Oh, And Here It Is….

Here is the will.i.am video I was talking about earlier today. You don’t even have to look at it from a political point-of-view, just enjoy it for what it is — a message of inspiration. It’s A New Day!!

Resentfully Letting Go

If you have ever been in a failed relationship, — whether it be a lover, friend or family member — then this post is for you.

And if you have not, this post may mean something to you, too. Because we all let our ego get in the way sometimes…

I am not naturally a mean person. I know that may sound weird to some of you; You may ask, “Who is?” But what I mean by that is that my first instinct in a tricky situation is not to be mean; and if it is, I usually fail miserably. I stutter and my legs get shaky and I know that all of the words that are coming out of my mouth are not of my true nature.

And that just makes me more upset.

But I have, as of late, being feeling a great resentment growing inside me; feelings of anger just keep pushing their way through to my conscious efforts. Like many of you, I have been presented with a few situations — one to be specific — in my life that I really do not know how to handle.  And while I am consistently engaged in an internal battle of how to better work through these feelings, I just do not know how. I tell myself to move on and appreciate the wonderful life that surrounds me each day, and, don’t get me wrong, I do. But somehow — more often than I would prefer — the feelings manage to creep their way back into my life.

To be specific without being specific: I am at a point in my life where I no longer know how to deal with a relationship that began its failure a long, long time ago. The thing is, in some way or another, it is a constant presence in my life, and my inability to move forward makes that presence more and more difficult.

I have conversations with myself all the time. I am brushing my teeth (or trying to fall asleep or writing this post right now) and having conversations with the said failed relationship. I have nightmares about arguments, and I have dreams about peace treaties. Sometimes, I want to make everything better, and other times I wish I could just let it all go … or yell or scream. And sometimes, I cry. But other days, like now, I just feel angry.

And maybe a bit sad.

When I feel like this, I can often consult someone who is close to me, and he or she can talk some sense into me for the time being. But, often times, I also look for answers from someone who has no hand in the situation; someone who does not know Caroline Shannon, and will not be partial to her feelings.

Someone who seems much wiser than me.

I was sitting on my couch today, when I remembered reading a passage about resentment in Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose.

In the chapter, titled The Core of Ego, he writes:

“Resentment is the emotion that goes with complaining and the mental labeling of people and adds even more energy to the ego. Resentment means to feel bitter, indignant, aggrieved, or offended. You resent other people’s greed, their dishonesty, their lack of integrity, what they are doing, what they did in the past, what they said, what they failed to do, what they should or shouldn’t have done. The ego loves it. Instead of overlooking unconsciousness in others, you make it into their identity. Who is doing that? The unconsciousness in you, the ego. Sometimes the “fault” that you perceive in another isn’t even there. It is a total misinterpretation, a projection by a mind conditioned to see enemies and to make itself right or superior. At other times, the fault may be theirs, but by focusing on it, sometimes to the exclusion of everything else, you amplify it. And what you react to in another, you strengthen in yourself.”

In a moment of anger the other day, my mother said to me, “Stop allowing someone else’s behavior to dictate who you are. This is not you. The truth is, if you were in any other situation, you would not be reacting this way. Don’t let this person change you.”

At first, I resented — no pun intended — her words. But, of course, like many words of mom-wisdom, I knew she was right. And this is what Tolle means when he says, “At other times, the fault may be theirs, but by focusing on it, sometimes to the exclusion of everything else, you amplify it. And what you react to in another, you strengthen in yourself.”

I don’t want to be that person; that person who allows another person’s actions to have an affect on her own.

Tolle says, “The ego loves to complain and feel resentful not only about other people but also about situations. What you can do to a person, you can also do to a situation: make it into an enemy. The implication is always: This should not be happening; I don’t want to be here; I don’t want to be doing this; I’m being treated unfairly. And the ego’s greatest enemy of all is, of course, the present moment, which is to say, life itself.”

I know for sure that my personal struggle with this particular situation is not yet over. I think a bit more time is in order before I can fully move forward. The internal battle will continue; the “What if I would have done ______?” or “Why do I care at all about this?!”

But I do hope that I can begin to work toward letting go. The situation is, sadly, irreparable. There have been too many hurt feelings, lies, convoluted thoughts, decisions about how one person thinks the other person is …

It hurts.

