Angel Violet

You Can Break Your Happiness “Glass Ceiling” !

June 20, 2016 By admin Leave a Comment

“When you’re a kid happiness is planned for you. After that?

Not so much.”

~ Ellen Steidman, Time Special Edition, The Science of Happiness

As adults we think we don’t need to focus on being happy; we have other more important things to do ……or do we?

Science continues to search for answers to what makes people happy, creates a life of more joy and brings a sense of well-being. What may not surprise you is that the research is the premise of many spiritual practices. If we are here only a short time, why not be happy? Waiting until… never creates happiness.

Each One of us Has a Mission

If your belief is you came here with a mission to make the planet a better place, then being truly happy from the inside out is something you may want to continue to master. Remember the happiness ceiling is invisible so don’t get fooled. We aren’t talking about Pollyanna happiness, but the deep welling up of being happy for no reason!

A documented, positive side effect of being happy is an increase in physical health and financial abundance. Yes, positive psychologists have conducted study after study pointing to this conclusion.

I know what you are thinking- especially now. My happiness ceiling is lower. How can I find even a ray of happiness with the political climate, the violence in the world, or personal challenges I am currently navigating?

Despite all of the above, there are ways to claim some happiness for yourself

Partner and Share

Research has repeatedly found that married couples have higher levels of happiness than unmarried individuals. It’s a result of the sense of partnership, sharing, doing things together and having common values. If you are married look for ways to connect more often, laugh and find free time together. Let go of the little stuff.

That doesn’t mean that single folks aren’t happy. Look for friends who like to do the same things you do and spend time with them! Happiness is there for everyone. It’s an inside out work in progress.

Children: Providing a Leg Up on the Happiness Ladder?

Here is the skinny on that one. In her article, The Parenting Paradox, Brenda Luscombe says after the excitement and celebration of having a baby, the parenting reality kicks in full force with the labor intensive, sleep-deprived task of caring for a little one.

When sleep hasn’t clouded a new parent’s brain, the realization is that it will cost them a half a million dollars to raise their precious bundle. And when they are finished raising this child, “they leave”. For some, this reality of their offspring living their own lives results in a lonely season of life.

Is this happiness?

In her book, All the Joy and None of the Fun, Jennifer Senior says, “Mothering and Fathering aren’t just about the things we do. Being a mother or being a father is who we are”. The research leans in favor of people with children who embrace parenting as being happier. This leads us to believe it really is what you bring as a person to the parenting unit and how genuinely happy you are with yourself. The happier you are as a parent, the happier your children will be.

A happiness hint for parents with children of any age. “A parent’s first job is not to raise kids but to enjoy them.” ~ Time Special Edition, The Science of Happiness-The Parenting Parado

Finding the Happiness Within

Remember your ceiling is invisible. And in a world that is uncertain and at times violent is it important to find a place within of peace and inner happiness? Remember your ceiling is invisible. Truly, that is the only place you will find it. Happiness can’t be provided by the outside world. There is no magic pill, potion or outside source for being healthier, richer, or better than the next person. When you look inside, you will find that your inner compass is the only one you need to follow for living a life of more joy and well-being.

Everyone can cultivate happiness. You can break through your happiness ceiling whether you are single, married, divorced, parents or grandparents. This doesn’t mean you ignore your feelings. It’s important to recognize your feelings of distress, anxiety, anger or depression, which are contrary to feeling joy and happiness.

As you acknowledge your beliefs and worries you can shift your focus towards something different. It’s all about focus. You can’t be grateful and worry at the same time. There are practical ways you can foster a stronger sense of well-being and ultimately inner happiness and joy. (Happily grateful)

“Life-It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis”

~Margaret Wander Bonanno

You may already be doing some things that create inner happiness. But let me suggest a few ideas to a bolster your happiness level and those close to you, including your children.

