LauraBeLove

[laurabelove-blog]

[palavre]

Afternoon Ritual In Isaan by Allen Hale

[laurabelove-blog]

Yep, its me and Nick Cannon just hanging at Wahoo Tacos in Austin, TX

[laurabelove-blog]

[laurabelove-blog]

Where's your Love Meter??

[laurabelove-blog]

A Meditation: Self-Love & a Loving Relationship

I am valuable. I am love. I am a child of the Divine. I offer so much and those around me are grateful and appreciate all that I do. I love my body and I take very good care of it. I am now present in my body and in each moment I nourish and support my body so my journey on this planet is healthy and vibrant. I am patient with myself in each moment and recognize that I am not in a race to perfection, but in a moment-by-moment practice of self-love. I am valuable now. I am perfect now. I am loveable now. I am beautiful now. I am sexy now. I am affectionate. I am very happy and fufilled in my relationship. I am so grateful that I am loved by a person who cherishes who I am, what I say and think, how I look, and what I like to do. We love and support each other. My past relationships are in the past and I am in this relationship with fresh eyes and an open heart. I deserve love and happiness. I am valuable. I am love. And I am grateful for my beautiful existense.

[laurabelove-blog]

Hey, congrats on making some amazing changes in your life! I've just taken a one-month pledge to be vegan (with a view to making it a permanent change) and have also cut out alcohol. I don't smoke or anything anyway so that is easy. Instead of being lethargic and apathetic I'm now excited about each day & learning a new, healthier lifestyle - can't wait to see where I'll be at my own two-week mark! What do you think are the biggest challenges?? Any tips or hints?

    That is so cool to hear! How are you feeling so far? I personally felt becoming vegan is much easier the deeper you get into it. If you find really delicious recipes that can be your easy go-to while you transition and make sure you have a lot of healthy options available to you then it should make it much easier. I have much healthier days when my fridge is stocked and my plan is set.

   Also going to restaurants can be very challenging at first because it's easy to feel like you're burdening everyone with your special requests. But I've found that every restaurant is very accommodating and all you need is a little practice.

  Hope this helps, let me know how its going, or if you have any more questions!

[laurabelove-blog]

  My first attempt at paper-cutting. This is meant to show the importance of the ideas, or seeds, we plant in ourselves everyday. If we choose to plant seeds of thought that are peaceful, joyous, and harmonious with our Divine selves then it will turn into a beautiful garden that we can enjoy everyday!

[laurabelove-blog]

"You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection."

Buddha

[visualgraphc]

[laurabelove-blog]

"Don’t wait for it,” I said. “Create a world, your world. Alone. Stand alone. Create. And then the love will come to you, then it comes to you. It was only when I wrote my first book that the world I wanted to live opened up to me."

Anais Nin (March 1933) This is an amazing women, a strong author and story-teller. Like me, she has kept journals her whole life and hers were published, now famous pieces of literature. Anais’ first volume published began in the 1930s. I love her because of how honest she is in her writing. She goes into detail with experiences she has with friends and what she sees in an artist's world. At a time she even wrote pieces of erotica and would sell them for ten cents a piece. If she was a woman living in the 30s and did all this, then why not me? This beautiful quote helps me dispell the fear I have to create my work. It’s clear once I get in this space, what I’ve been searching for will arrive. These words give me courage xo

[laurabelove-blog]

[laurabelove-blog]

Positive Thoughts for Your Present Moments

Row, row, row your boat, Gently down the stream. Merrily,merrily, merrily,merrily, Life is but a dream. There is no need to fear a dream. It is only a temporary place before we go on, back into the Universe in some unknown form. This moment is bliss and peace wrapped around me, with no worries in sight. So why worry now? Why doubt what we can do in our lives? Being aware of the beauty of life makes it impossible to waste my time on mundane things, I am going to make a difference for us all. I already am, every day that I am in harmony with the Truth I contibute. That brings me a lot of little joys throughout the day. For example, walking my dog, I am present in the moment. I enjoy the architecture of the buildings, the sunset, the leaves on the ground. I bring myself into a happy state and thereforw I smile. As I walk by people I smile at them while sending them good thoughts. I smile at everyone, even the so-called drunks or scary looking people. Because we are all connected and therefore that is my brother or sister. And you know what, they all smile back. Some are busy in their thoughts and don’t see me, which is okay. But those that do see me smile back and relax, it is one of my favorite things to do. And imagine if each of those people smile or is kind to someone else, because I was kind to them. That could keep going and going and going. How we act matters, it is so freeing when we see that it is easy to make the decision to be loving towards others. And in being this way on purpose for a few years now has really helped me discover a lot about myself. I want to share that with the world and I feel like it could make a difference. And even if it just reaches a few people, like on my walks with my dog, you never know how many people you are truely affecting in the long-run. How exciting is that?!