At least, it hurts for me.

And whether it is my ego or my personality, I do not know. But I do hope that I can, someday, …

let go.

Busy Being Green And, Well, . . . Busy.

Before I start, I must first apologize for being such a horrible blogger this week. These last few days have been the kind of days where everything begins to blur together, and when you reflect on your activities you think, “Really? That was this morning?”

I have been really busy.

But no excuses. I just wanted to explain my situation a bit.

Anyhoo, I promised you a juice recipe and here it is. I borrowed this one from The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose. I have to be honest, this Green Lemonade takes some getting used to. But once you have had it a couple of times, it begins to wear on you and is really quite refreshing:

Makes 1 serving

1 head romaine lettuce or celery

5 to 6 stalks kale (any type)

1 to 2 apples (as needed for sweetness — I used two! Try organic Pink Lady or Fuji apples)

1 whole organic lemon (You don’t have to peel it)

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh ginger (optional)

Process the vegetables through the juicer by admitting one vegetable at a time through the mouth of the juicer. The fiber will shoot out of the juicer into one container while the sprout will eject the fresh juice into another container. Pour into a large glass and drink! Notice how the lemon really cuts out the “green” taste that most people try to avoid.

And wait just a minute . . . Don’t think I forgot about all of you who do not have a juicer to use at your disposal!

Here is a recipe for a greens drink that can be made in your blender. This one, which was featured on Oprah, is concocted by Dr. Mehmet Oz. The ingredients are fairly similar to the recipe I have posted above, but everything just goes into a blender instead:

• 2 cups spinach
• 2 cups cucumber
• 1 head of celery
• 1/2 inch or teaspoon ginger root
• 1 bunch parsley
• 2 apples
• Juice of 1 lime
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

After everything is combined in a blender, this recipe makes 28 to 30 ounces—about three to four servings. Oprah has said, “It’s a glass of fresh.”

Let me know what you think of these green beverages. They look rather questionable, but turn out to be quite tasty. What’s more, the enzymes that you are getting from the fruits and vegetables are extremely beneficial to your well-being!

Enjoy. (:

The World is Pretty Amazing

I love to volunteer. There is something about lending a helping hand that can make your whole world feel different; the air feels crisper, people seem more cheerful, you have an extra bounce in your step.

The thing is, this feeling is more self-created, than actual. Don’t get me wrong — the feeling of doing something good it very real indeed. But the way in which your world all of a sudden appears more rosy? That, my friend, is created by you.

Here’s the thing: Volunteering is so wonderful because not only are you smiling, but you are making someone else smile as well. And volunteer options are always available. You just have to be willing to step up to the plate.

I hear you, I hear you: “But I don’t have time!” I tell myself that, too, all of the time.

But, yes, you do. We all do.

Put aside a couple hours of Oprah, and all of a sudden you will have time. Or take your volunteering with you to work — a lot of organizations involve gathering money to support the cause. You can also tell your kids to take a night off from hanging out with friends, and involve your whole family — you will have time and you will be creating memories.

Anne Frank once said,

“How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment:
we can start now, start slowly changing the world!”

That’s the thing about making a difference — No, you are not going to change the world over night. But imagine if you could change just one person’s world. Wouldn’t that be fantastic?!

I am just putting together some of the causes that I would like to volunteer for this year. One cool thing about volunteering is that you can combine your passions and your need to give to others. I would like to include health, fitness and writing on my Volunteer To-Do List this year.

While you are still a-thinkin’, take this survey that I put together. I would love to hear what all of you are involved in, or what volunteer goals you have for this year.

Let’s inspire each other!!

Emerson and Cooper at 3 months old and all dressed up — we adopted them from the Animal Rescue League of Pittsburgh.

Wake Up and Find Your Purpose!

“The world can only change from within.”

Those are the words of Eckhart Tolle, author of the best-selling book, and Oprah’s new book club selection, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightment.

I feel like the principles and message of this book will fit perfectly with so many of my current goals – discovering my passions, awakening my soul to life, and so forth.

Oprah and Tolle are inviting people to read the book, and then join them for a 10-week online class (it’s free!) about how The Power of Now can help you discover your life’s purpose.

They ask, “Are you ready to be awakened?”

I repond with a resounding, “I am, I am!”

I signed up and I am getting the book tonight.