with the Flow

“Cling not to the withered flowers of life. Keep only the memory of their beauty in their prime." ~ LB Shannon

Learning to flow with life is an important aspect to being happy.

Each of us must learn to let go of anything, any habit, or anyone that no longer is in alignment with our innermost sense of being. Some things, situations, or people are purposeful for a time and then the cycle comes to an end. Just because it ends does not negate the meaning of what it was in its time, just as a beautiful annual flower will fade, yet the memory of the beauty is what remains. And yet, even in death, flowers leave seeds for new growth. Such is the rhythm of life. People come and people go. This moment is here, and then it is gone.

We live in a dynamic universe where nothing ever stays the same. Life is never static; it’s continually flowing with ups and downs like the ocean tides. When we fight the nature of these tides, we cause undue stress within our minds. Enjoy living in the present as it is, but don’t get too attached to it, because life will be different soon enough. By riding on top of the waves instead of being swept up in the middle of them, we have the ability to steer ourselves along the wave. Learn to flow with the waves of life by riding the extremes with awareness and acceptance, or those waves will knock you down for sure.

Besides the tides of life, there is always an overall current that pushes you along. Learn to flow with life like water in a river. When rocks appear, effortlessly flow around the obstacles without even slowing down. The only dams you will encounter are the ones you build yourself: attempting to move against the current (trying to move backwards), getting stuck in a whirlpool (repeating the same mistakes over and over), or attempting to run off course (moving away from your authentic self). These movements are unnatural and filled with resistance. If you feel like your natural flow is off track, ask yourself if you are causing this resistance by choosing not to flow with life.

Remember to flow with the unexpected and enjoy the journey. After all, detours in life are the seeds of good stories!

Lesson:

Flow with life’s tides and currents.

Exercise:

Practice flowing with the unexpected. Embrace life’s detours. Detours aren’t running off course. They are following the natural path of life, winding in unforeseen directions but still going with the flow. We can’t always see every turn coming up, but we can enjoy the journey as life takes us through a different territory.

If you are someone who feels the tides of life as they rise high and fall low, be aware that they never stay high or low. It’s just a matter of riding the tide with awareness. Don’t let the low tides draw you down with them.

When you feel caught up in a low tide of your life, repeat this affirmation: “Today I release the withered flowers of my past, looking back on only their beauty and perfection, allowing me to focus on the seeds of new growth.”

Stay aware and be patient, and your high tide will soon come.

Laura Barrette Shannon

author of Be Happy Now:  Simple Steps for Enjoying Life

buy book here: http://www.amazon.com/Be-Happy-Now-Simple-Enjoying/dp/1452548005/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

Stop Waiting!

“The essence of life is not in

the great victories and grand failures,

but in the simple joys.”

~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Patience is allowing life to unfold in its own time. If you feel the unease of impatience, bring your attention back to the present and remind yourself that there are no ordinary moments. Every minute of every day is just as fleeting and sacred as any other. Impatience devalues the present moment, as if it’s not good enough. Become aware of this and start valuing all of your time.

Many of us have become so busy that we feel rushed and stressed throughout the day. Some of these feelings arise from the annoyance we cause ourselves by always waiting for the next activity. When you are in a mind-set of waiting, you are not present. If you are at a stop light, in a checkout line, or a doctor’s office, you are in a traditional waiting situation. By switching your state of mind to being present, you can relax and enjoy these few minutes of inactivity. In a busy day, these moments give us a much needed opportunity to take a break.

Many people have experienced the agitation of waiting while stopped at a red light. For some reason, there seems to be a lack of acceptance when it comes to traffic. Logically, we know that red lights, detours, and accidents are a normal part of traffic. Yet when faced with a couple of minutes at a red light, some people feel irritated. They spend these couple of minutes dwelling on how long the lights are, how many lights are on their route, and how the car in front of them should have gone through the yellow light so that they could have sped through the light before it changed red. Sometimes they even start to verbalize derogatory names about other drivers. In these few minutes, instead of peace and relaxation, these drivers have worked themselves up into a fit of anger.