Raise Your Happiness Ceiling

Focus on the Positive

Always, always, always find things to be grateful for in your life. Even something as simple as getting home safely at the end of the day.
Celebrate and use your gifts instead of focusing on what you perceive as your ”imperfections” or mistakes.
Be generous to yourself and purchase “an experience” rather than purchasing a material item.
Find a moment for a random act of kindness or generosity to someone you know rather than for a stranger.
Try to get an “outside” perspective of a challenging situation and draw out the “gifts” from that experience. Be grateful for it.
On social media: limit your exposure to or edit the posts that are anxiety or fear producing. Choose posts that are uplifting and positive to post and read.

Focus on Deliberate Ways to Create Happiness in your Life

Know what makes you happy and put it into your schedule. If you don’t schedule it, it won’t happen.
Take care of yourself with a simple pleasure.
Cultivate 10-20 minutes of regular “quiet” or meditative time each day.
What can you do to change a challenging situation that would be uplifting? It may be a prayer, taking an action step or doing nothing but realizing it isn’t about you. Be the observer.
Unplug from the outside world (TV, electronics, social media, etc. and be present in the moment. Enjoy who and what you are being present with, knowing everything will be there when you plug back in.
Make every Sunday fun day.
Go off the grid periodically. Go away and leave your electronics on silent.
Make happiness your goal in how you live your life. Do whatever reminds you to be happy each day.

Diswas-Diener says, “Don’t fit joyful activities into your day – fit your days around joyful activities. Do you ever hear devoted church attendees say ’Can we reschedule church because something came up?’ You need to have that church mentality about whatever it is that gives you pleasure. If you say your weeks are full, find that next blank spot in our calendar.” This is what happy people do.

I used to love to swing… and it still makes me happy.

What will you choose to make you happy? Remember everyone around you benefits when you are happy. Post and let us know as will uplift those who read this!

Breaking through the happiness glass ceiling,

Bonnie

P.S. For Kids try a boost of happiness with a sample of Angel Violet’s Magic Cards on the side panel!

P.P.S. To break your happiness ceiling go to The Natural Path toHappiness

Lock in Love

February 4, 2016 By admin Leave a Comment

Children naturally recall their connection to being created from a loving energy. They evoke their innate gifts. They remember they aren’t powerless. It is easy to get caught up in the outside world where we are encouraged to build “cognitive muscles”, but not the “heart muscle“- in ourselves and our children.

A few weeks ago, my brother and our cat were experiencing major health challenges at the same time. When Sienna, five years old, heard about this she wanted draw a picture to help the cat feel better, and so we did. The heart-loving energy put into a picture made us both feel better.

We called our team of Angels Angel Violet, Angel Lucy and Angel Charlie and sent them to both my brother and the cat. The last thing we did was close our eyes. First, we focused on our hearts, feeling the love. Then we took a deep breath in. As we let it go we sent love from our hearts to my brother and cat.

I am sure it was transferred to my brother and to the cat, for the next day both were significantly better. Of course we will never know for sure if what we did helped, but the heart message we received was that it did!

We tend to forget that when we’re connected to something bigger than ourselves, and only give it a thought when synchronicities abound. After sending love with Sienna, I happened to look through Doc Childre’s book Teaching Children to Love: 80 Activities, Games, and Fun for raising Balanced Children in Unbalanced Times. (Heartmath.com)

Although I am familiar with Heart Math activities and electronics, I didn’t know there was something called Heart Lock In for kids. Reading through the steps I realized how it was similar to what I did with Sienna. Simple, but powerful, actions to remind children (and adults) that they deserve love and that there is plenty for everyone.

What a wonderful reminder for February, the month of Love and Valentine’s day!

Heart Math research shows that children who lack love have a harder time learning. When placed in a nurturing and caring environment, children love to learn.

Love is important. Teaching children how to love themselves is very important. Loving others is a natural part of a child’s fun and enjoyment in life. It’s easy to lose the feeling of unconditional love among the business of life and the “rules” of home and school. Love is essential to balance the complexities offered by life. Model self-love and self-nurturing to children whenever you can.