[laurabelove-blog]

Happy Taste Buds - Goodbye Sugar, Drugs and Alcohol!

   It is a good day, now day fourteen of my resolution to avoid sugar, alcohol, and drugs. Starting this challenge I expected to hate it and give it all up, but the good news is its working! I am feeling great. I have actually been a vegan now for about six months and this means I have avoided all meat and dairy products. But instead of eating mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds like I planned, I instead ate huge amounts of sugar in the form of junk food. After some research I realized that this is a common pitfall, and that is when I decided that this new year would be a perfect time to revamp my diet and lifestyle.

    I now realize that the reason for my sugar and other unhealthy substance intake was because I was not ready for the changes that were happening in my life. I was just getting my feet wet, but was too afraid to jump. This resolution has forced me to jump and it feels amazing. Eliminating sugar has increased my fruit and veggie intake fifty percent and it has had a serious impact on me physically and mentally. Eliminating sugar, alcohol, and drugs all together has sent me into a all inclusive transformation. I am now craving fruits and vegetables, and they are tasting so much better. My normal rummaging through my fridge and pantry at two in the morning after drinking all night with friends has stopped and instead I have been getting into a more regular meditation routine.

    Maybe this doesn't sound too exciting for everyone reading this, but I was drinking and doing drugs to escape from the pains I believed were in my life. But now that I have eliminated drinking, drugs, and sugar, so many of those 'pains' have also disappeared. I feel happier and more balanced. It has not been a cakewalk by any means, but now that I am two weeks in I am preferring this lifestyle over my previous one.

[forestfeast]

Have you ever seen how brussels sprouts grow? They are so beautiful! I recently came across this field of them not too far from us, in Half Moon Bay, where there is so much gorgeous farmland on the sea. It inspired me to come home and make an oldie but goodie, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with golden raisins and turkey kielbasa. Swap out the kielbasa for tofu sausage or onions if you’d like a veggie version of this. You can also just as easily use a cookie sheet. Use olive oil generously and keep that oven high to ensure crispy bits on the edges of the sprouts (the best part!).

Recipe and artwork by Erin Gleeson for The Forest Feast

[laurabelove-blog]

A Feel Good, Embodyment Meditation Idea <3

    I now embody and experience the feeling of being surrounded by good people, ones that inspire me, who have amazing things going on in their lives. The new people I meet are always so kind and happy. They say hello and an amazing conversation starts. My closest friends are hilarious and outgoing, we easily spend time together, even enjoying long trips in each other's company. My friends are loyal and trustworthy. We genuinely care about each other and it makes my life so sweet. My world is filled with amazing, love bursting moments. I am so at ease in this life. I wake up each morning with a great sense of awe, it instantly inspires me to seize the day. I do so with my child-like eyes. My lips are always in a smile and my toes are always tapping because I see the beauty in life, I feel the loving connection, and it feels good! I trust completely in my purpose in this life, my chosen path, and in this moment I open myself to whatever comes next because I know it is leading to my highest good. I feel peace trickling down my body, warming it with a knowing. I am happy. I am safe. I am grateful.

 *Meditation is awesome! And just fifteen minutes a day, thinking about great moments like these, can really help our minds get used to new ways of thinking and being in this world.

[laurabelove-blog]

Day 2 of Resolution ~ I wanted to smoke but I didn't!

Hi friends,

    Right off the top, I am giving myself a high-five! (Just did it :)) Yesterday wasn't too bad, but today was hard! In case I haven't told you I am a cook and a dietary assistant manager in a nursing home. And three days a week I cook breakfast and lunch for ninety-five people. This includes making a lot of tempting and yummy desserts. Today I had to bake a yellow cake and then put chocolate frosting on top...so hard! But I didn't eat any and I am so glad I didn't.

    When I got home from work, my immediate instinct was I wanted to forget the day and relax. Honestly, I really wanted to smoke a bowl! And it was so funny to kind of watch myself,  because I was freaking out. My mind was not liking this change, because I usually don't say no, I just give into whatever my mind thinks right away. In the midst of my panic I thought about it and realized I wanted to relax because I am tired, so I decided to take a thirty minute nap. When I woke up I had the urge to just go back to sleep, but knew I could not waste the evening. I threw on some yoga clothes and wrapped up my mat and headed to the warm yoga studio down the street.

    I have been practicing yoga for six months now, but today was really hard. I usually feel balanced and strong in my poses, but today I was shaky and weak. Staying kind and calm with myself, I just kept at it, and I think the shakiness and weakness is a sign that my body is effected by me cutting out sugar, alcohol, nicotine, and drugs...I am feeling it! But I know this is what I have to go through to get on the other side, so it is okay with me. I am Strong and I am Ready to reach the next stage in my life!

I still need your support, and whoever you are, I am here for you too! I wish I could have come to this point when I was sixteen, but boy am I glad I am here!