Is happiness something that you believe will come attached to some future event or a special person? Are you postponing happiness until you have the ideal job, live in your dream home, find the perfect mate, retire, or some other future situation? If you find yourself caught up in these thoughts or are missing passion, joy, or inner peace, then this book is for you! Through a series of practical lessons, you will learn the tools for raising self-awareness, leading to a path of personal transformation, which will allow you to experience a life of peace and happiness.

Be Happy Now

Simple Steps for Enjoying LifeBy Laura Barrette Shannon

Balboa Press

Copyright © 2012 Laura Barrette Shannon
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4525-4800-5

Contents

Preface..........................................................xiIntroduction.....................................................xiv1. Life Is a Garden..............................................112. Happiness Starts Here.........................................233. You Have Everything You Need..................................354. Be Present....................................................485. Breathe.......................................................136. The Worried Woman.............................................167. Trains of Thought.............................................188. Acceptance....................................................209. Complaints Are Seeds of Misery................................2310. Enjoy Your Own Life..........................................2511. Acting Instead of Re-Acting..................................2712. You Are the Narrator of Your Life............................3213. Don't Play the Victim........................................3614. The World Is a Mirror........................................3915. Realize Your Worth...........................................4216. Set Boundaries...............................................4517. Take Responsibility for Your Life............................4718. Be Grateful..................................................5019. Everyone Has His or Her Own Garden...........................5320. The Mule in the Well.........................................5721. Worrying Is a Seed of Suffering..............................5922. Circling Trains of Thought...................................6123. Make Peace with the Past.....................................6324. Reconnect with Your Inner Child..............................6625. Letting Go of Anger..........................................6926. Connect with Nature..........................................7127. Two Men Go to the Park.......................................7528. Exercise Helps Elevate Moods.................................7729. To Each His Own Journey......................................7930. Releasing Regret.............................................8231. Avoiding Arguments...........................................8532. Be Balanced..................................................8733. Be Who You Are...............................................9034. Unconditional Giving.........................................9435. Open Your Heart..............................................9636. Bring Back the Family Dinner.................................9837. Avoid Poisoning Yourself.....................................10038. Be a Cheerleader.............................................10239. Personal Freedom.............................................10440. Sing and Dance...............................................10741. Planning for the Future......................................11042. Embrace Your Beauty..........................................11343. Love Yourself First..........................................11544. Relationships................................................11745. The Joy of Service...........................................12046. Forgiving Is a One-Person Act................................12247. Dare to Dream................................................12548. The Power of Silence.........................................12849. See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil.....................13150. Eat with Awareness...........................................13551. Be Patient...................................................13852. Surround Yourself with Serenity..............................14053. Do You Always Have to Be Right?..............................14254. When Your Cup Is Full, Stop Pouring!.........................14655. You Never Have to Do Anything................................14956. Flow with Life...............................................15157. Rising from Darkness.........................................15358. Life Lessons.................................................15559. Self-Awareness...............................................15760. Intuition....................................................15961. Desire Less, Allow More......................................16162. The End Is the Beginning.....................................163Afterword........................................................165Lessons for Enjoying Life........................................167Ten Quick Mood Enhancers.........................................173The ABCs of Redirecting Attention................................175Resources and References.........................................176About the Author.................................................179

Chapter One

Life Is a Garden

"A man is what he thinks about all day long." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." ~Proverbs 3:7

Every plant starts with a seed. If you plant dandelion seeds, then dandelions will grow. If you plant daisy seeds, then daisies will grow. Life is the same way. If you plant seeds of unhappiness, then naturally an unhappy life will sprout forth. If you plant seeds of joy, then happiness will naturally grow. But what are these seeds? And how do you plant them? And how can you weed your garden so that you'll have room for joy to grow?

Through a series of simple steps, you will learn how to plant seeds of happiness, take control of your life, weed as necessary, and gain the tools to maintain a garden of joy and happiness.

First, it is important to understand the seeds that we plant. It all begins with our thoughts. Every thought is a seed that will germinate, form roots, and grow. Over time, repetitive thoughts of the same nature tend to grow stronger, supporting each other. This is great if the thoughts are happy and positive, but this is detrimental to your well- being if the thoughts are negative.

In The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale wrote, "Repetition of the same thought or physical action develops into a habit which, repeated frequently enough, becomes an automatic reflex." If you are in a state of unhappiness, it is a result of repetitive unhappy thoughts, which over time have become your natural way of reacting to the world.

Many people aren't even aware of what they are thinking or that their thoughts have so much power over their emotional state. One way to reveal the nature of your thoughts is to watch what you are saying. If most of your conversations revolve around drama and complaints, you probably feel stressed and depressed. Become aware that anything you say out loud first began as a thought in your mind. Speech is a mirror of your mind. Therefore the nature of your speech will either positively or negatively affect your mood.

Lesson #1:

Your thoughts affect your emotions.

Exercise:

This week, start to notice how you are feeling. When you are upset, what are you thinking? When you are happy, what thoughts are on your mind? Begin to understand the relationship between thoughts and emotions. This exercise is about raising your awareness of both your thoughts and your emotions. Nothing else is required other than paying attention to both as much as possible.

Chapter Two

Happiness Starts Here

"Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling." ~ Margaret Lee Runbeck

Intent is the seed of creation. Set your...