It’s time to stop waiting and start relaxing. Use this time to take a few deep breaths, feel your body, hear the music of life, and be aware of the details around you. When you bring your attention to your physical body and the surrounding environment, you are forcing your awareness outside your head. This is an automatic tension reliever. Nothing can bother you when you are present in the moment.

Lesson:

Stop waiting and enjoy life as it is happening. Be where you are.

Exercise:

When you are in a waiting situation, give yourself a break!

Take a few deep breaths. Slowly inhale, feeling the air expand your lungs. Then feel the tension leave your body with each exhale.

Think an affirmation of gratitude for these few moments of tranquility that you are about to experience. 

This is wonderful! I am so grateful for these few minutes of peace.

Bring your attention to your surroundings. Engage your senses and be aware of sights, sounds, and smells. Get out of your head and reconnect with the world.

Start actively relaxing in situations where you would normally find yourself waiting. It’s time to reclaim these precious minutes of your day! Begin to experience the peace and serenity that you can enjoy in these same few minutes. Cultivating patience is one simple step to enjoying life.

BE Desireless

DESIRE LESS, ALLOW MORE. When we come from a mindset of wants and desires it reinforces a "lacking" mentality. When we come from a mindset of being open and allowing, we are readying ourselves for action in alignment with our desires. It is a subtle difference of wording, but it makes a huge difference. For instance one could say, "I want to be in better physical shape." This statement is on...e of desire, but doesn't necessarily promote action. When reworded to say "I am allowing myself to live a healthier lifestyle and open to new physical activities.", the stage is set for action which will produce desired results. Another example: "I want to find a nice man to date." vs. "I am open to allowing a nice man to come into my life." That's it. Desire less, be open to allowing your dreams to manifest!
Be Happy, my Friends-
Laura Barrette Shannon

Are You Angry?

‎"You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger." ~ Buddha

When we allow our thoughts to dwell in anger, discontent, or injustice we are causing our own suffering. Anger, as all emotions, is a natural response to some situations. Feel the emotion, and then let it flow and let it go. We all did this when we were very young.  We would get upset, cry, scream, jump up and down, and then a few minutes later we would be onto something else, without dwelling on the past emotion.  Of course, as adults we can channel the anger in situational appropriate ways, but if you are alone, let it out in any way that you feel.  Then let it go. 
 When people stay with the emotion by repetitively rehashing the situation in their minds, suffering occurs. Anger itself is the demon that wields the punishment! Oh, that we could instantly feel the burning nature of anger like the burn of a hot coal, we would all avoid touching it again. There are many ways to extinguish the fire of this demon- the one that works best for me is taking a few slow deep breaths. This is instantly calming and allows your attention to move away from the angry thoughts. The fire of anger feeds on attention, don't feed it and it won't be able to burn you.
Many Blessings-
Laura Barrette Shannon

Row, Row, Row Your Boat...

 FLOW WITH LIFE like water going down stream. When rocks appear, effortlessly flow around the obstacles without even slowing down. The only dams you will encounter are the ones you build yourself: 

Attempting move against the current (moving backwards).

Getting stuck in a whirlpool (repeating the same mistakes over and over).

Attempting to run off course (moving away from your dreams). 

These movements are unnatural and filled with resistance. If you feel like your natural flow is off track, ask yourself if you are causing this resistance by choosing not to flow with life.  Row gently down the stream, and be merry!

Be Happy my friends! ♥ ~Laura Barrette Shannon

Ride the Wave

Are you riding the wave?
(photo from surfingsecretsrevealed.com)

RIDE THE WAVE- We live in a dynamic universe, where nothing ever stays the same. Life is never static. It flows with ups and downs like the ocean tides.  When we fight the nature of these tides we cause undue stress within our minds.   Enjoy living in the present as it is, but don't get too attached to it, because it will be different soon enough. By riding on top of the waves instead of being caught up in the middle of them we have the ability to steer ourselves along the wave.  Learn to flow with the waves of life by riding the extremes with awareness and acceptance, or those waves will knock you down for sure! 


May you have a happy journey!~


Laura Barrette Shannon