Heart Lock In For Kids by Doc Childre

Explain that Heart Lock In is like putting a key into the lock of your heart and opening the door of your heart so love can come in and so you can send love out

Focus on your heart the place you can put your hand on your heart and pretend you have a key to the door of your heart
You can turn the key and unlock the door
Breathe into your heart. As you breath in through your nose you are bringing more love in and when you breath out through your nose you can send love out to someone.

During this month of love and heart focus, start a new ritual. Create time at night, at the dinner table or whenever your heart feels it right. Help yourself and your children to open the door to your hearts. Fill your hearts with love …. and then send the flow of love out.

Using the simple sending of love will create an environment of nurture, connectivity and enjoyment for both the sender and the receiver!

Remembering the love within our heart creates magic,

Bonnie

Create an “Appreciation App”

November 18, 2015 By admin Leave a Comment

Create an “Appreciation” App

“Grateful kids look outside their one-person universe and understand that their parents and other people do things for them… prepare dinner, dole out hugs, buy toys, etc. Lewis continues saying “On the flip side, kids who aren’t taught to be grateful end up feeling entitled and perpetually disappointed.”~Charlotte Latvala

Despite the darkness of what may happen in the outside world, the tinkling sounds of angels voices and the energy of blessings can still be heard as a five-year-old shared what made her “happy and grateful” during the day.

The light in her eyes and the joy in her voice lit up the room at the dinner table. Hers was a simple gratitude – one of picking clover to share with each of us. She had so much fun picking clover earlier in the day.

With great anticipation she turned to her Dad, then her mom, and asked each what they were grateful for and what made them happy.

The two-year old was not to be left out from the five-year old’s happy, probing question. He, too, was able to share his gratitude in his two-year-old language. It was wonderful to be in the moment of Now when many are already ahead into the Christmas Season.

As the Thanksgiving season approaches, November is known as a time for children and adults to focus on being thankful and appreciative. Unfortunately, this may be the only time of the year many children, and teens, think about things for which they are grateful, value and hold dear.

This season of thanks is a perfect time to start a new ritual or expand an existing one with your children or teens to create a deeper sense of gratitude, kindness and appreciation that lasts the whole year.

It’s a great time to create an Appreciation ‘App’

Have fun creating appreciation apps that last all year,

Bonnie

Are You Ready to Bloom Gracefully this Spring?

March 25, 2015 By admin 2 Comments

chakra affirmations elephantsmeditation.com Many are aware of the Equinox and new moon configuration that heralded Spring this past weekend. Or maybe not! Yes, I know many still have snow and cold. Despite the lack of evidence of Spring in some places, the seasons are changing.

The energy brought forth by these heavenly line-ups brings to culmination the process of leaving the old completely behind. We are being given influxes of light to help bring about a new way of being and living. We can bloom in a new, even more graceful way.

Image from https://www.facebook.com/elephantmeditation)

Although we seem to keep going through “gates” and amazing alignments, there appears to be a feeling of life “inside” us being different. As we shift into a more fluid unfolding inside,

letting go and letting life arrange itself around our heart-felt dreams and intentions, the Universe seems to line things up for us.

I saw this evidenced as I searched for a mini-weekend vacation to celebrate my husband’s birthday. He has been working so hard that a bit of mini-vacation was what he wanted for his special day. My husband really loves St. Thomas, so I began the search.

As I spent a few weeks searching for cruises and something that would give him a sense of relaxation, nothing was working price wise or definitely not time wise. I finally gave up and thought we would do something over the summer.

Lo and behold, after coming to the decision to let it go for now, a special package popped up on Southwest vacations. It wasn’t St. Thomas, but was a relaxing weekend package in the Caribbean. This package was magical, the timing was more perfect than I could have planned with some unexpected guests in our home, and the price was so affordable I was amazed.

Graceful blooming:

Remind yourself that pushing to control the timing or the outcome of something is not the answer. That way of being no longer works.
Following your intuitive impulse to act on something does work.
Having trust of the unfolding in the perfect moment works.

To a beautiful graceful blooming of Spring,

Bonnie

PS Post your graceful blooming in an area of your life.

Do NOT Meditate. “Meditating” Can Hurt Your Brain (And, Yes, Your Life!)

March 12, 2015 By admin Leave a Comment

mediating energy person

Many people think that meditating is taking an hour or so to quiet the noise in your brain (and it is but it isn’t the only way we meditate).

pondering woman But the truth is, when you think about anything, even something you worry about, you focus on it and you ponder on it. When you do that, you are “mediating” on an idea.

med·i·ta·tion-” the action or practice of meditating. “a life of meditation” synonyms: contemplation, thought, thinking, musing, pondering, consideration, reflection, deliberation, rumination, brooding, reverie, concentration”

Complain about something and your brain loses dendrites (nerve cells), thus destroying your brain. However, if you “meditate” — and I use the word loosely — on a Big Idea or a grand plan, it affects your brain in a positive way. According to Robert Waldman, therapist and an Associate Fellow at the Center for Spirituality and the Mind, University of Pennsylvania, researchers have found you can actually “destroy” parts of your brain with your thoughts. This is not just a nice idea or a faith-related notion, but a fact as shown by the amazing technology of many thousands of brain scans.

pondering positive woman

Here is the good news! Big ideas can change your brain. Waldman says, “Big ideas, like a belief in God, can build a better brain. Some ideas reduce anxiety and rage, while others improve memory cognition and consciousness itself.”

What big dream supports you in being you – the valuable gift on the planet which you are? What is your Big Idea? What have you been dreaming about?

It could be:

On “God” and how you are supported by the Universe
Your intense desire for peace
To connect with angels to guide your dreams or your purpose
Living your life with joy and ease
Being connected to a community that is alignment with your beliefs
Nurturing healthy relationships
Feeling safe and confident to be yourself
The vision of how you want your life to be

Whatever it is, take time to “mediate” on your Big Idea.

Waldman has a simple secret to changing your brain and aligning yourself more closely with your “Big Idea”.

Take 19 minutes to watch Mark Waldman in his serious and very profound talk on “Can God Change Your Brain?”

Post your big idea or your thoughts on Mark Waldman’s You Tube video.

Dreaming the big dream,

Bonnie

PS If you love the more traditional form of meditation, it has been proven to be a very powerful tool for the mind, body and spirit. Many thousands of studies have shown how traditional meditation improves health and happiness. However, even a few minutes to “meditate” when you take a walk, stilling your mind, being present, while focusing on your breathing even a few minutes, or listening to a guided meditation or music creates a healthy brain and supports and aligns you to bringing your dreams to life! Don’t be unsettled if you’re not of the sit still and mediate type although it has powerful benefits even 10 minutes a day of “quiet meditative time” is a tool worth cultivating.

Can Angels Help Children Feel Better about Themselves?

March 3, 2015 By admin Leave a Comment

angelvioletbook Thank you Patricia for the great review of Angel Violet’s Magic Wings. I feel so honored that Patricia Tilton, reviewer, wrote about Angel Violet’s Magic Wings. Here is a a small quote from Patricia.

“Synopsis: A delightful book that helps children focus on their happy and yucky feelings, and identify where the feeling is located in their body –heart, tummy, head or back. The author shows children and parents healthy ways to bond through conversation, mindfulness, and exercises that include visualization and gratitude.”

Let Angel Violet help a child you now. You can read the full review at ChildrensBooksHeal.com. and more on Amazon. This is a great site to find books that support children in healthy development of emotions, confidence and understanding diversity. Thank you Patricia for your dedication to children. Enjoy her site.

Loving the angels,

PS Do you know a child and a family that would benefit from having an angel help them? If so take a look at Angel Violet’s Magic Wings. (ww.amazon.com/Angel-Violets-Magic-Bonnie-Snyder/dp/0615925057/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425410645&sr=1-1&keywords=angel+violets+magic+wings)